Companies do not know when CCS picks up their projects 'cause the CCS does not meet for defense alone. And contracts are signed based on budget availability. Rafale deal was pushed to the next fiscal, so this freed up funds for LCH, that's all. Nothing special.
Plus getting the LCH done now gives India a negotiations advantage when we start talking about Apaches with Trump.
The IA has to take deliveries of the first 6 before deciding how many they need. Biden's deliberately delayed our Apaches since May last year.
Yeas, Astra was not ready. But LCA was integrated with R73 missile.
I fear Army & IAF was forced to order by government, just like how IAF placed order for LCA
The helicopter hasn't even entered production yet. The Dhruv has already fired the Helina which the prachand is based on.
If the helicopter had any issues then it won't have been ordered just like the LUH and especially not for that kind of sum.
+ The LSP version has been operational for 3 years already and no incident has occurred and it has participated in exercises as well. So *for now* it doesn't contain any issues.
But do you know what's worse than having a helicopter with design flaws? A world class helicopter which hasn't been delivered for years and only exists on paper.
Delivery of Apache attack helicopters from US for Army misses deadline again
The Indian Army expected delivery of six Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from the US by June 2024. However, the timeline was shifted to December 2024 due to supply chain disruption.www.indiatoday.in
I Don't doubt the apache but if it isn't available for operation then it's not any better.
I think you have misquoted here. Dhruv's grounding isn't relevant to the arguments that I made in my comment.
From FY27-28, HAL will deliver all 156 LCH in 5 years. HAL have a per year capacity of 30 per year.
--- HAL Investor call
--- HAL Investor call
Army finally gets the first 3 of the 6 Apache attack helicopters ordered from the US | - Times of India
The Indian Army has received the first three Apache AH-64 attack helicopters from the US as part of a larger procurement to enhance its defence capabilities. Transported to Hindon airbase, the delivery indicates significant advancements for the Army's operational readiness along the western front.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
I suspect the IAF is eyeing the JAGM for its Apache fleet . That's probably why its birds haven't been fitted with the in-service Spike NLOS LR missiles till date.
You'd recall that the IAF initially had reservations about buying MQ-9B because it lacked sufficient stand-off capability. That was to be rectified via JAGM which was not yet in service at the time. Tri-mode seeker + longer range = sharper claws.
You'd recall that the IAF initially had reservations about buying MQ-9B because it lacked sufficient stand-off capability. That was to be rectified via JAGM which was not yet in service at the time. Tri-mode seeker + longer range = sharper claws.
New Prachand LCH to have more firepower, higher survivability
India's Prachand light combat helicopters will feature advanced systems for enhanced combat capability, boosting self-reliance and production by HAL. | India News
www.hindustantimes.com
HAL claims....
1. ATGM
2. DIRCM
3. EW/Self Protection Suite
4. Laser Guided Rockets
5. Obstacle Avoidance System
6. Communication
7. Nuclear detection capabilities
Looks like the armed forces are finally getting serious about this bird. LCH is reportedly also getting a new EO target acquisition/designation system + HMS (replacing the existing Israeli Compass EO pod and HMS)
Looks like a comprehensive upgrade including the new 20mm gun and rockets DRDO is developing.
Looks like a comprehensive upgrade including the new 20mm gun and rockets DRDO is developing.
Next-Generation Unified Suite for Airborne EW Self-Protection
ALL-in-SMALL
Elbit Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) All-in-Small: NextGen EW Suite delivering IR-Centric, ESM, threat geo-location for enhanced survivability.elbitsystems.com
Imagine LCH with this suite
AH-64 Apaches Make Mysterious Return To U.S. On Their Delivery Flight To India
Thomas Newdick
6–7 minutes
The planned delivery of three AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters to the Indian Army has taken an unusual turn. The Antonov Airlines An-124 cargo aircraft carrying the rotorcraft to India returned to the United States with the Apaches still onboard, after a long stopover in the United Kingdom. A Boeing spokesperson told TWZ that the company was looking into “logistical issues” that they said had interrupted the transportation.
