News Brief
Union Cabinet Set To Clear Rs 20,000 Crore Deal For 145 LCH Prachand Attack Helicopters For Army, Air Force: Report
Light combat helicopter. (Indian Air Force/Twitter)
The Union Cabinet is expected to soon approve a deal for the acquisition of 145 Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), ANI reported citing defence sources.
The Ministry of Defence is reportedly strongly pushing for the procurement, which will bolster operations along the China and Pakistan borders.
The move is also seen as a major step in job creation and strengthening India's aerospace ecosystem.
HAL was awarded the tender for 156 Light Combat Helicopters in June last year, and after successful negotiations, the deal is now awaiting final clearance.
Of these, 90 helicopters are earmarked for the Army and 66 for the Air Force, with the IAF as lead agency for the joint procurement.
The chopper is armed with air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, giving it the capability to neutralise enemy air defence systems.
The government is actively promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
A significant step in this direction was the order for 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), with negotiations completed for 97 more.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) recently cleared a Rs 7,000 crore deal for 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) howitzers, split between Bharat Forge and the Tata Group. The contract is set to be signed on 26 March.
