Once the stalwarts of the US’ firepower delivery on the battlefield, Apache AH-64s are way past their prime, and the US Army is looking to expedite the induction of the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) for future warfare.
But there has been one Army that has been awaiting the delivery of the Apache attack helicopters for the past 15 months.
The Indian Army raised its first Apache rotary wing aircraft squadron in March 2024 at Nagtalao in Jodhpur. However, the squadron remains non-operational due to repeated delays. The Indian Army had inked a deal for six Apache AH-64E helicopters from the US. The first batch of three helicopters was expected to arrive by May or June 2024.
The reason cited for the delay is the disruption of the supply chain. The same reason had derailed the delivery of the GE-404 engines for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft LCA MK 1A.
The delivery was pushed back to December 2024, and now sources indicate that there has been no new deadline for the helicopter’s delivery.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) already operates 22 Apaches, also known as “Tank in the Air”. The IAF inducted the first batch of US-made Apache AH-64E at the Pathankot Air Force Station and the second one in Jorhat, Assam. It was the second US-built helicopter to join the IAF’s fleet after the Chinook.
Apaches are considered to be among the most advanced multi-role combat helicopters. According to Boeing, the AH-64 is capable of classifying and threat-prioritizing up to 128 stationary targets in less than a minute and engaging 16.
India purchased the Apaches in 2015 under a government-to-government contract. Following the confrontation with China, the Indian Army placed an order for six more helicopters in 2020.
The Apaches, also known as ‘tank killers,’ will be deployed in the deserts, where they are best suited for countering armor. The first Apache unit will be based at Nagtalao Army Base near Jodhpur.
The 451 Army Aviation squadron was raised at Nagtalao near Jodhpur on March 15, anticipating the arrival of the US-made helicopters. The helicopter base is fully ready to operate the Apaches.
Since its induction with the IAF, the helicopters have become a critical part of operations in the region. In addition to the helicopter, the IAF also got 812 AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire-II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92H missiles, and 12 AN/APG-78 fire-control radars.
The IAF has deployed its Apache attack helicopters in Ladakh, providing tactical support to the ground forces as needed. However, the helicopter’s operability on the upper reaches of the Himalayas has been questioned. In 2024, an IAF helicopter was stranded at a high altitude for several months because it was proving difficult to bring the rotary-wing aircraft down.
This is where the indigenous LCH will play a role. Prachand has a higher operational envelope as it is specifically designed for high-altitude conditions. “We have already tested the Apache helicopters in the operating conditions and have decided to deploy in the desert conditions,” an Indian Army official had told the EurAsian Times.
The US had deployed Apaches over the mountains of Afghanistan in 2002, operating at an altitude of around 12,500 feet above sea level, but the pilots were required to perform pre-mission planning before each mission.
Apache 64-A is a four-blade, twin-turboshaft helicopter with a nose-mounted sensor suite that simplifies target acquisition. The laser, infrared, and other systems enable the helicopter to locate, track, and attack targets. It also features a combination of laser-guided precision Hellfire missiles, 70mm rockets, and a 30mm automatic cannon, equipped with up to 1,200 high-explosive, dual-purpose ammunition rounds.
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The helicopter is designed to operate in mountainous terrain. It can conduct precision attacks at standoff ranges and operate in hostile airspace with threats from the ground.
The Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated in a press release that these helicopters can transmit and receive battlefield pictures through data networking.
The AH-64E Apache Guardian can remotely control drones. This allows the Apache’s crew to extend its operational scope and enhance reconnaissance, giving it the capability to direct drones like the MQ-1C Gray Eagle for observation, surveillance, and attack missions. This expands the helicopter’s operational range and intelligence-gathering capacity without exposing the crew to unnecessary danger.
Apache Out, FLARA In
Interestingly, the US Army, under its Army Transformation Initiative, is working to cut down its rotary-wing fleet as part of its restructuring. The restructuring involves eliminating all D-model Boeing AH-64 attack helicopters, reducing two reserve aviation brigades, and consolidating 11 air cavalry scout squadrons.
Lt. Gen. Joseph Ryan, the US Army’s deputy chief of staff for operations, said the older AH-64D (Apache), which is now into its third decade of service, “is not a war-winning capability that we can fight with and win today.”
Even the most recent upgrades to the AH-64E — the most advanced Apache helicopter — “are also on the cusp of being capabilities where we don’t necessarily see them contributing to the fight the way they have done perhaps in the past,” Ryan said.
The US Army started its FLRAA program (now named MV-75) in 2019 to develop a next-generation vertical lift aircraft to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which has been in service since 1979. In 2022, Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor won the contract.
By April 2024, the program had completed the preliminary design review (PDR) and entered the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase in August 2024.
The MV-75 will be the backbone of the US Army’s modernization for 2030 and beyond. It is designed to counter threats from near-peer adversaries in high-intensity conflicts.
In contrast to the Black Hawk, which has trouble in hot or high-altitude conditions, the MV-75’s speed, range, and adaptability will allow for quick power projection, surprise, and transport of combat forces in contested environments.
Even the initial phase of the Russia-Ukraine war saw some losses for helicopters. But IAF veteran Air Marshal Anil Chopra contends that attack helicopters are here to stay.
“But the main reason attack helicopters will not disappear is that they fill a niche that very few platforms can fill. They are the only 350 KMPH missile carriers that can hide behind trees, pop up, and literally shoot and scoot,” Air Marshal Chopra wrote in an article in the EurAsian Times.
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