Aero India: HAL set to get order for 15 light combat choppers

After being awarded a ₹48,000-crore contract for supplying 83 LCA Mk-1A jets to the air force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is all set to receive its first order for the locally-made light combat helicopter, officials familiar with the development said at Aero India-2021 on Thursday.

HAL is likely to be awarded the contract to supply 15 LCHs to the Indian military in March, in a boost to the Make in India initiative, the officials said.

The state-run plane maker is expecting an order for 10 choppers for the IAF and another five for army. The IAF and the army together require 160 LCHs.

The LCH figures on the government’s negative import list that seeks to ban the import of 101 different types of weapons, systems and ammunition over the next five years.

Though not ordered yet, the twin-engine helicopter has been deployed in the Ladakh sector to support the IAF, in the midst of the border row with China.

The deployment of the twin-engine LCH in the Ladakh sector is symbolic in nature and an acknowledgement of the potential that the platform holds but it is yet to be fully weaponised to meet the air force’s requirements.

HAL has already launched limited series production in anticipation of the orders at its Bengaluru facility.