India is set to bolster its rotary-wing combat capabilities with the delivery of three Apache AH-64 attack helicopters to the Army from the US, multiple media reports said on Monday.
Additionally, a Times of India report says that the Indian Navy will commission its second squadron of MH-60R Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters this week. These inductions, delayed for several years, aim to address operational gaps in the armed forces.
The larger capability boost is expected when the Army and IAF begin receiving 156 indigenous Prachand light combat helicopters from 2028 onwards.
Over the next 10-15 years, the armed forces plan to acquire over 1,000 helicopters of various types to replace aging fleets, including Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, and to strengthen operational readiness. This includes 484 light utility helicopters (3.5-tonne class) and 419 Indian multi-role helicopters (10-15-tonne class), though delays in projects executed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have slowed progress.
The three Apache attack helicopters, described as "tanks in the air", are equipped with Stinger air-to-air missiles, Hellfire Longbow air-to-ground missiles, cannons, and rockets. Defence officials stated they are expected to arrive in India within a few days.
India had ordered six Apache helicopters for the Army in a Rs 5,691 crore deal with the US in February 2020. The first three were delivered in July 2025 after delays due to supply chain issues faced by Boeing. These helicopters will join the 22 Apaches inducted by the IAF between 2019-2020 under a separate Rs 13,952 crore deal signed in 2015. The Army Apaches will be stationed in Jodhpur, supporting operations along the western border with Pakistan.
The TOI report added that the Navy, meanwhile, will commission the second Seahawk squadron at INS Hansa in Goa on December 17, equipped with Hellfire missiles, MK-54 torpedoes, precision rockets, and advanced sensors.
The first squadron was raised at INS Garuda in Kochi in March 2024. So far, 15 of the 24 Seahawks ordered from Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin under a Rs 15,157 crore contract signed in 2020 have been delivered. The Ministry of Defence also recently signed a Rs 7,955 crore follow-on support and spares contract for the multi-mission helicopters, the TOI report added.
Seahawks are critical to the Navy, which currently operates a limited fleet of Sea King and Kamov-28 anti-submarine helicopters, especially given the growing Chinese submarine presence in the Indian Ocean Region.
HAL is scheduled to deliver the 156 Prachand light combat helicopters-90 for the Army and 66 for the IAF-between 2028 and 2033 under a Rs 62,700 crore contract signed in March 2025. These highly agile helicopters, weighing 5.8 tonnes each, will be armed with 20mm turret guns, 70mm rocket systems, and air-to-air missiles, and are designed for offensive and precision-strike operations in high-altitude areas such as eastern Ladakh and Siachen Glacier, along the borders with China and Pakistan.
The upcoming Prachand deliveries will add to 15 helicopters (10 IAF and 5 Army) already inducted under a Rs 3,887 crore contract in 2022, further enhancing India's rotary-wing combat strength.
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