The Indian Government yesterday cleared a $930 million deal for 6 Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters for the Indian Army. The deal is likely to be announced by President Donald Trump when he arrives in India next week. The six Apaches will be purchased under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program of the U.S. Government, and are part of options on India’s earlier deal for 22 Apaches for the Indian Air Force, most of which have already been delivered.
The 6 Apaches for the Indian Army will be identical to the aircraft being supplied to the IAF. Livefist understands that three of the six will be Apache Longbows, the same ratio as the IAF’s fleet stationed in Pathankot as part of the Gladiators squadron. The original 2015 deal for 22 helicopters, valued at $1.4 billion including support equipment and infrastructure, was executed under the Direct Commercial Sales program, with elements of FMS for elements in the weapons package. The upcoming deal for six will be fully under the FMS program.
The six follow-on Apaches account for a partial exercising of options (11 airframes). As Livefist has detailed before, the Indian military is looking at adding more Apaches in the years ahead, with one estimate putting it at 61 airframes — 33 with the IAF and 28 with the Indian Army. Incidentally, the Indian Army and IAF are yet to fully resolve an acrimonious turf war over who controls attack helicopters. The 6 Apaches for the Indian Army will be the first attack helicopters in Indian Army colours since the turf war was tentatively ‘won’ a few years ago.
Apache fuselages built by a Tata-Boeing JV in Hyderabad
Boeing outsources the manufacture of its Apache fuselages to its Indian joint venture with the Tata Group, Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd (TBAL), which rolled out the first fuselages in 2018. Some of the airframes delivered to the Indian Air Force are from the Hyderabad production lot, and every one of the six for the Army will be constructed around Hyderabad-built fuselages.
As of January, Boeing has delivered 17 of 22 Apaches to the Indian Air Force, with deliveries set to be completed this year. The Indian Army airframes will likely begin arriving late next year.
Indian PM Narendra Modi with the IAF’s Apache squadron in October 2019
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via Live Defense
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