HAL’s Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) made its first flight test in Bangalore. The 5.5 ton indigenously designed and developed attack helicopter, which is a derivative of HAL’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), flew for 20 minutes and performance of various parameters was found ‘satisfactory’. The helicopter features stealth characteristics and has crashworthy Wheel Landing Gear. It will be inducted into the armed forces after initial operational clearance by December 2012.1

• 1. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, “Maiden Flight of HAL’s Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)”, Press Release, http://www.hal-india.com/LCH-mar10.asp; Stephen David, “India test flies light combat chopper successfully”, India Today, March 30, 2010 at http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/90559/India/India+test+flies+lig...