By Key Facts
- Aircraft Type: HAL Light Combat Helicopter (Prachand LCH)
- Operator: Indian Air Force / Indian Army
- Location: India
The Prachand LCH fuselage will, for the first time, be manufactured outside Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) itself, with two Indian private-sector companies now contracted to produce the structures. HAL has partnered with Adani Defence Systems and Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) to deliver a combined 90 fuselage assemblies for the homegrown attack helicopter.
Under the arrangement, Adani Defence Systems will produce 42 fuselage structures, while BEML will supply 48. HAL confirmed the agreements as part of a broader push to deepen domestic participation in rotorcraft manufacturing.
HAL Chairman Signals Milestone for Indian Aerospace
HAL chairman Ravi K described the move as a turning point for India’s aerospace industrial base. “This partnership marks a significant step in strengthening India’s aerospace ecosystem,” he said. “For the first time, the private industry is being integrated into the production of helicopter fuselage structures. This partnership will expand capacity, strengthen the domestic supply chain and contribute to enhancing indigenous aerospace manufacturing capabilities.”
The timing aligns with an ambitious procurement programme. In March 2025, the Indian government placed an order for 156 Prachand helicopters in a deal valued at INR627 billion ($7.5 billion). The contract covers 80 aircraft for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force.
Prachand LCH Fuselage and Platform Background
The Light Combat Helicopter weighs 5.8 tonnes and first entered Indian Air Force service in November 2021, with a formal induction ceremony following in October 2022. HAL traces the programme’s origins to the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan, during which operations in mountainous terrain exposed the need for an attack helicopter capable of sustained high-altitude performance. The Indian government sanctioned the design and development programme in 2006, and the Indian Army formally joined the effort in December 2013.
The LCH is built around a twin-tandem crew layout and features a bearingless tail rotor, a glass cockpit, and a 20mm cannon in a chin turret. Its weapons suite includes 70mm rockets and MBDA Mistral anti-tank missiles, complemented by an electro-optical and infrared targeting pod. The helicopter is also designed for an air-to-air role against unmanned aerial vehicles and slow-moving aircraft.
Survivability was a core design consideration. The platform incorporates ballistic protection alongside measures to reduce its visual, acoustic, radar, and infrared signatures — all directly relevant to its stated missions, which include counter-insurgency operations, destruction of enemy air defences, combat search and rescue, and high-altitude bunker busting.
By integrating Adani Defence and BEML into the Prachand LCH fuselage supply chain, HAL is applying a model increasingly common in global defence aviation — distributing production across the industrial base to build resilience, scale capacity, and reduce dependence on a single manufacturer ahead of the large-scale deliveries now contractually committed.
