Eight US-made Apache AH-64E(I) helicopters were inducted into the Indian Air Force’s fleet on Tuesday at the Pathankot airbase to add more teeth to the force as part of India’s modernisation plans.
Two Apache helicopters flown by Wing Commander Kshitij Avasthi and squadron leader Munish Dogra presented the tactical manoeuvres before a select gathering, including IAF chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa. They were assisted by co-pilots AK Shrivastava and Anoop Kumar Singh.
Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa congratulated the pilots and performed a pooja during the induction of the new flying machines. They were later given water cannon salutes.
“#NewInduction: Glimpses of AH-64E Apache attack helicopter’s maiden flight at AFS Hindan. The helicopter is planned to be inducted into the IAF on 03 Sep 19 at AFS Pathankot,” IAF tweeted with a four-minute video of the chopper.
#NewInduction: Glimpses of AH-64E Apache attack helicopter's maiden flight at AFS Hindan.
The helicopter is planned to be inducted into the IAF on 03 Sep 19 at AFS Pathankot. pic.twitter.com/UYiSrEfOsg— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 2, 2019
India had signed a $1.1-billion deal with US defence giant Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apache choppers to sharpen its attack capabilities. The first Apache squadron is being raised with eight helicopters that have already been supplied by Boeing. Boeing is likely to deliver all the 22 helicopters, tailored for the IAF, through 2020. IAF currently flies Soviet-origin Mi-25 and Mi-35 helicopter gunships.
“Since long a need was felt to have the latest attack helicopter in IAF arsenal and hence the choice was Apache AH-64E,” Wing Commander Shelly said at the induction ceremony. Its assault capabilities and ability to hit enemy targets with precision is matchless, she added.
The Apache choppers arrived at the air force station in Hindan in July this year, in batches of four, over two days, and were then transported to Pathankot in Punjab to await their formal induction.
Four of these helicopters are to be stationed at the Pathankot Air Force Station, which is just a few miles from the border with Pakistan and a prime airbase. At least six soldiers were killed in a terror attack on the airbase in January 2016.
IAF officials have said the second Apache squadron will be based in Assam’s Jorhat.
Each chopper can carry eight fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles and also has a cannon gun that comes with 1,200 rounds of ammunition. These attack choppers can track up to 128 targets in a minute and prioritise threats. The missiles equip the gunships with heavy anti-armour capabilities. The Indian Army is also in the process of buying six Apache attack helicopters from the US at a cost of Rs 4,168 crore.
The Apache chopper is the second US-built helicopters to be inducted into the IAF fleet. In March, the IAF had inducted Boeing CH-47F (I) Chinook helicopters.
The induction of the Apache on Tuesday and the heavy-weight Chinook helicopters in March this year is a game-changer for the Indian military, which has relied on the Russian Mi-17 medium-lift helicopters for rapid induction of forces and an obsolete squadron of Russian Mi-26 helicopters.
The IAF’s attack capacity is limited to two squadrons of Mi-35 helicopters, which were used by the erstwhile Soviet Union during its occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s.
“Alongside the capability to shoot fire and forget anti-tank guided missiles, air to air missiles, rockets and other ammunitions, it also has modern electronic warfare capabilities to provide versatility to helicopters in network-centric aerial warfare,” Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said.
Officials have said the Apache attack helicopter has the capability to carry out precision attacks at standoff ranges and can operate in hostile airspace with threats from the ground.
The IAF has called the helicopter a “deadly acquisition”. It can also transmit and receive battlefield pictures to and from the weapon systems through data networking. It would also provide a “significant edge in any future joint operations in support of land forces,” an IAF official said.