The Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken delivery of the last five of 22 Boeing ‘AH-64E(I)’ Apache Guardian attack helicopters it ordered in 2015 from the United States for USD2.02 billion.
Industry sources told Janes that the twin-engined helicopters were handed over to the IAF on 5 July at Hindon Air Force Station (AFS) on the outskirts of New Delhi after being flown to India in late June aboard an Antonov An-124 ‘Condor’ strategic airlifter.
The sources said that the delivery of the final rotorcraft had been expedited by India’s federal government, which exempted all Boeing technicians aboard the An-124 from the mandatory Covid-19-related quarantine requirements for overseas visitors.
The IAF has received the final five of 22 ‘AH-64E(I)’ Apache Guardian attack helicopters (similar to this one) ordered from the United States, industry sources told Janes on 7 July. (Boeing)
The waiver enabled the technicians to swiftly assemble the Apaches at Hindon AFS and conduct a Joint Reception Inspection (JRI) before handing over the helicopters to the IAF for potential deployment to the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) in the Himalayas where the Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a face-off since May over a border dispute.
Military sources said that in all likelihood the new platforms will supplement an undisclosed number of similar attack helicopters that were deployed to the LoAC in recent weeks from Pathankot AFS near India’s border with Pakistan.
The IAF had inducted 17 Apaches by the end of 2019. Although the remaining five helicopters were originally scheduled to arrive by March 2020, their delivery was delayed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now that all platforms have arrived, IAF sources told Janes
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