Army gears up to induct first lot of Apache attack helicopters from February 2024 onwards

The Army is gearing up to induct the first lot of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from February 2024 onwards and will be deployed in the desert sector, while the bigger contract for 156 indigenous Light Combat Helicopters, 90 for the Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force, estimated to cost ₹45,000 crore, is expected to be taken up by the Defence Acquisition Council next week. The Army Aviation, which has so far operated utility helicopters, inducted its first dedicated attack helicopter with the LCH and the first squadron, 351 Army Aviation, was moved to Missamari, Assam in the eastern sector near the Line of Actual Control last November, as reported by The Hindu earlier. Modernisation plans Talking of the IAF’s modernisation plans and indigenous push, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari recently said they had inducted 10 LCH last year, in the 143 Helicopter Unit ‘Dhanush’, and are looking at signing a contract in the coming year for a total of 156 of them, 66 of which would be for the IAF. In March 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved procurement of 15 Limited Series Production variants of LCH at a cost of ₹3,887 crore, along with infrastructure sanctions worth ₹377 crore, 10 for the IAF and five for the Army.