The army on Tuesday announced that it has received three of the six Apache AH-64E attack helicopters, part of a $600 million deal with the US, saying the induction of these advanced combat helicopters is set to bolster its operational capabilities in the region.
Sources in the defence ministry said these “tanks in the air”, considered one of the most advanced multi-role combat helicopters in the world, would be deployed along the western border with Pakistan.
The AH-64E Apache, the most advanced variant, is currently flown by the US Army.
A MiG-21 in Ghaziabad on October 8, 2018 PTI
American aerospace company Boeing delivered the three AH-64E Apache choppers on Friday as part of a contract to supply six helicopters to the Indian Army. The helicopters were formally inducted following their arrival in an Antonov transport aircraft at the Hindon Air Force Station near Delhi.
“Milestone moment for Indian Army as the first batch of Apache helicopters for army aviation arrived today in India. These state-of-the-art platforms will bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly,” the army said.
The remaining three helicopters under the deal are expected to be delivered later this year.
The Indian Air Force already operates 22 of these advanced combat helicopters.
Sources said the delivery had been delayed for over 15 months due to global supply chain disruptions and shifting geopolitical conditions. These helicopters were scheduled to arrive between May and June last year under a $600 million deal signed in 2020 to acquire six Apaches for the army. The Apache squadron based in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, was established more than 15 months ago, but deployment was postponed awaiting these deliveries.
The US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters were inducted into the IAF in September 2019 following the deal signed by the Narendra Modi government in 2015. India had ordered 22 Apaches for its air force as part of a contract valued at ₹14,910 crore, and deliveries were completed in 2020. Later, the army ordered six more Apache helicopters.
The AH-64E is the most recent configuration of the Apache and is ready to act in multi-domain operations (MDO) carried out by the military. The attack chopper contains a network-centric, fully integrated weapons system specifically built to dominate in highly contested and complex battle space.
Equipped with advanced targeting, navigation and communications systems, it carries a 30mm chain gun, Hellfire missiles, rocket pods and Longbow radar, enabling precision strikes during the day, at night and in adverse weather conditions.
“These helicopters are nicknamed ‘flying tanks’ or ‘tanks in the air’ because of their heavy armour, advanced weaponry and ability to withstand significant damage while delivering powerful attacks similar to the role tanks play on the battlefield. The helicopters are equipped with state-of-the-art targeting systems that provide accurate data on the target in all weather conditions,” said an army official, adding these Apache helicopters can be used not only to attack, but also in security, reconnaissance and peace operations.
“The induction of these helicopters significantly boosts India’s offensive and reconnaissance capabilities, particularly along the western border,” he said.
MiG-21 to retire
The air force is set to retire the ageing fleet of Russian-origin MiG-21 — India’s longest-serving fighter jets — in September after more than six decades of service.
Sources in the defence ministry said the last two squadrons of the MiG-21s were currently stationed at the Nal air base in Rajasthan.
The MiG-21 has long been under scrutiny due to a series of crashes over the years, and owing to its notorious history of accidents, it is often referred to as “the flying coffin” or “widow-maker”.
An IAF official said the MiG-21 was inducted into the IAF in the early 1960s. Since then, 800 variants of the supersonic fighter jets were inducted into service and remained the frontline fighter jet of the force for a long time.
A MiG-21 had been in the news on February 27, 2019, after it was shot down by the Pakistani army in an aerial engagement a day after the IAF had carried out airstrikes in Pakistan’s Balakot.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was flying the jet, ejected safely and his parachute drifted into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where he was taken into custody by the Pakistan army. He was later released.
A military veteran said the Russian-origin fighter jets had been haunting the IAF for years due to their abysmal record in flight safety.
“In the last 60 years, over 200 pilots and 60 civilians have lost their lives because of crashes of 400 MiG-21,” the veteran said, adding that the air force had inducted over 1,200 jet fighters since 1963.
Once the backbone of the air force’s combat fleet, the MiG-21 is expected to be replaced by the indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark 1A.
The phasing out of the ageing MiG-21 fleet was initially planned to be done by 2022, but was held up because of the delay in the planned induction of LCA Tejas.