New Delhi: The Indian Army on Tuesday received the final tranche of three Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from US aerospace major Boeing, completing the delivery of all six helicopters contracted under a 2020 deal.
A cargo aircraft carrying the helicopters landed at the Indian Air Force base in Hindon, around 20 kilometres east of the national capital. Army sources confirmed the delivery and said the rotors would be fitted at Hindon, after which a few test sorties would be flown by the Boeing technical team for final checks. The helicopters will then be ferried to the Army base in Jodhpur, where the first batch of three Apaches is already operational.
The Apache AH-64E is a heavily armed, twin-engine attack helicopter designed to engage enemy troops, armoured vehicles, tanks and fortified bunkers, including targets located in difficult mountainous terrain. It can carry a mix of air-to-ground missiles, rockets and a chin-mounted machine gun, and is also capable of firing short-range air-to-air missiles such as the Stinger.
Attack helicopters are traditionally integrated with the Army’s mechanised formations and play a key role in battlefield support. The newly inducted Apaches will form part of the Army Aviation Corps, which operates a fleet of around 350 helicopters. This includes attack helicopters manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as well as Soviet-origin Mi-25 and Mi-35 platforms, in addition to helicopters used for logistics and administrative roles.
The first batch of three Apache helicopters had arrived in India in August after delays in the delivery schedule. The Indian Army had signed a ₹5,691 crore agreement with the United States in 2020 for the procurement of six Apache attack helicopters, with deliveries initially planned for mid-2024. The delay was raised by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a phone conversation with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in July.
The arrival of the final batch was itself delayed by more than a month due to logistical hurdles. On November 1, a specialised Antonov AN-124 cargo aircraft carrying the three helicopters had flown from Arizona in the United States towards India. After landing in England for refuelling, the aircraft was scheduled to fly onward via Turkish airspace. However, overflight permission was not granted for a week, forcing the Antonov to return to the US with the helicopters on board.
With the latest delivery, the Army has now completed the induction of all six Apache helicopters under the deal, significantly boosting its attack aviation capabilities.