The unexpected movements were tracked by plane spotter @KiwaSpotter, who noted the heavy-lift An-124 serial UR-82008 arriving at Mesa Gateway Airport, also known as Phoenix–Mesa Airport, in Arizona, on October 30, after a flight from its operating base in Leipzig, Germany.
One of three Indian Army AH-64Es is readied for loading onto the An-124 at Mesa, Arizona, on October 30. @KiwaSpotter
After being moved from the nearby Boeing facility in Mesa, the Apaches were loaded aboard the An-124, which then departed the United States on November 1 and flew to East Midlands Airport in England. When loaded, the helicopters were already painted in their distinctive Indian Army desert camouflage scheme. At least one of the Apaches could be identified in the photos, as serial IA-7105.
The An-124 and its Apache cargo then remained on the ground at the British airport for eight days before the aircraft departed, not headed toward India but returning over the Atlantic to its original point of departure at Mesa Gateway Airport, where they touched down on November 8.
The Apaches were later seen after being unloaded, now under tow, with their rotors removed.
The Indian Army has already received its first three AH-64Es in July this year, part of a six-aircraft deal worth $796 million that was signed back in February 2020, during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to New Delhi.
The first trio of rotorcraft was flown by Antonov Airlines An-124 to Air Force Station Hindon.
“These … helicopters will enhance the Army Aviation wing’s operational effectiveness, especially in challenging terrains,” Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh said at the time.
These AH-64s are currently being used to train crews at Nashik, in Maharashtra state, western India, home of the Indian Army Aviation Training School. Ultimately, the Indian Army Apaches are expected to be stationed at Nagtalao Army Aviation Base, north of Jodhpur, in northwestern India.
The latest batch of three helicopters would have completed the Indian Army deliveries… had they arrived.
TWZ approached Boeing for more information, and a company spokesperson provided the following statement:
“We are currently addressing logistical issues caused by external factors to complete the delivery process for the remaining aircraft. We remain closely engaged with the U.S. government and Indian Army and continue working to execute our contract as expeditiously as possible to meet India’s needs and fleet requirements.”
The second batch of three Indian Army AH-64Es are loaded onto the An-124 at Mesa, Arizona, on October 30. @KiwaSpotter
It remains unclear what the exact nature of the problem was, and whether it was related to the Apaches, the An-124 carrying them, or some other factor in their long aerial transport to India. Potentially, “logistical issues” could involve something technical, relating to any of the aircraft involved, but they might also involve something more mundane, perhaps related to customs or other paperwork. There’s even the potential for some kind of diplomatic or political interference in the transport process, although it would be a little surprising if this wasn’t signaled in advance.
Unusually, New Delhi has ordered AH-64Es for two different armed services.
Previously, 22 Apaches were ordered by the Indian Air Force, and all have been successfully delivered.
The lead of this pair of AH-64E Apaches fires an AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missile during a live-fire demonstration. Angad Singh
The current delay in delivery comes amid New Delhi’s increasing willingness to buy new military aircraft from the United States. Other aircraft acquisitions in this category include the C-130J Hercules transport aircraft, the CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, and the P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft (as the Poseidon is locally known).
At the same time, there have been increasing strains in U.S.-India politics of late. Within India, there have been growing questions about the reliability of the United States as a strategic partner. Tensions worsened after the terrorist attack in India in April and the ensuing India-Pakistan military clashes, after which the Trump administration imposed a 50 percent tariff against India. These penalties also reflected U.S. displeasure about continued Indian purchases of Russian oil.
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What is clear is the Indian Armed Forces’ urgent need to bolster its attack helicopter capabilities, especially as it seeks to better counter its increasingly high-tech adversaries — chiefly China and Pakistan.
The same Boeing spokesperson told TWZ that the company plans to complete the delivery of the remaining Apaches on order for the Indian Army as soon as possible. We will continue to track this story and the eventual fate of the three AH-64s that the service is still waiting for.
20 Confirmed Dead as Military Cargo Plane Crashes to the Ground After Going into a Tailspin