Battle Proof

Atul Chandra

Close Air Support (CAS) is an important battlefield role for military helicopters and the role is fulfilled by a variety of helicopters operational with the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF). At the same time, the importance of this role and the need for armed and attack helicopters that can operate in future battlefields have meant that India has to keep abreast of important developments and procure new platforms.

Modernized Apache

The Indian military operates a wide range of armed and attack helicopters. Among the armed helicopters are the Russian-made Mi-171V and Mi-17V5, and the indigenously-developed Dhruv MkIV Rudra. India’s attack helicopters comprise the Boeing AH-64E Apache, Light Combat Helicopter Prachanda and a declining number of Mil Mi-35s. The induction of the indigenously-developed Rudra and Prachanda helicopters along with the Apaches will dramatically increase the CAS capability of the Indian armed forces.

While India now has the capability to develop its own range of armed and attack helicopters, the difficulties in rotorcraft development have resulted in even countries with an advanced aerospace ecosystem having to partner with foreign OEMs to meet their requirements.

Speedy Development

One such example is South Korea, which is following a two-pronged approach of developing a new commercial and military helicopter based on an existing design. Airbus Helicopters was selected in 2015 to partner Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in developing two 5-ton class rotorcraft that meet the South Korean requirements for a next-generation Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH). Both the LCH and the LAH are based on Airbus Helicopters’ H155 (formerly known as the EC155), which is the latest evolution of its best-selling Dauphin family, which includes the Panther military variant. The LAH and the LCH will have commonality of more than 60 per cent.

Airbus Helicopters is transferring its technical know-how for the programme and the LCH was originally expected to enter service in 2020 and the LAH in 2022. The LAH and the LCH developmental programme is an integrated South Korean civil and military helicopter development project run by KAI jointly with the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration.

The KAI started development of the LAH in June 2015 and the first prototype was unveiled in December 2018, three years and six months after development started. The LAH was declared suitable for provisional combat use in December 2020. The KAI bagged a USD 325 million order from Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration in December 2022 for the LAH. The delivery of the first of 10 helicopters will take place in 2024. The LAH is equipped with a state-of-the-art avionics suite and powered by two 1,032 horsepower-