In a significant step to modernise the helicopter fleet, the first Apache attack helicopter manufactured by US aerospace major Boeing was handed over to the IAF on Friday. India had inked a nearly 1.5 billion dollar deal for 22 Apaches in 2015 to enhance its capabilities to destroy enemy tanks, armoured personnel carriers and fortified enemy positions. At present, the IAF has Russian origin MI-35 helicopters.
The first of the 22 Apache helicopters was formally handed over to the IAF at Boeing production facility in Mesa, Arizona, the US on May 10,officials said here on Saturday adding the helicopter has been customised to suit IAF's future requirements and would have significant capability in mountainous terrain, they said.
The AH-64E Apache is a leading multi-role attack helicopter and is flown by the US Army. It is an advanced all-weather attack helicopter that can engage both air and ground targets with relative stealth using low-altitude obstacles like trees and hills as cover. Air Marshal AS Butola represented the IAF and accepted the first Apache in a ceremony. Representatives from the US government were also present, the IAFsaid.
The IAF signed the contract in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters and the first batch of these helicopters is scheduled to be shipped to India by July this year. "Selected aircrew and ground crew have undergone training at the training facilities at US Army base Fort Rucker, Alabama. These personnel will lead the operationalisation of the Apache fleet in the IAF," the IAF said in a statement.
The helicopter has the capability to carry out precision attacks at standoff ranges and operate in hostile airspace with threats from ground. Moreover, the ability of these helicopters, to transmit and receive the battlefield picture, to and from the weapon systems through data networking makes it a lethal acquisition. "These attack helicopters will provide significant edge in any future joint operations in support of land forces," the IAF added.
Since the attack helicopters provide cover to its own army tanks and infantry during battle by taking out enemy tanks and artillery guns, the defence ministry in 2017 approved the procurement of six Apache helicopters along with weapons systems from Boeing at a cost of Rs 4,168 crore for the Army. This will be its first fleet of attack helicopters exclusively operated by the Army. Fuselages for this Army order will be produced by Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited, a joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems in Hyderabad.
India has already bought the Chinook transport helicopter, made by Boeing, from the US. The Chinook is a multi-role, vertical-lift platform, which is used for transporting troops, artillery, equipment and fuel. The IAF had inked a deal for 15 Chinooks.
These top of the line inductions follow similar efforts by the Government to sustain the momentum of modernisation and inaugurating a joint venture in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh in March for manufacturing 7,50,000 AK-203 rifles. It is an advanced version of the iconic AK-47 and Ordnance Factory Board in collaboration with Russia will manufacture the rifles in India. The overall project cost is more than Rs 7,000 crores as the factory will later manufacture these rifles for the para-military forces and state police after meeting the armed forces requirements.
Similarly, a deal worth over Rs 700 crores was inked earlier this year for buying 72,4000 Sig Sauer rifles for meeting immediate operational needs of the army. The rifles will start coming in within a year after the contract was signed in February. These rifles made by a US company will enhance the fighting capabilities of infantry soldiers deployed on the Line Of Control(LOC), Line of Actual Control(LAC) and engaged in counter insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East.