Representational photo
NEW DELHI: In a boost to India’s rotary wing combat capabilities, the Army is set to get delivery of three remaining Apache AH-64 attack helicopters from US, while the Navy will commission its second squadron of MH-60R Seahawk submarine-hunting choppers this week.The induction of these much-delayed American helicopters will plug existing operational gaps but the real punch will come when the Army and IAF begin getting 156 indigenous ‘Prachand’ light combat helicopters from 2028 onwards.Armed forces want over 1,000 new helicopters of different types in next 10-15 years to make up for major deficiencies and replace obsolete Cheetah and Chetak fleets.They include 484 light-utility helicopters in 3.5-tonne class and 419 Indian multi-role helicopters in 10-15 tonne class, but there have been delays in these projects being executed by HAL.The three Apache gunships, dubbed “tanks in the air” since they are armed with Stinger air-to-air missiles, Hellfire Longbow air-to-ground missiles, guns and rockets, will touchdown in India in a couple of days, defence officials told TOI.India had ordered six heavy-duty Apaches for the Army in a Rs 5,691 crore deal with US in February 2020, under which the first three were delivered in July after a huge delay due to supply chain problems faced by Boeing. These six Apaches will add to the 22 such choppers inducted by IAF in 2019-2020 under a Rs 13,952 crore deal with US in Sept 2015. The Army Apaches will be deployed at Jodhpur, where a squadron was raised in March last year to cater for the western front with Pakistan.Navy will commission its second squadron of Seahawks, armed with Hellfire missiles, MK-54 torpedoes and precision-kill rockets as well as advanced sensors, at INS Hansa in Goa on Dec 17.The US has so far delivered 15 of the 24 Seahawks, which are manufactured by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin, under a Rs 15,157 crore contract in February 2020. Incidentally, the defence ministry last month inked another Rs 7,955 crore contract with the US for follow-on support and spares for the multi-mission helicopters.While quite expensive, the Seahawks are crucial because the 140-warship Navy is currently grappling with just a handful of old Sea King and Kamov-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopters at a time when the presence of Chinese submarines is only going to further increase in the Indian Ocean Region.
