Why Apache attack helicopters' arrival is a ‘milestone moment' for India's defence?
The desert camouflage-painted choppers, which arrived at the Hindon Airbase in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad aboard a US military cargo plane, could be a game changer for the operational capabilities of the Indian army.
The army ordered six Apache attack helicopters for more than ₹4,100 crore in 2020. Following the first batch of the choppers, Boeing will deliver the remaining three by the year-end.
The state-of-the-art Apache helicopters will "bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly", the army also said.
While Boeing started producing Apaches for the Indian Army at its Mesa facility in Arizona in August 2023, targeting deliveries for the next year, supply chain bottlenecks in the aerospace industry slowed down production and subsequently caused this 16-month delay.
In 2020, Boeing completed the delivery of 22 R-model Apaches to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and signed a contract to supply six AH-64Es for the Indian Army. The IAF also signed a multi-billion-dollar contract with the US government and Boeing Ltd for 22 Apache choppers in September 2015.
The defence ministry also in 2017 approved the procurement of six Apache helicopters along with weapons systems for Boeing at a cost of ₹4,168 crore for the Army.
Why getting Apache is a big deal for India?
Defence minister Rajnath Singh described the arrival of the AH-64E Apache attack helicopters as a "significant step" towards strengthening India's defence capabilities.
He noted that these advanced choppers will enhance the Army Aviation wing's operational effectiveness, especially in challenging regions.
The arrival of this batch of AH-64E Apache helicopters, in addition to the already operational fleet of 22 Apache choppers, will strengthen the Army's operations on the Western front.
The existing fleet of Apache helicopters have already been deployed in Ladakh and western sectors.
The Apache, armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, can track up to 128 targets per minute and prioritise threat levels. The missiles bring a set of heavy anti-armour capabilities to the helicopters.
The Army Aviation Corps is also strengthening and modernising its capabilities with such factors, like attack helicopters, light combat helicopters (LCH), light utility helicopters (LUH), and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The AH-64E Apache choppers will assist the Army in reconnaissance and attack. The lethal, survivable, and agile also provides reach, manoeuvrability and performance needed by the forces on the ground and contributes to the success of current and future joint missions.
Boeing described Apache as the "world's most advanced and proven attack helicopter". The AH-64E Apache "represents the backbone of the US Army's attack helicopter fleet and a growing number of international defense forces".
Armed with 16 Hellfire missiles, 76 2.76-inch rockets, and 1,200 30mm chain gun rounds, the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter can fire 600-650 rounds per minute. It has a maximum operating weight of 10,432 kg and can climb up to more than 2,800 feet per minute.
The AH-64E Apache features advanced digital connectivity, a joint tactical information distribution system, more than T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded face gear transmission to accommodate more power, the capability to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and new composite main rotor blade.
In January 1984, Boeing delivered the first US Army Apache AH-64A. Since then, the US Army and other nations have received over 2,700 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Other than the US and now India, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom have also procured AH-64 Apache attack choppers.
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