AH-64E Apache attack helicopter

panzerfeist1

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@south block

"would hellfire managed to overcome modern hard kill APS like afghanit though?"

its taking while awhile to respond with your reply quote but there are two things.

1. the Sprinter ATGM has a 12km range, hellfire is like a 8km range missile. This is not including the Sokol-V which is said to be bigger with the possibility of adding more range.

2. Afghanit can stop APS with KEP speeds of 1,700km/s(which I have heard of upgrades to 3km/s)

India has good relations with Israel so equipping a Spike NLOS with a 25km range would be nice if its offered. As a Ka-52M, Ka-52K and Mi-28NM fan, I find the amount of targets the apache can track as impressive. https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/ah-64d-longbow-apache

"The Boeing AH-64-D Longbow is a twin-turbo shaft attack helicopter with a nose mounted target acquisition and night vision systems which makes it incredibly destructive. Longbow-equipped Apaches can locate up to 256 targets simultaneously within 50 km; the fire control radar is able to crush the enemy beyond sight range."
 

shaileshmd

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Does the PLA have anything similar?
Would Apache and other weapon systems give the IA any advantage in the mountains?
 

panzerfeist1

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Does the PLA have anything similar?
Would Apache and other weapon systems give the IA any advantage in the mountains?
They are using hj-10 missiles which are 10km missiles for tanks. But I doubt the avionics on China's helicopter would amount to much against
the longbow.
 

WolfPack86

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IAF Chief Visits Leh To Review Ladakh Operations, Fighter Aircraft Moved To Forward Bases
Even as the Indian Air Force (IAF) moved its assets including fighter aircraft to forward bases and airfields in view of the ongoing dispute with China, its chief RKS Bhadauria was on a two-day hush-hush visit to the Leh and Srinagar airbases, which would be the most critical for any operations to be carried out by the force in the Eastern Ladakh area.

The visit assumes significance as it came soon after the top security brass of the country reviewed the situation and military options after the Chinese Army killed 20 Indian soldiers in a premeditated attack in the Galwan Valley area after making an attempt to unilaterally change the status of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).






"The Air Force chief was on a two-day visit where he checked the operational readiness of all the platforms that have been moved to the area in view of the Chinese aggression along the LAC in the Eastern Ladakh where more than 10,000 troops have been amassed by China," government sources told ANI.

In the first leg of his visit, he was in Leh on June 17 and from there he went to the Srinagar airbase on June 18. Both these bases are closest to the Eastern Ladakh area and most suited to carry out any fighter aircraft operations in the mountainous terrain and also have a clear edge over the Chinese, the sources said.

When asked to confirm the visit by the Air Force chief to Leh and Srinagar, IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Indranil Nandy refused to say anything. "No comments," he stated.
Meanwhile, the Air Force has moved its critical frontline assets including the Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter aircraft fleet to advanced positions where they can fly in at a very short notice to carry out operations.

For providing air support to the Indian Army troops in the eastern Ladakh sector, the American Apache attack helicopters have been deployed in the close vicinity of the areas where operations by the ground troops are taking place at the moment.

The Chinooks helicopters have also been deployed in and around the Leh airbase to provide the capability of rapid troops transportation and inter-valley troop transfer, in case such a situation emerges there. The Mi-17V5 medium-lift choppers are also playing an active role in the area in troops and material transportation there.

With multiple bases around the Ladakh and Tibet region including Leh, Srinagar, Avantipur, Bareilly, Adampur, Halwara (Ludhiana), Ambala and Sirsa, the Indian Air Force has an edge over their Chinese counterparts, who have to start fighter aircraft operations from Hotan and Gar Gunsa near Ladakh as they are at an altitude of 14,000 feet plus.

The Indian Air Force has deployed its Su-30 combat aircraft soon after the Chinese choppers tried to violate Indian air space in Eastern Ladakh around the same time when their Army started arriving in large numbers along the LAC there.
 

WolfPack86

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Military chopper and fighter jet activity seen in Leh, Ladakh this is very significant-IAF deploys its new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in Ladakh quite easily the most attack choppers in the world. Also upgraded MiG-29s spotted here.

