Defence ministry approves acquisition of six Apache attack helicopters

This is the first time the Army will get attack helicopters.

New Delhi, Aug 17: The Defence ministry on Thursday cleared a long pending proposal to procure six Apache attack helicopters for the Indian Army at a cost of Rs 4,168 crore, official sources said.

The go ahead was given at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.

This is the first time the Army will get attack helicopters. The DAC also cleared a proposal to procure two gas turbine engines for naval ships at a cost of Rs 490 crore, sources said.

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American four-blade, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 chain gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's forward fuselage.

PTI