President Droupadi Murmu undertakes sortie in indigenous Light Combat Helicopter Prachand on 27 February 2026

Key facts

• President Droupadi Murmu undertook a flight in the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand from the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
• The LCH Prachand is the first combat helicopter to be indigenously designed and developed in India, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• The LCH is designed for operations in diverse terrains including deserts and high-altitude regions, with the capability to operate at altitudes exceeding 5,000 metres.
• The helicopter is equipped with advanced avionics, stealth characteristics, night-attack capability, and a weapon suite comprising air-to-ground missiles, air-to-air missiles, rockets, and a 20 mm gun.
• The President is scheduled to attend the IAF firepower demonstration exercise Vayu Shakti at the Pokhran Field Firing Range near the India–Pakistan border.
• President Murmu previously flew in a Rafale fighter aircraft at Ambala in October 2025 and a Sukhoi-30 MKI at Tezpur in April 2023, becoming the first Indian President to fly in two different IAF fighter aircraft.