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U.S. Beats Russia to India Helicopter Gunship Deal

bobbybabu007

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U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has won a $1.4 billion deal to supply India with 22 helicopter gunships, beating off competition from Russia's Mil Mi-28, the Times of India reported on Tuesday.

Only the Boeing AH-64 could meet all the Indian armed forces' air staff qualitative requirements, the paper said.

"It's just a matter of time before the contract is inked for the Apaches after final commercial negotiations. Most of the hurdles have been cleared," a defense ministry official told the paper.

The deal will also include advanced AN/APG-78 fire control radars for the Apaches as well as Hellfire anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

Russia is also facing stiff U.S. competition in a tender to supply 15 heavy-lift helicopters to the Indian forces. Russia is offering its Mil Mi-26, the world's largest rotary-wing machine, while Boeing is proposing its veteran CH-47 Chinook.

Notably, the US is known to have much better Electronic Warfare capability than perhaps any other nation. The Apache can detect 256 moving targets in speed, distance and direction and engage them as required.

The twin-engine tandem seat Apache is operated by two pilots, and can execute an attack within 30 seconds of an alert. It is equipped with Northrop Grumman’s highly sophisticated millimeter wave Longbow fire control radar and Lockheed Martin’s Hellfire and Raytheon’s Stinger missiles. The Block III is the latest version being delivered to the US Army from this year. Apache has a strong shell made of composite fibres to protect the pilots from bullets.

India, traditionally one of Russia's core customers for arms, has placed several large defense orders with the United States this year, including a $4.1 billion contract for 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlifters, $2.1 billion for eight P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and $962 million for six C-130J transport aircraft.
 
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