Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: The army is gearing up for the induction of its Apache heavy duty helicopters armed with air missiles, under the Rs 5,691 crore deal inked with the US in February 2020.
The delivery of the first six AH-64E Apache attack choppers, will take place in batches in the February-June timeframe next year.
They will follow 22 such helicopters already inducted by theIAF, under the Rs 13,952 crore deal inked in September 2015, to provide “integrated combat aviation cover to strike corps of the Army”, an officer said.
The new induction comes even as the Army and IAF have finalised a plan to order 156 more indigenous Prachand light combat helicopters, which are capable of offensive operations in high-altitude areas likeSiachen Glacierand eastern Ladakh, from defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL).
The Apache are the third iconic helicopters to be inducted by the Indian armed forces. While IAF has inducted 15 heavy-lift Chinook choppers for Rs 8,048 crore, the Navy has got the first lot of the 24 submarine-hunting MH-60 “Romeo” multi-mission helicopters under another contract worth Rs 15,157 crore inked in February 2020.
