Washington: India’s arms acquisition drive has received a boost as the Donald Trump administration has given a green signal to a deal to sell six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to New Delhi for $930 million, the State Department said on Tuesday.
The US government has sent the agreement for approval to the US Congress. The deal is expected to go ahead provided no US lawmaker raises an objection to it.
Tata and Boeing have begun the production of Apache helicopters’ fuselages at a plant in India. But since the US government has approved selling of the helicopters to India, it is expected that the US will sale finished products to New Delhi directly.
The contract for supply of Apache helicopters includes night vision sensors, GPS guidance and hundreds of Hellfire anti-armor and Stinger air-to-air missiles.
“This support for the AH-64E will provide an increase in India’s defensive capability to counter ground-armored threats and modernize its armed forces,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said, in a statement.
