Army to base 6 Apache attack helicopters in Jodhpur

The army ordered these helicopters from the US for more than ₹4,100 crore in 2020. Boeing is producing the helicopters at its Mesa facility in Arizona. The delivery of the Apaches, to be operated by the Army Aviation Corps, is expected to begin in May, the officials said, asking not to be named. The Army Aviation Corps is modernising its capabilities with attack helicopters, light combat helicopters (LCH), light utility helicopters (LUH) and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, the Apache can track up to 128 targets a minute and prioritise threats. The missiles equip the gunships with heavy anti-armour capabilities.

The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of 22 such helicopters.

India placed orders worth $ 3.1 billion for 22 Apache helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers for IAF in 2015. IAF has inducted all the Boeing-made helicopters, and both platforms have operated extensively in Ladakh amid the ongoing military standoff with China along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC).