India Set To Receive First Consignment Of Apache Helicopters From US By Next Week: Reports
A first batch of advanced Apache attack helicopters is expected to arrive from the US by July 21, boosting the Army Aviation Corps' strike and reconnaissance power.
India is slated to receive the first consignment of modern Apache attack helicopters from the United States as soon as next week, The New Indian Express reported.
The development would serve as a big boost to the offensive capability and reconnaissance operations of the Indian Army's Aviation Corps (AAC).
The report quoted sources and suggested the helicopters are expected to arrive by next Monday (July 21).
The helicopters will be deployed along the western border, where troop presence has grown recently in the wake of the 'Operation Sindoor'.
Earlier this month, sources had confirmed to CNN-News18 that the first batch of three out of the six Apache helicopters was likely to be delivered to the Indian Army before the end of July.
Officials had also expressed hope that the remaining three units of the Boeing AH‑64E Apache helicopters would arrive in India in the next few months, before the end of 2025.
In March last year, the Army Aviation Corps signed a contract for 25 new ALH helicopters.
The Ministry signed two contracts for a combined value of Rs 8073.17 crore for the acquisition of 34 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv Mk III for the Indian Army (25 ALHs) and Indian Coast Guard (09 ALHs), marking a significant move towards indigenisation in defence manufacturing.
The Indian Army's Army Aviation Corps raised its first squadron of Apache attack helicopters in Jodhpur on March 15.
Later, the Indian Army signed a contract to acquire six Apache helicopters from the US. However, the delivery of the choppers missed two deadlines.
The first batch of choppers was expected to be delivered by June 2024. However, the timeline was pushed to December that year due to supply chain issues.
The Indian Air Force already operates the Apache helicopters, a deal for which was signed in 2015, and all 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters have been delivered by 2020 and are operational in the forces.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
29 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Only 15% of 2.95 lakh tenders awarded in Karnataka: Data
Since 2023, when the Congress came to power, the government has floated 2.95 lakh tenders worth Rs 1.26 lakh crore. Of them, only 46,033 have been awarded to contractors or service providers, according to the latest data from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Karnataka Progress Portal.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Parliament Monsoon session: Congress gagged Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, suggests PM Modi
NEW DELHI: The absence of Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari from the list of speakers fielded by Congress for debate on Operation Sindoor took a different dimension Tuesday, with PM Modi suggesting the duo, who were part of all-party delegations sent abroad, have been "gagged" by their party leadership. In his reply to the debate in LS, the PM said members of all-party delegations sensitised the international community to Pakistan's use of terrorism as a weapon against India and the necessity for Operation Sindoor but "it seems some of them have been prevented from speaking". Suggesting Congress members were under pressure, Modi told them "not to cave to pressure from one family to give clean chit to Pakistan". This was widely seen as reference to Tharoor and Tewari who defied Congress to be part of govt's global outreach. The speculation about Congress leadership's annoyance being the reason for them being left on the bench despite their familiarity with international affairs, gathered force on Tuesday after Tewari posted on X, "Bharat ka rehne wala hun, Bharat ki baat sunata hun," and shared a report from a news portal on him and Tharoor not participating in the debate. Tewari told reporters on Parliament campus, "If you don't understand my silences, you will never understand my words." While Tharoor refused to comment on the issue telling reporters he was on "maun vrat", sources said the Thiruvananthapuram MP was approached by Congress at a late stage with the offer to speak, but he turned down the offer. BJP MP Anurag Thakur said Tharoor and Tewari were not being allowed to speak by 'Rahul-occupied Congress'.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
'PM Modi surrendered to Pakistan, using military to protect image': Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha
NEW DELHI: Accusing of using the defence forces to "protect his image", leader of opposition in LS on Tuesday said govt "surrendered" before by telling it within moments of that it did not intend to escalate or attack military installations. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He said Modi had "blood of people of Pahalgam" on his hands, and he sent the air force to "protect his image". Rahul asked the PM to realise "the nation is above your image" and not to "sacrifice the armed forces and national interests for your own petty political gains". Rahul said govt showed a lack of political will and did not give the forces "freedom of operation", and cited US President Donald Trump claiming 29 times that he forced a "ceasefire" between India and Pakistan. More than once, he challenged the PM to announce that Trump is a liar and did not force "ceasefire" and India did not lose any planes, egging Modi to say this if "you have even 50% courage of Indira Gandhi". Rahul said Modi govt avoided naming "China" in its remarks, but the reality is that India fought Pakistan fused with China militarily, reminding he was laughed at when he had warned about it earlier in LS. "Govt thought they were fighting Pakistan... but realised they were fighting China," he said, quoting Lt Gen Rahul Singh's recent revelations that Pakistan was getting live battlefield information from China. "If you had listened to me, you would not have lost five planes. " He said govt should not allow India to become a "battlefield for big powers". He cited the revelations of CDS Anil Chauhan and defence attache in Indonesia Captain Shiv Kumar, even as he urged the CDS to come out with a statement that the forces were hobbled by the political brass. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "May be Rajnath does not understand what he revealed... that DGMO was told by govt to ask for ceasefire at 1.35am on the day of operation... surrender in 30 minutes," Rahul said. He said Rajnath's comparison of the 1971 war and Operation Sindoor was jarring because then PM Indira Gandhi had rebuffed US President Richard Nixon and the US seventh fleet, and finished the job. He was severe on EAM S Jaishankar, whose claim of "new normal" and of govt having deterred Pakistan was picked apart with the argument that Pahalgam mastermind and Pakistan army chief Feild Marshal Asim Munir was hosted by Trump in the White House for lunch, while the US Central Command head is presently having a discussion with Munir on how to fight terrorism.
