New Delhi, December 16, 2025: The Indian Army on Tuesday took delivery of the final batch of three Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from US aerospace major Boeing, marking the completion of a six-helicopter procurement agreement signed in 2020.
A cargo aircraft transporting the helicopters landed at the Indian Air Force base in Hindon, about 20 kilometres east of the national capital. Army sources confirmed that the helicopters’ rotors will be fitted at Hindon, following which a few test sorties will be conducted by Boeing’s technical team as part of final checks. After completion of these procedures, the helicopters will be ferried to the Army base in Jodhpur, where the first batch of three Apaches is already operational.
The Apache AH-64E is a heavily armed, twin-engine attack helicopter capable of carrying out precision strikes against enemy troops, armoured vehicles, tanks and fortified bunkers, including targets located in difficult and mountainous terrain. The platform can be equipped with a range of air-to-ground missiles, rockets and a chin-mounted machine gun, and is also capable of firing short-range air-to-air missiles such as the Stinger.
Attack helicopters are an integral component of the Army’s mechanised formations and play a crucial role in providing close air support during combat operations. The newly inducted Apaches will form part of the Army Aviation Corps, which operates a fleet of around 350 helicopters. This fleet includes attack helicopters built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Soviet-origin Mi-25 and Mi-35 helicopters, along with aircraft used for logistics and administrative tasks.
The first batch of three Apache helicopters had arrived in India in August, after delays in the delivery timeline. The Indian Army had signed a ₹5,691 crore contract with the United States in 2020 for the procurement of six Apache attack helicopters, with deliveries originally scheduled to begin by mid-2024. The issue of delayed delivery was raised by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a telephonic conversation with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in July.
The delivery of the final batch was also held up due to logistical challenges. On November 1, a specialised Antonov AN-124 cargo aircraft carrying the three helicopters flew from Arizona in the United States towards India. After refuelling in England, the aircraft was scheduled to continue its journey through Turkish airspace. However, overflight clearance was not granted for nearly a week, forcing the aircraft to return to the US with the helicopters.
With the arrival of the final tranche, the Indian Army has now completed the induction of all six Apache helicopters under the deal, significantly strengthening its attack aviation and battlefield strike capabilities.
