U.S. Approves Sale of Apache Attack Choppers to India

Washington: The United States government has approved a deal to sell the Indian military six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for USD 930 million, the State Department said today.

The agreement has been passed to the U.S. Congress for approval, but if no U.S. lawmaker raises an objection the contract is expected to go ahead. Boeing and Indian partner Tata have begun to produce Apache fuselages at a plant in India, but today's approval concerns a direct sale of finished products from U.S. manufacturers.

The lead contractors are U.S. arms, aviations and engineering giants Lockheed Martin, General Electric and Raytheon. In addition to helicopters, the contract includes night vision sensors, GPS guidance and hundreds of Hellfire anti-armour and Stinger air-to-air missiles. "This support for the AH-64E will provide an increase in India's defensive capability to counter ground-armoured threats and modernise its armed forces," the U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency said, in a statement.

In its notification to the Congress, the Pentagon said, "This will strengthen India's ability to defend its homeland and deter regional threats." "India will have no difficulty absorbing the helicopters and support equipment into its armed forces,” the Pentagon said. "The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” it said.

Bilateral defence trade between India and the United States has risen from near zero to USD 15 billion since 2008. “India is projected to spend billions on military modernisation over the next decade, and we are eager to seize opportunities for American industry. These sales support our security cooperation while also generating jobs at home," a State Department official told PTI.

U.S. government-to-government sales to India in recent years have included C-17 transport aircraft, 155 mm Light-Weight Towed Howitzers, UGM-84L Harpoon missiles, Support for C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) support equipment.

In addition to these foreign military sales (FMS) cases valued at USD 1.62 billion, India has purchased USD 2.82 billion in defence articles since 2013 via the Direct Commercial Sales process. These include aircraft, gas turbine engines, and electronics, among other categories of major defence articles.

The notification to the Congress comes ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between India and the US next month in Washington DC involving the External Affairs Minister and the Defence Minister and their American counterparts.

A formal announcement in this regard is expected to be made shortly. "Next month's inaugural 2+2 Dialogue is an important opportunity for us to enhance our engagement on critical diplomatic and security priorities. The dialogue is an indication of the deepening strategic partnership between the United States and India and India's emergence as a leading global power and net security provider in the region,” the State Department official said.

Specificiation:

The AH-64E attack helicopter is the latest version of the AH-64, used by the U.S. Army. It is also known as Apache Guardian.

This gunship comes with new sensors, avionics and has improved night operation capabilities. Furthermore the AH-64E helicopter can control a couple of UAVs.

This attack helicopter is operated by a crew of 2, including pilot and gunner. There are numerous features to protect the crew and increase survivability of the helicopter. The airframe is designed to withstand hits from guns of up to 12.7 mm caliber. Rotor blades can withstand hits from 23 mm guns. A large flat-plate canopy is fitted with boran armor. Crew members are seated on crash-resistant seats.

The AH-64E has infra-red suppressing exhaust system and is equipped with chaff and flare dispensers. Bothe of these features combined reduce the chance of being hit by enemy air defense missiles.

Both crew members use various sophisticated sensors and systems for the detection and attack of targets. Their helmets have an integrated helmet sighting system.

The AH-64E comes with a 30 mm M230 cannon with 1 200 rounds of ammunition. It has 4 hardpoint on stub wings and can carry various missiles. (With Agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2018 02:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).