After Chinook, Comes Apache: Indian Air Force To Get First Delivery Of Boeing’s Attack Helicopter By July

United States defence manufacturing giant Boeing will be delivering the first of 22 AH-64E Apache twin-turboshaft attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by July, a senior company official said on Thursday (21 February), reports Livemint.

"We are on plan to deliver the first of 22 Apache starting July. This will give significant combat capabilities (to the air force)," David Koopersmith, vice president and general manager, vertical lift, Boeing Defense, Space and Security was quoted in the report as saying.

He added that the Apache helicopters being procured by India are likely to be delivered in batches.

The Indian government had placed an order with Boeing for 22 AH-64 E Apache attack and 15 CH-47 F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters in a $3 billion deal that was signed in September 2015.

The delivery for Chinook has already begun with four of these heavy-lift helicopters already arriving at Mundra port in Gujarat in a semi-knocked down condition and will likely be ferried to Chandigarh Air Force Station by the first week of March.

Earlier, in July 2018, Boeing’s former India managing directory Pratyush Kumar had reportedly said that India would get the most advanced version of the Apache and Chinook helicopters.

The complete fuselage of the Apache helicopters is being built by Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited, a joint venture between Tata and Boeing, at a company facility in Hyderabad. It produces around eight Apache fuselage every month, which are shipped across the world.