India orders new Light Combat Helicopters, leases KC-135

The Indian Air Force began inducting its initial batch of 10 HAL Light Combat Helicopters from October 2022. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)

The India Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and has also awarded a US company with a contract to lease a Boeing KC-135 aerial tanker for training.

According to the MoD statement, the acquisition of the 156 LCHs is split across two separate contracts that were awarded to HAL on 28 March. One covered 66 LCHs for the Indian Air Force (IAF), and the second was for the supply of 90 LCHs to the Indian Army. The two contracts have a collective value of INR627 billion (USD7.3 billion), excluding taxes, the Indian MoD said in a statement that same day.

The contract announcement comes nearly nine months after the MoD announced that it sought a request for proposals (RFP) to procure the 156 helicopters. At the time, HAL estimated that negotiations would result in a contract with a potential upper value of INR6 billion. According to the MoD, the supply of the 156 helicopters will commence from 2028 and will be spread over the “next five years”.

The LCH is a domestically developed attack helicopter designed to operate at altitudes of over 5,000 m. “The contracts will enhance the combat capability of the armed forces at high altitudes,” the MoD said.

The LCH is already in limited service with the IAF and the army. In 2016 India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of 15 LCHs (10 for the IAF and five for the Army Aviation Corps). Since the fulfilment of this earlier order, Janes