India’s ambitious plan to upgrade and mass-produce the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand marks a decisive step in strengthening the country’s rotary-wing combat capability.

Attack helicopter Prachand is going to get many upgrades, which will make it the best attack helicopter in the world.

Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security and inked in March 2025, the ₹62,700 crore project entrusts Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with manufacturing and delivering 156 LCHs by 2033—90 for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force.

Deliveries are slated to begin in 2027–28, with full induction over the following five years.

The upgraded Prachand is being positioned as one of the world’s most versatile attack helicopters, engineered to dominate high-altitude conflict zones, complex battlefield environments, and low-intensity warfare scenarios.

The new production model of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand will feature seven advanced indigenous systems. These include:

Indigenous air-to-ground missiles
Laser-guided rockets
Modern electronic warfare suite
Nuclear detection capability
Secure data link communication
Obstacle avoidance system
Directed infrared countermeasures

Additionally, the upgraded LCH will have four significant enhancements such as an improved electro-optical targeting pod and a helmet-mounted sighting system to boost pilot efficiency and target acquisition.

The full production series is scheduled for delivery starting 2027-28, with a total of 156 helicopters ordered for the Indian Army (90 units) and Indian Air Force (66 units).

Most of the new systems and upgrades will be indigenously developed, advancing India's self-reliance in defence technology. These upgrades will significantly enhance the LCH's combat capabilities and survivability, particularly for high-altitude and contested battlefield environments.

Designed to operate above 5,000 metres, the platform will provide decisive close air support, anti-tank strikes, suppression of enemy air defences, counter-drone engagements, and counter-terror missions. Existing Limited Series Production units—already in service with both services—demonstrated these baseline capabilities with 70 mm rockets, a 20 mm chin-mounted gun, and air-to-air missiles.

The forthcoming full-production variant will integrate seven advanced systems: an indigenous air-to-ground missile to provide precision strike capability, laser-guided rockets to augment anti-armour effectiveness, a next-generation electronic warfare suite for survivability, nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) detection systems for battlefield resilience, secure data-link communications for network-centric warfare, an onboard obstacle avoidance system, and a directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) suite to foil hostile missile threats.

These will be supplemented by four critical upgrades, including an advanced electro-optical targeting pod, a helmet-mounted sighting system, enhanced avionics, and more reliable mission computers, which will together improve accuracy, night-fighting capability, and crew survivability.

HAL’s Tumkur plant in Karnataka stands at the heart of the program. With a current capacity of 30 helicopters per year, the facility can be scaled to 100 units annually, ensuring timely delivery schedules. 

The project will involve over 250 Indian firms, creating a wide supply-chain ecosystem spanning avionics, sensors, propulsion modules, composite structures, and weapon integration. It is projected to generate over 8,500 direct jobs, alongside significant indirect employment and skill-building, furthering the goals of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by reducing dependency on foreign platforms.

Strategically, the fleet induction will give India a formidable combat aviation capability tailored specifically for diverse theatres—whether high-altitude Himalayan borders, counter-insurgency operations, or conventional warfare.

For the Army, the Prachand will provide organic close air support to strike formations; for the Air Force, it strengthens interdiction, air-defence suppression, and land-attack capacities.

By 2033, with Prachand fully operational in both forces, India will field one of the largest and most indigenous tandem-seat dedicated attack helicopter fleets in Asia, capable of supporting expeditionary and defensive missions alike.

Based On India Today Report