- Boeing’s Apache to be a part of Indian Army very soon
By Sangeeta Saxena
New Delhi. 25 February 2020. The wait in anticipation comes to an end and the India Army Aviation gets a boost with the signing of the Apache deal for six in number estimated to cost around $ 930 million. The Apache sale is a hybrid procurement – Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) between Boeing and MoD and Foreign Military Sale (FMS) between the Government of India and United States Government.
“We welcome India’s decision to acquire six AH-64 Apache helicopters and lifecycle services support for the Indian Army. The AH-64E Apache will be a force multiplier for the Indian Army, just as it is today for the Indian Air Force. We congratulate the U.S. and Indian governments on this key milestone and welcome the positive momentum in the bilateral defense trade and industrial partnership,” said Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India.
“Through our local entity, Boeing Defence India, we are supporting the P-8I, C-17, CH-47 Chinook, and AH-64 Apache with holistic lifecycle support to assist with India’s defense modernization effort and mission-readiness at competitive costs. This new contract is a testimony to the trust and long standing partnership Boeing has nurtured over the years with our Indian customers and we are committed to delivering on our commitments in the future as well,” he added.
The helicopter will start operating in 2023. India is the 16th country that chose Apache, received the most sophisticated variant, AH-64E, which is also used by the US Army. The Apaches are produced in Mesa, Arizona.
“The inking of the deal for six state of the art Apache Guardian attack helicopters is a momentous occasion for the Army and the Army Aviation Corps. The Guardian is the most technologically advanced and lethal attack helicopter in the world and will act as a great force multiplier for the operations of the Strike Corps. A dreaded tank killer the Apache will change the concept of mechanised warfare in the Indian context. With 22 of the Air force also available to the Army in any future conflict the Apaches will certainly be a force to reckon with,” an elated Lt Gen. Balli Pawar (retd) former Director General of the Army Aviation Corps told ADU.
The AH-64E is a sophisticated multi-mission helicopter equipped with the latest technology, maintaining its position as the best attack helicopter in the world. Apache also has a fully integrated digital cockpit that enhances aircraft mission performance. This helicopter is perfect for meeting the needs of reconnaissance, security, peacekeeping operations, and attacks in various environments – without the need to be reconfigured.
The major issue of who should finally control these six helicopters out of the two services has also got resolved . Apache is called a “tank in the air,” and the Army leadership has always felt that the Apache is a tank-killer and should support and be grouped with the strike/attack formation, to provide support for tanks, infantry and combat vehicles, in a three-dimensional approach.
The Apache has Hellfire missiles and AIM-92 Stinger missiles . For ground targets, it carries 70 millimetre Hydra rockets and a 30-millimetre chain gun. All these weapons are integrated through the vaunted Longbow fire-control radar. The chopper also has modern electronic warfare capabilities to provide versatility to helicopters in network centric aerial warfare. The fuselages of these six Apaches will be made at the Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) facility in Hyderabad and so will the aero-structures for them.
AH-64E Apache Technical Specifications
| Length | Maximum Level Flight Speed |
| Height | 15.24 ft (4.64 m) |
| Wing Span | 17.15 ft (5.227 m) |
| Primary Mission Gross Weight | 15,075 lb (6,838 kg) |
| Vertical Rate of Climb | More than 2,000 ft per minute |
| Maximum Rate of Climb | More than 2,800 ft per minute |
| Maximum Level Flight Speed | More than 150 knots (279 kilometers per hour) |
