6 attack copters, a first, for Army

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 17

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) today okayed the purchase of six attack helicopters, the first such machines for the Indian Army’s Aviation Corps.

These will be a follow-on to the existing order of 22 ‘AH-64-E  Apache’ helicopters from US-based giant Boeing. These 22 helicopters, okayed by the MoD in September 2015, have been allocated to the IAF.  The IAF also operates the Russian built Mi35/Mi25 attack copters. 

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The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the highest decision-making body of the MoD, okayed the Rs 4,168-crore project. The Apache is armed with the deadly Hellfire Longbow missiles, Hellfire-II missiles, Stinger missiles and fire-control radars.

Apart from the Apache, the Army is also looking at the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) being built by MoD- owned public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics  Limited (HAL). 

The LCH is currently under development and undergoing weapons integration. The Aviation Corps has expressed its intention to acquire 114 helicopters, though no contract has been signed so far.

In 2014, the MoD had in principle allowed attack helicopters for the Army. Till now, the Army only has ‘non-armed’ helicopters. The MoD has accepted the need to have 39 armed helicopters which will fly overhead when ground-based troops move in for attack. Such copters carry missiles.

The DAC, headed by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley,  assessed  a request by the Army, which wanted  the MoD to exercise the ‘option clause’ that allows  the purchase of 11 more copters as a follow-up to the 22 already on order. The Defence Finance wing has its reservations on having all 11, and the MoD today okayed six copters. A high-level body called the Services Capital Acquisition

Categorisation Higher Committee (SCAPCHC), with representatives of the IAF and the Army, had decided that 11 copters should be taken as the capability was needed.

The US helicopter had won the bid in an open competition, beating the Russian built Mi-28-H. For a number of years, the Army and the IAF  have been sparring over who should operate this future fleet of Apache copters.

The acquisition council also cleared the purchase of two sets of engines from Ukraine for two Grigorovich class ships being built in Russia for India. These will cost Rs 490 crore. Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates were the first casualty in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict over Crimea after Ukraine refused to supply the Zorya-Mashproyekt gas-turbine propulsion plant for the last three ships.

Following the 2014 Crimea conflict, Ukraine refused to deliver the remaining three engines to Russia.