PM Modi hands over Light Combat Helicopters to IAF chief
LCH is the only attack helicopter that can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 m with a considerable load of weapons and fuel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday handed over the indigenously built light combat helicopters (LCH), developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, to the Indian Air Force chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari. He also handed over indigenously developed drones and UAVs during the ‘Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi to the Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
The initiative is a part of boosting the nation’s self-reliance in the defence sector. During the event, the Prime Minister handed over the Advanced Electronic Warfare suite for naval ships to the Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh. The Advanced Electronic Warfare suite was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
“For a long time, we were a nation that was a weapons and defence equipment buyer. Today the mantra is ‘Make in India, Make for the world.’ India is now working to make its armed forces self-reliant,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
These projects will make the nation’s defence sector self-reliant will boost employment opportunities for the youth, he said.
The Light Combat Helicopters which incorporate advanced technologies and stealth features for effective combat roles are expected to boost India’s ability to remain self-reliant. Earlier, defence secretary Ajay Kumar said the LCH is the only attack helicopter that can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 m with a considerable load of weapons and fuel.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone of a ₹400-crore project to develop the propulsion system of the anti-tank guided missiles by the Bharat Dynamics Limited which is the first project in the Jhansi node of defence industrial corridor created in Uttar Pradesh. He also launched two projects related to the National War Memorial in New Delhi among which was a kiosk that allows visitors to pay floral homage to martyrs through a click of a button.
