NEW DELHI – The Indian army is inching closer towards its goal of deployingattack helicopters for the first time, with India issuing a Letter ofRequest (LoR) to the US government for buying Boeing-made Apache choppers,a person closely monitoring the project said.

The LoR is a significant step as it formally kicks off the foreign militarysales programme, Washington’s government-to-government method for sellingUS-built platforms. “The LoR was issued recently and now the US has torespond with a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to take the Apache deal forward,”said the person quoted above. The LoA could come in six months after whichthe two sides will begin negotiations to hammer out a deal.

India’s defence acquisition council green lighted the proposal to buy sixApache AH-64E attack helicopters from the US last August. The helicoptersand associated equipment are expected to cost around Rs 4,168 crore.

Armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, an Apache can track up to 128targets a minute and prioritise threats. The missiles equip the gunshipswith heavy anti-armour capabilities.

India placed orders worth $3.1 billion for 22 Apache helicopters and 15Chinook heavy-lift choppers in 2015 for its air force. These machines willstart arriving in the middle of 2019, changing the complexion of the IndianAir Force’s helicopter fleet that consists mainly of Russian platforms. Thesix Apaches cleared by the council are being bought as a follow-on optionto the 2015 contract.

India will be the 14th country to operate the attack helicopters and Boeinghas delivered more than 2,200 Apaches to international customers. Attackhelicopters have been on the army’s wish list for several years, but theIAF has objected to the plan. The army has a requirement for more attackhelicopters as it had moved a case to buy 39 Apaches three years ago.

Since 2008, India has bought or ordered military equipment worth $15billion from the US, including C-130J special operations planes, C-17transport aircraft, P-8I submarine hunter planes, Harpoon missiles,helicopters and M777 howitzers.

India spent more than $100 billion on buying new weapons and systems during2008-17, with imports accounting for around 60-65% of the country’smilitary requirements. At $15 billion, military purchases from the US haveconsumed more than a fourth of the total capital expenditure for the lastdecade. – Hindustan Times