Indian Air Force Inducts Eight Boeing AH-64E Apache Helicopters

NEW DELHI. The Indian Air Force (IAF) ceremonially inducted eight Boeing AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters September 3, and with that their home Squadron, 125 (H) Gladiators, also became operational and combat-ready.

- Gulshan Luthra And Shweta Sehgal

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa did the honours at the forward Air Force Station (AFS) Pathankot, which has always been a fighter base, and observed that “these aircraft have been modified specifically to suit the exacting standards demanded by IAF,” pointing out that “alongside the capability to shoot fire and forget Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), the Apache also has modern Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities to provide versatility to the helicopter in a network-centric aerial warfare.”

Four of the eight helicopters also did a flypast, and after the ceremony, they logged into routine flying for operations and training. The level of operations, and an aircraft’s or helicopter’s arming of course depends upon the threat perceptions.

The helicopter was also given the traditional water canon salute.

IAF has 22 Apaches on order and the remaining 14 are due to be delivered by March 2020, that is, in about six months. All these new generation machines are being deployed in the “western regions.”

The Air Chief noted that the Apache has been an integral part of numerous historic campaigns worldwide and that its induction is a significant step towards the modernisation of the Indian Air Force helicopter fleet.

The Apache is regarded as a Flying Tank and its primary role is to destroy hostile armour. In the 1991 Gulf War, the US Army’s Apaches and US Air Force’s A 10 Warthog aircraft virtually decimated the Iraqi tank formations.