NUMBER 8. COMBAT HELICOPTERS

The 5.5-tonne twin engine LCH is a derivative of Dhruv ALH with tandem seating.
The HAL developed LCH will supplement the 22 attack helicopters that India is seeking as part of an international tender.
The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is a derivative of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv. It features tandem seating, instead of side by side as on the Dhruv, armor protection, and a glass cockpit. Its Shakti engine, jointly developed by HAL and Turbomeca of France, has been optimized for high altitude operations...


Design Features
The machine is a Low Observable (LO) design with reduced visual, aural, radar and infra red signatures. It features canted panels for lower radar cross section and IR suppressor for low IR signature.It has crashworthy landing gear for better survivability. The hingeless rotors and the powerful Shakti engines enable the easy manoeuvring of LCH even with weapons. 

Armament
It will be armed with a 20mm turret twin-barrel gun, cluster bombs, rocket pods as well as air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.It has a chin-mounted canon along with the helmet mounted sighting system, which gives the pilot the capability to look and fire at targets around the aircraft.The DRDO is reported to be developing the HELINA missile, a Nag derivative with an extended range of 7 km, to augment the helicopter's air-to-ground capability.

Advanced Rotor Design
Dr. Prasad Sampath, general manager of HAL's Rotary Wing Research & Design Center, told the press during Aero India 2011 that the LCH was ‘probably the most agile design in the world because of its rotor

Avionics
Its advanced sensor suite, developed with the help of Israel, consists of CCD Camera, Forward looking infrared imaging technology and Laser range finder, facilitates target acquisition in all weather conditions and at night.The EW suite has been procured from SAAB, South Africa. The Helicopter would be fitted with a Data Link for network-centric operations facilitating the transfer of mission data to the other airborne platforms and ground stations operating in the network, thus facilitating the force multiplication. 

Role
LCH is intended for use in air defense against slow moving aerial targets, destruction of enemy air defence operations, escort to special heliborne operations, support of combat search and rescue operations, anti-tank role and scout duties. 
Designed for anti-tank and anti-infantry roles with a maximum speed of 275 kmph (148kt), it will also be capable of high-altitude warfare since its operational ceiling will be 16,000 to 18,000 feet (5,490m).


(II)AH-64D BLOCK III APACHE HELICOPTERS 




US government details AH-64D bid for Indian air force contract
The AH-64D Apache Longbow, is equipped with an advanced sensor suite and a glass cockpit. The main improvement over the A-variant is the dome installed over the main rotor, housing the AN/APG-78 Longbow millimeter-wave Fire Control Radar (FCR) target acquisition system and the Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI).[ The raised position of the radome enables the detection of targets and launching of missiles while the helicopter is behind obstacles (e.g. terrain, trees or buildings). A radio modem integrated with the sensor suite allows data to be shared with other D-models; allowing them to fire on targets detected by a single helicopter.
The aircraft is powered by a pair of uprated T700-GE-701C engines. The forward fuselage of the aircraft was expanded to accommodate new systems for improved crashworthiness, survivability, navigation, and 'tactical internet' communications capabilities. The first of the upgraded Block II Apaches was delivered to the US Army in February 2003. Block II includes upgrades to the digital communications systems.
Block III aircraft include the following upgrades: improved digital connectivity, the joint tactical radio system, enhanced engines and drive systems, capability to control UAVs, new composite rotor blade, full IFR capability and improved landing gear. The new blades, which successfully completed flight testing in May 2004, increased the Apache's cruise speed, climb rate and payload capability.The US Army now plans to field the first Block III equipped unit in November 2012.[172] The Army awarded a contract to begin initial production of Block III helicopters in October 2010.[173] Throughout 2011, AH-64Ds will be upgraded with VNsight low-light television sensors (LLTV), allowing ambient lighting such as street lights, beacons, and headlights to be viewable; which existing thermal imagers cannot do.


Armament

Guns: 1× 30 × 113 mm (1.18 × 4.45 in) M230 Chain Gun with 1,200 rounds
Hardpoints: Up to 6 pylon stations on stub wing
Rockets: Hydra 70 air-to-ground rockets
Missiles: combination of AGM-114 Hellfire, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and AIM-92 Stinger