New Delhi: IAF indigenously developed first batch of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) inducted at a ceremony in Jodhpur in presence of Defence Rajnath Singh and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Sunday.

LCH will be inducted officially in IAF on Monday. LCH will boost to its combat prowess as the multi-role platform is capable of firing a range of missiles and other weapons. The LCH, developed by state-run aerospace major HAL, has been primarily designed for deployment in high-altitude regions.

The 5.8 tonne twin engine helicopter has already completed various weapons firing tests, they said. The Defence Ministry had said 10 helicopters would be for the IAF and five will be for the Indian Army. The LCH has similarities with Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv. It has a number of stealth features, armoured-protection systems, night attack capability and crash-worthy landing gear for better survivability, officials said.

The LCH is equipped with requisite agility, manoeuvrability, extended range, high altitude performance and all-weather combat capability to perform a range of roles including combat search and rescue (CSAR), destruction of enemy air defence (DEAD) and counter-insurgency (CI) operations. The helicopter can also be deployed in high-altitude bunker-busting operations, counter-insurgency operations in the jungles and urban environments as well as for supporting ground forces. The helicopter can also be used against slow-moving aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) of adversaries.

Officials said it would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF and the Indian Army. Several key aviation technologies like a glass cockpit and composite airframe structure have been indigenized, they said.