Army to procure more attack copters for LAC

Bengaluru, February 14

The Army is looking at bolstering its posture along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China with additional attack helicopters and adding surveillance systems.

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The Army’s growing combat aviation wing now has 50 helicopters and is looking at procuring 100 more copters.

“We are looking at 95 more Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), which will be better suited for the mountains,” Army Chief General Manoj Pande told a group of journalists here on Tuesday.

At present, the Army has five LCHs inducted last year and about 45 of the Advanced Light Combat copters in its fleet.

The Army will be getting three of the Boeing Apache 64E this year and three more next year. The IAF already operates the Apache.

On the status of integrating Helina anti-tank missiles onto the LCH, the Army Chief said, “It is still work in progress.”

Speaking about the upcoming Light Utility Helicopter (LuH), General Pande said the LuH would replace the fleet of single-engine Cheetah and Chetak copters. The Army has 250 of these copters and these will be replaced over the years. The Army has ordered six of the LuH and initially looking at 110 LuH.