‘Unable to compete’: Chinese dismiss India’s Prachand combat helicopter against local Z-10
India’s new Prachand combat helicopter would be “a walkover” for China’s Z-10 attack helicopter, a Chinese military magazine has claimed of the aircraft New Delhi may turn to for high-altitude operations against its neighbours.
02:29
Chinese nationalism surges across social media as viral video mocks downed Indian jets
The LCH Prachand, meanwhile, is India’s first attack helicopter domestically designed and manufactured by the state-owned manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). It is designed for air-to-ground attack roles, including anti-tank, anti-infantry and close air support.
Its first flight was in 2010 and the first batch – 10 for the Indian air force and five for the army – was introduced in 2022. The new order is expected to be delivered between 2028 and 2033.
The two-seater lightweight attack helicopter is powered by two turboshaft engines co-developed with the French aerospace company Safran. It features a glass cockpit and low-observable design from lightweight composite materials to endure the monsoon season and achieve a higher service ceiling. Its modern avionics include digital, infrared and laser sensors suite, night vision and an automatic flight control system.
The Prachand is equipped with a French M621 20mm cannon and four hardpoints for current and future missiles, including anti-tank, air-to-air and anti-radiation, as well as unguided rockets and bombs, integrated into a helmet-mounted sight control system.
However, the Chinese media has questioned how much the helicopter could shift the power balance in high-altitude theatres, claiming that China’s Z-10 – already mass deployed in Tibet and Xinjiang facing India – has “overwhelming advantages” in its protection armour, manoeuvrability and weaponry capacity, in addition to recent improvements, such as a new millimetre-wave radar.