NEW DELHI ― The Indian government this week cleared long-pending deals for six Boeing Apache attack helicopters and two Zorya marine engines from Ukraine.
The two projects were cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council, which is headed by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley. Formal contracts will be awarded in the next four to six months, a Ministry of Defence official said.
Under the deal, the Indian Army will acquire six Apache attack helicopters for about $650 million. They will be equipped with Hellfire and Stinger missiles.
The Army, which currently has no attack helicopters as part of its inventory, requires 39 Apache helicopters, but the Defence Acquisition Council only cleared six, the MoD official noted.
In 2012, Boeing was awarded a $1.3 billion order for 22 Apache AH-64D helicopters for the Indian Air Force. The deliveries will begin mid-2017 and will include 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 service is also procuring 20 homemade light-combat Rudra helicopters from state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The Defence Acquisition Council also cleared the purchase of two Zorya gas-turbine engines for $76.5 million from Ukraine for two stealth frigates to built in Russia for the Indian Navy.
In March 2017, the MoD cleared a $4.48 billion program to acquire four Krivak-class stealth frigates under which two will be build by United Shipbuilding Corporation of Russia and the remaining by India’s Goa Shipyard.
A formal contract is yet to be awarded.
United Shipbuilding Corporation will deliver the frigates in the next four years, whereas Goa Shipyard will take eight years.
Vivek Raghuvanshi is the India correspondent for Defense News.
