India may not get its second lot of Apache attack helicopters anytime soon

NEW DELHI: On September 22, 2015, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the procurement of Apache attack helicopters for the Indian Air Force. The army says it was also promised these air assets by the Centre.

However, now the acquisition of the second lot of these helicopters for the army is stuck.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, which was to be held on July 31, on procurement of Apache helicopters was postponed and the subsequent defence secretary-led meeting didn't make much headway in procurement of 11 Apache helicopters for the army.


Also, there seems to be some reluctance in fresh procurements, with insiders admitting there is a "systemic failure" and "lacunae" in the procurement process. There is also a debate within top security circles whether two different forces — the army and IAF — should have the same type of helicopters.

AN OLD FIGHT
The delay follows an earlier long drawn tussle between the army and IAF over the acquisition of the Apaches. In fact, the UPA government in 2012 had decided that all future acquisitions of attack helicopters would be for ground forces. IAF sources explained, "The then government didn’t state future Apaches will be for the army. What they actually meant was that the army can procure as many Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) as they want, which are also attack helicopters like the Apaches." The army has already placed orders for the indigenously developed LCH and the Rudra helicopters, the weaponised version of the Advanced Light Helicopters.

The army wants 39 Apache helicopters. To start, it has demanded 11 such helicopters, which are primarily to be deployed against Pakistan. But there is no clarity on whether they will be deployed along the LAC with China, even though there are several operational helipads in this region.

The army badly wants these helicopters because then it will not have to depend on the IAF for heli-support.