US approves Apache helicopter, M777 support deal for India
WASHINGTON DC: The US State Department has approved the possible sale of support services and related equipment for Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and M777 ultra-light howitzers to India in deals worth more than $428 million.
The proposed Apache sustainment package is estimated at $198.2 million and would provide AH-64E sustainment support services, US government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support, technical data and publications, personnel training and other related logistics and programme support. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are named as the principal contractors for the Apache support package.
Long-term sustainment support for M777A2 ultra-light howitzers is valued at about $230 million. The howitzer package would include ancillary items, spares, repair-and-return, training, technical assistance, field service representatives, depot capability and other related logistics and programme support, with BAE Systems serving as the principal contractor.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions,” the State Department said.
The department added that the sale would improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defence and deter regional threats, and that India “will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”
On April 9, the Indian Army demonstrated the combat capability of its latest AH-64 Apache during a live-firing exercise, Brahmastra, at the Pokhran firing range. The demonstration featured precision strikes using AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, rockets and the helicopter’s onboard gun, and was intended to test operational readiness and coordination between pilots and ground crews.
The AH-64 Apache is a multi-role combat helicopter equipped with a 30 mm chain gun, the ability to carry Hellfire anti-tank missiles and Hydra rockets, and advanced targeting systems such as Longbow radar and night-vision sensors. The Indian Army’s latest attack helicopters are capable of operating in all-weather conditions, including at night.
By RSS/ANI
