PCI-Current Affairs

Indian Army to get six Boeing-made Apache attack helicopters

Defence ministry clears a long pending proposal to procure six Apache attack helicopters for the Indian Army at a cost of Rs4,168 crore .

India has approved the purchase of six Boeing Co.-made Apache AH-64E multi-role attack helicopters valued at Rs4,168 crore for the army.

Apaches have been used in conflicts in the Gulf, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

“It’s the best in its class and it has proven battle worthiness so you can’t really do much about the price asked for. Of course it will pinch but it should not matter beyond a point

Boeing has also tied up with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd to produce Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselages in Hyderabad.

India was the world’s fifth highest defence spender in 2016 with a total expenditure of $55.9 billion, up 8.5% from the previous year, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) also cleared a proposal to buy two sets of gas turbines from the Ukraine for two Grigorovich-class ships being built in Russia for India.

The gas turbines will be bought by India from the Ukraine due to the ongoing tension between the two nations—Russia and Ukraine