India advances light attack helicopter program with large tender

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — A major acquisition effort for the Light Combat Helicopter has moved forward after India’s Defence Ministry issued a request for proposals.

The RFP was issued to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., which designs and manufactures the 5.8-ton LCH Prachand. The request asked for 156 helicopters, split into 90 for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force.

HAL confirmed the RFP’s release in a stock exchange filing on June 17. The deal is expected to be worth more than 450 billion rupees (U.S. $5 billion) once negotiations conclude and a contract is issued.

In response to the news, HAL shares surged 6.5% to hit a record 5,582.80 rupees.

The company did not respond to Defense News’ request for additional information by press time.

KP Sanjeev Kumar, a former Indian naval aviation test pilot, told Defense News this tender “is a significant milestone in India’s journey of making customized helicopters for its armed forces.”

The attack helicopter can take off and land at altitudes of 16,400 feet, making it ideal for operations along India’s mountainous borders with China and Pakistan .

Armaments on the LCH include Mistral air-to-air missiles; up to four 70mm FZ231 rocket pods; a nose-mounted 20mm M621 cannon; and eventually Dhruvastra air-to-ground missiles.

Although the LCH is considered an indigenous design, it was about 45% domestically manufactured during the limited-series production of 15 of the helicopters, delivered around the 2022-2023 time frame. However, HAL’s goal is to reach 55% with the 156 helicopters under the potential deal.

An important reason for the increase in indigenous content is a 2023 agreement with Safran for full technology transfer of the Shakti 1H1 engines that power it.

The LCH’s development has been protracted, its maiden flight occurring back in 2010. Sanjeev Kumar noted “product improvement is a continuous process,” and that HAL may address legacy issues related to other helicopters it makes, such as low time between the overhaul of key subassemblies.

“So long as attack helicopters remain relevant in the battlespace, the LCH will be a vital weapon in India’s arsenal,” Sanjeev Kumar added.

The Prachands are to operate alongside 28 AH-64E Apache helicopters procured from the U.S. firm Boeing.

This tender comes on the heels of an RFP for 97 Light Combat Aircraft Mk1A aircraft issued to HAL in April. As of March 31, the company’s order books stood in excess of 940 billion rupees, even before these LCA and LCH orders were logged.

Editor’s note: Vivek Raghuvanshi, a journalist and freelancer for Defense News for more than three decades, was jailed in May 2023 by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation on charges of espionage. The Indian government has released minimal information on his arrest. Sightline Media Group, which owns Defense News, has not seen any evidence to substantiate these charges and repudiates attacks on press freedom.

Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.

新西兰基督城——印度国防部发出征求建议书后，轻型战斗直升机的一项重大采购工作取得了进展。

此次招标邀请书（RFP）发给了印度斯坦航空有限公司（Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.），该公司设计和制造5.8吨级的LCH Prachand轻型直升机。采购需求为156架直升机，其中90架供印度陆军使用，66架供印度空军使用。

印度斯坦航空有限公司（HAL）于6月17日在证券交易所文件中确认了招标书的发布。一旦谈判结束并签订合同，预计该交易价值将超过4500亿卢比（50亿美元）。

消息传出后，HAL 股价飙升 6.5%，创下 5,582.80 卢比的历史新高。

截至发稿时，该公司尚未回复《防务新闻》的补充信息请求。

印度前海军航空试飞员 KP Sanjeev Kumar 告诉《防务新闻》，此次招标“是印度为其武装部队制造定制直升机的征程中的一个重要里程碑”。

该攻击直升机可在 16,400 英尺的高度起飞和降落，使其成为在印度与中国和巴基斯坦接壤的山区边界沿线开展行动的理想选择。

LCH 的武器装备包括“西北风”空空导弹；最多四个 70 毫米 FZ231 火箭发射巢；一门安装在机头的 20 毫米 M621 机炮；以及最终的“德鲁瓦斯特拉”空地导弹。

尽管LCH被认为是印度自主设计的，但在2022-2023年左右交付的15架限量生产中，其国产化率约为45%。然而，根据潜在的交易，HAL的目标是在156架直升机的订单中实现55%的国产化率。

国产化率提高的一个重要原因是，2023 年与赛峰集团达成协议，全面转让为其提供动力的 Shakti 1H1 发动机的技术。

LCH 的研发过程十分漫长，其首飞早在 2010 年就已完成。桑吉夫·库马尔指出，“产品改进是一个持续的过程”，印度斯坦航空有限公司 (HAL) 可能会着手解决其生产的其他直升机遗留的问题，例如关键子组件大修间隔时间短。

“只要攻击直升机在战场上仍然具有重要意义，LCH 就是印度武器库中的重要武器，”桑吉夫·库马尔补充道。

普拉昌德家族将与从美国波音公司采购的 28 架 AH-64E 阿帕奇直升机一起作战。

此次招标紧随印度斯坦航空有限公司（HAL）4月份发布的97架轻型战斗机Mk1A的招标书之后。截至3月31日，该公司订单总额已超过9400亿卢比，这还不包括LCA和LCH的订单。

编者按：维韦克·拉古万什（Vivek Raghuvanshi）是《防务新闻》（Defense News）的记者和自由撰稿人，从业超过三十年。2023年5月，他被印度中央调查局以间谍罪名逮捕入狱。印度政府对其逮捕事件的公开信息极少。《防务新闻》的母公司Sightline Media Group表示，他们没有看到任何证据支持这些指控，并谴责对新闻自由的攻击。

戈登·阿瑟是《防务新闻》的亚洲特派记者。在香港工作20年后，他现居新西兰。他曾到访亚太地区约20个国家，参加过军事演习和防务展览。