Indian Army gets six Apache attack helicopters worth Rs. 4,100 crore
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by defence minister Arun Jaitley, on Thursday cleared a major deal worth Rs 4,100 crore of six Apache attack helicopters from US-based defence and aerospace giant Boeing. This included the procurement of six ‘AH-64E’ Apache helicopters for the army. “The procurement of these helicopters along with associated equipment such as spares, training material, weapons and ammunition will cost an estimated Rs 4,168 crore,” said a senior government official. The next step will be to get it cleared from the Cabinet Committee on Security. The army wanted 39 Apache helicopters, which were to be deployed with its three Strike Corps that is largely geared towards Pakistan and China. Later, the demand was reduced to a squadron of such helicopters, numbering 13. This number was later brought down to 11 and then sealed at six. These six helicopters are likely to be deployed against Pakistan and China. The new helicopters will be procured under a “option clause” of an earlier deal for the procurement of 22 Apaches for the IAF. -PTC News
