US aerospace major Boeing on Tuesday delivered three AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to the Indian Army, boosting its anti-armour capabilities.
The choppers arrived at the Hindon airbase in an An-124 heavy transport plane after a 16-month delay due to supply chain bottlenecks in the aerospace industry, which slowed down production, officials aware of the matter said.
In 2020, the army ordered six Apache attack helicopters for more than ₹4,100 crore. The remaining three will be delivered by the year-end, they added.
The army described the arrival of the first batch of helicopters as a “milestone moment.”
“Milestone moment for Indian Army as the first batch of Apache helicopters for Army Aviation arrive today in India. These state-of-the-art platforms will bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly,” the army wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}“Milestone moment for Indian Army as the first batch of Apache helicopters for Army Aviation arrive today in India. These state-of-the-art platforms will bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly,” the army wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}A formal induction ceremony is expected soon at the 451 Army Aviation squadron at Nagtalao near Jodhpur. The squadron was raised in March 2024 and is fully ready to operate the Apaches.
Armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, the Apache can track up to 128 targets a minute and prioritise threats. The missiles equip the helicopter with heavy anti-armour capabilities.
Boeing started the production of Apaches for the Indian Army at its Mesa facility in Arizona in August 2023, targeting deliveries the following year. This was after the joint venture Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) delivered the army’s first Apache fuselage from its facility in Hyderabad.
The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of 22 such helicopters.
The Army Aviation Corps is modernising its capabilities with attack helicopters, light combat helicopters (LCH), light utility helicopters (LUH) and unmanned aerial vehicles.
In March, the defence ministry signed two contracts worth ₹62,700 crore with HAL for 156 Prachand LCHs for the army and the IAF.
The Army Aviation Corps will also begin inducting the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems ordered from the US in four years. Last year, India signed a deal worth $3.5 billion with the US for 31 MQ-9B drones to boost its defence preparedness, primarily with an eye on China. The navy will receive 15 drones, while the army and the IAF will each get eight.