Boeing delivers 1st batch of Apache helicopters to Indian Army

The first batch of three Apache AH-64E attack helicopters for the Indian Army arrived in India on Tuesday.

The helicopters, made by US company Boeing, were transported from the US on a Soviet-origin design AN-124 cargo aircraft.

The aircraft landed at the Hindon Airbase.

The Indian Army had signed a Rs 5,691 crore deal with the US in 2020 for procuring six Apache attack helicopters. The delivery was initially expected in mid-2024, but delays prompted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to raise the issue over a telephone call with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth. The remaining three helicopters are expected to be delivered by the end of the year.

These helicopters are armed to attack enemy troops, tank on ground and enemy bunkers in unreachable places in the mountains.

The Apache AH-64E is a state-of-the-art, twin-engine attack helicopter, equipped with advanced avionics and weapon systems. It can carry a mix of air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, rockets and a 30mm chin-mounted cannon. The Apache can also be armed with short-range air-to-air missiles such as the Stinger, enhancing its operational versatility.

Attack helicopters are conventionally integrated with mechanised formations.

The new Apaches will be part of the Army Aviation Corps, which has a fleet of some 350 helicopters. This fleet includes attack helicopters and those used for logistical and administrative duties.