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Agence France-Presse

India unveiled on Monday its first batch of locally-made attack helicopters, designed primarily for use in high-altitude areas like the Himalayas where its troops clashed with China in 2020.
The Light Combat Helicopters are seen as another milestone in Indian efforts to reduce dependence on Russia, its main source of arms, and other suppliers.
The choppers made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) “will be a big boost to the Indian Air Force’s combat prowess”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at Jodhpur airbase in western India.
“It is a momentous occasion, a matter of great pride, and a result of two decades of diligent research and development,” Singh said.
Officials said that the aircraft had been tested at altitudes up to 16,000 feet (4,875 metres) above sea level.
India has been seeking to build up its domestic defence industry, unveiling its first locally-made aircraft carrier last month.
This drive has been given added impetus by worries about future supplies of Russian spare parts following the invasion of Ukraine in February.
While remaining a close ally of Russia – it has refused to condemn the invasion – India also shares Western concerns about growing Chinese assertiveness.
Two years on, what progress has been made in the China-India border stand-off?
Relations between the world’s two most-populous nations plunged after a hand-to-hand battle on their disputed Himalayan border left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead in 2020.
The two Asian giants, who fought a full-scale war in 1962, mobilised tens of thousands of soldiers in the region, although they announced a partial withdrawal on September 8.


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India

Eyeing China, India unveils high-altitude helicopters

India unveiled its first batch of locally-made attack helicopters, designed primarily for use in high-altitude areas like the Himalayas where its troops clashed with China in 2020. Photo: Indian Ministry of Defence/AFP

With an eye on China, US to develop drones with India

A US MQ-1B Predator drone is seen during a training mission in Nevada in May 2013. Photo: US Air Force via AFP

India-China ties will only improve with mutual trust, starting with border talks

Indian army soldiers stand on a snow-covered road near the border with China. File photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (front) and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In 2021, China was India’s single largest trading partner, and trade set new records. Photo: AP

China-India border: why another Chinese bridge may be the latest friction point

A bulldozer working on a road near Pangong Tso lake in the Himalayas. Photo: Kamran Yousuf

A banner put up by the Indian army near Pangong Tso lake in India’s Ladakh area. File photo: AP

Indian soldiers demonstrate a weapon near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2021. Photo: AFP

An India China border personnel meeting along the LAC in 2018. File photo: Twitter

Recent satellite images show a bridge built by China over the Pangong Tso lake. Photo: @NatureDesai, Twitter

No return to normal for China-India ties until border row resolved, New Delhi says

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister, poses with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi before their meeting in New Delhi. Photo: AP

News

Asia

South Asia


Indian-made attack helicopters were designed primarily for use in high-altitude areas like the Himalayas where its troops clashed with China in 2020
India has been seeking to build up its domestic defence industry, unveiling its first locally-made aircraft carrier last month



India’s locally-made attack helicopters have been designed primarily for use in high-altitude areas like the Himalayas where its troops clashed with China in 2020.
