The Indian Ministry of Defence has announced that the first Boeing AH-64E(I) Apache Guardian for the Indian Air Force (IAF) was handed over at Boeing’s facility in Mesa, Arizona, on May 10, 2019.
The Indian government signed a contract with the US government in September 2015 for the acquisition of 22 AH-64Es and the initial batch of helicopters are due to be shipped to India in July.
IAF personnel have recently undergone training with the US Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
The Indian Ministry of Defence said: “The addition of the AH-64E(I) helicopter is a significant step towards modernisation of [the] Indian Air Force’s helicopter fleet. The helicopter has been customised to suit [the] IAF’s future requirements and would have significant capability in mountainous terrain. The helicopter has the capability to carry out precision attacks at stand-offranges and operate in hostile airspace with threats from the ground.”
