India Receives Final Apache Attack Helicopters from the US

The Indian Army has officially received the last three Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from the United States. The delivery was made by Boeing, the American aerospace company, with the helicopters arriving at the Indian Air Force base located in Hindon, approximately 20 kilometres east of New Delhi. Army sources confirmed the successful arrival of the helicopters, stating that the installation of rotors will take place at the Hindon base.

Following this, a series of test flights will be conducted by a team from Boeing to ensure the helicopters are fully operational before they are integrated into the existing fleet at the Indian Army base in Jodhpur. The Apache helicopters are equipped for ground attack missions, capable of targeting adversary troops, armoured vehicles, and concealed positions in mountainous terrain.

The Apache AH-64E is a twin-engine attack helicopter renowned for its heavy armament, which includes various air-to-ground missiles, rockets, and a chin-mounted machine gun. This versatility allows it to engage a range of targets, including tanks, troop concentrations, and logistics hubs. Additionally, the helicopters can deploy short-range air-to-air missiles, such as the Stinger.

Traditionally, attack helicopters like the Apache are integrated into mechanised formations within the Army. The newly delivered helicopters will augment the capabilities of the Army Aviation Corps, which operates a fleet of around 350 helicopters, including both indigenous models produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Soviet-era Mi-25/Mi-35 helicopters. The Aviation Corps also manages helicopters used for logistical and administrative functions.

The first batch of three Apache helicopters was delivered to India in August, following delays in the delivery schedule. The Indian Army had entered into a procurement agreement worth approximately ₹5,691 crore (about £570 million) with the United States in 2020 to acquire six Apache helicopters, with the initial expectation of delivery by mid-2024. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh previously raised concerns regarding the delays during discussions with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, in July.

The final delivery of the last three helicopters faced an additional delay of over a month. On November 1, a specialised cargo aircraft, the Antonov AN-124, was en route from Arizona to India carrying the helicopters. However, the aircraft made an unscheduled stop in England for refuelling and encountered issues regarding overflight permissions over Türkiye, which resulted in a week-long delay. Consequently, the Antonov aircraft had to return to the United States with the helicopters before finally completing their journey to India.