The Indian Air Force on Monday inducted the first batch of made-in-India light combat helicopters, which would be called 'Prachand'. This marks an important milestone, defence minister Rajnath Singh said, as the government's 'Atmanirbhar Abhiyan' expands in the defence sector.
The induction took place at the airbase in Jodhpur, which has a long legacy. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari were also present at the event.
The light combat helicopters have been developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The defence minister shared a video of the new choppers, which are set to replace the foreign attack helicopters in near future. "Naam hai Prachand. (The name is Prachand)", he tweeted.
Referring to the Ukraine war at the induction ceremony, the defence minister at the event said: "Recent Ukrainian conflict or earlier conflicts teach us that heavy weapon systems and platforms, which are unable to move rapidly across the battlefield, have low capability, and become easy targets for the enemy."
{{/usCountry}}Referring to the Ukraine war at the induction ceremony, the defence minister at the event said: "Recent Ukrainian conflict or earlier conflicts teach us that heavy weapon systems and platforms, which are unable to move rapidly across the battlefield, have low capability, and become easy targets for the enemy."
{{/usCountry}}"The defence of the nation is our top priority, and we are fully committed to it. I can say with full confidence that in the coming time, India will be first whenever there is talk of superpowers including military power in the world," he asserted.
(With inputs from ANI)