Thanks to its high-altitude performance, the Light Combat Helicopter – or LCH for short – is an important aviation platform for India’s military. Now, a major acquisition of this helicopter type has moved forward after India’s Ministry of Defence issued a request for proposals.
The RfP was issued to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the designer and manufacturer of 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.
Release of the RfP was confirmed by HAL in a stock exchange filing on June 17. The deal is expected to be worth more than 450 billion rupees (around US$5.4 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.
Defense News sought additional information about the tender from HAL, but had received no reply by press time.
