The rise of India’s Prachand Helicopter

In recent years, India has emerged as a credible exporter of military hardware, with the country’s supplies of defence equipment abroad touching $3.2 billion during the last financial year. The South Asian nation’s Prachand helicopter is now making waves in the international market

The requirement for an attack helicopter for operating in high-altitude areas was felt during the Kargil War in 1999, when the Indian Armed Forces found that the series of choppers operated by them were not suitable for operations in mountainous terrain in Kashmir. Therefore, a lighter-body helicopter was developed by the HAL for multirole operations for the Indian Army and the IAF.

Prachand can fly at a maximum speed of 275 kmph and has an operational range of 500 km. In addition to that, the Prachand is equipped with a wide variety of armoury that features both air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.

The Prachand is being extensively used by the Indian Army as well as the country’s Air Force. However, weapons packages incorporated on the Prachand helicopters used in operations by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) are quite different.

While the helicopter’s Army variants are armed with anti-tank missiles, 70 mm rockets, and 20 mm turret guns, the choppers operated by the IAF are fitted with Mistral 2 air-to-air missiles.

Prachand’s capabilities are set to get a further boost later this year, with the HAL equipping them with Helina (the helicopter-launched version of India’s indigenous anti-tank Nag missile) and Dhruvastra (the Air Force version of the same missile).

Last year, India’s Ministry of Defence okayed a deal for the joint acquisition of 156 Prachand helicopters for the Indian Army and the IAF from the HAL. 66 of these helicopters are for the IAF and the rest are for the Indian Army.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited chief CB Ananthakrishnan recently confirmed that the Bengaluru-headquartered aviation behemoth was in advanced discussions to secure an export order for a batch of its Prachand helicopters from the Philippines.

In case the contract for the supply of Prachand helicopters is signed country, it would make Manila the first foreign buyer of India’s indigenously manufactured multirole attack helicopter. The Chinese Coast Guard then will be extra careful in venturing into Philippines territorial Waters,

Besides the Philippines, five-six other countries , including Argentina, Nigeria, and Egypt have evinced interest in procuring the Prachand helicopter from HAL.

“Five-six countries have shown interest. With Argentina, it is still under discussion. Talks with the Philippines are in advanced stages. With Egypt also we are in discussion. And talks with Nigeria have gained momentum,” Ananthakrishnan told a defense publication in an interview this week.

Notably, the domestically produced Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) “Prachand” which means “fierce” in Sanskrit, is the only attack chopper on the planet that can land at heights above 5,000 meters, allowing the Indian Army to use it in operations at the world’s highest battlefield – the Siachen glacier.

“Because it is a multirole helicopter, it can operate against tanks, infantry, and slow-flying aircraft like UAVs and drones. For example, if it is operating in a desert, it can destroy enemy tanks with the help of its anti-tank-guided missiles. As it can also fly low, it can support the ground forces in destroying the adversary’s bunkers with its cannons, bombs, and rockets,” Soi told Sputnik India on Thursday.

Furthermore, he noted that because of its uniqueness, Prachand had great export potential and that’s why Manila was looking to acquire it from India.

Soi underlined that India’s relations with the archipelago state had become “excellent” in the last few years. Over and above that, the Philippines had gained immense confidence in Indian military hardware after becoming the maiden foreign customer of the widely acclaimed BrahMos missile.

“The Prachand helicopter is capable of supporting the Filipino Defense Forces in their various missions – defending their large-chain islands, carrying out anti-infantry roles, conducting counter-insurgency operations, and supporting their ground troops and the Air Force during combat missions during a conflict,” Soi explained.

“As it is very effective against tanks, Prachand can also be inducted in their armoured corps,” he concluded.