 

WolfPack86

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Border Simmers, India’s New Apaches Appear In Ladakh

The Indian Air Force’s new Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters broke cover in Leh today in what is their first deployment to the very high altitudes of Ladakh in an operational atmosphere. The Leh air base where the Apaches were spotted operating from today, is at an elevation of over 10,600 feet above mean sea level.


The appearance of the Apaches in Ladakh is immediately significant, coming as it does at a time when an extended military standoff at the disputed border in Ladakh between India and China led to a brutal clash of troops on the night of June 15, resulting the deaths of 20 Indian Army personnel and an unspecified number of Chinese personnel. The fatalities were the first between both countries in nearly half a century of a border peace that has never escalated beyond the occasional brawl.


In this backdrop, the appearance of the IAF Apaches in Ladakh carried clear meaning, and is likely to have been planned specifically as a message to the Chinese government. The helicopters were seen operating openly amidst routine air activity in the area, which included the IAF’s upgraded MiG-29s and Su-30 MKI fighters, both of which have had a fair bit of Ladakh time now.


Aviation journalist Angad Singh says, “Along with the MiG-29UPGs, sends a strong message to the Chinese that our premier aircraft will be operating from close ranges with short reaction times. The Apache itself going there is a good sign — shows confidence in the system and the crews relatively soon after induction. Leh and the high-altitude theatre in general is the most demanding IAF mission. Would have been nice to see the Rudras or LCHs there though — since those platforms are designed from the outset for this ultra-high altitude requirement.

Military helicopter pilot veteran Commander K.P. Sanjeev Kumar says, “IAF’s AH-64E Apache Indian making an appearance in Ladakh sector is a welcome sign. The ‘hot & high’ situation that obtains in the sector today provides ideal baptism for the Gladiators and a reality check for the machine in Indian conditions. Mi-35s they replaced had to sit out during Kargil War. The avionics update, envelope expansion & night upgrade came too late. Today, as India faces a different challenge, indigenous LCH optimised for that very theatre awaits orders. We must learn from history. Shorten the time lag between operational requirements and fielding of capabilities. The enemy won’t wait. Capabilities and numbers both are important. But most important is the political will to use these assets. I hope we don’t dither if push comes to shove.”


Leh, situated in an arena like bowl of mountains, is situated about 80 km southwest of the India-China troop standoff points in the Galwan Valley and Hot Springs area, and about 110 km west from the north banks of the Pangong Lake, where Indian and Chinese troops stand less than 500 meters apart in some places.



The Apaches being deployed in Ladakh is is even less surprising, given specific mobilisations by the Chinese in the past four weeks. In the last two days, satellite imagery analysts have spotted in clear view Chinese armour mobilisations in the Hot Springs area and the emergence of a series of pillboxes along the Finger 4 ridgeline in the Pangong sector.



The Apaches, part of the Gladiators squadron based in Pathankot, about 270 km south-west of Leh. The helicopters are less than a year old in Indian service, with deliveries of 22 starting in July last year and squadron being formally inaugurated in September. The Indian Apaches, half of them Longbow versions, come armed with AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, 2.75″ rockets and and a 30mm chain gun.



While the IAF has received all 22 Apaches on order, the Indian Army signed up for 6 AH-64Es in February this year. The IAF’s 22 are to operate both at Pathankot near the Pakistan border as well as Jorhat near the China border in India’s north east. While the Gladiators squadron Apaches have been on combat patrol flights near the international border in Punjab over the last few months, today’s images from Leh are their first known operational deployment in Ladakh.


Livefist reported earlier this week on major progress in India’s LCH program.


The other new American rotorcraft in IAF service, the CH-47F Chinooks have been to Leh before — and are back during the current tensions. Satellite imagery intelligence analyst DetResFa tweeted this image of a Chinook at Leh last month:



Meanwhile, reports emerged yesterday that border tensions would be speeding up Indian contracts for 12 more Su-30 MKI and 21 MiG-29 jets from Russia. It is unclear how soon contract could be signed though.
 

piKacHHu

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Apache helicopter in Ladakh.
I have never seen Indian Apaches sporting Hellfire missiles so far. It seems the Hellfire missiles are yet to be delivered or there is a separate contract for that which is yet to be signed. I hope it does get its full armament suit unlike the Rudra helicopter which is still waiting for AL-ATGM. Without Hellfire, Apache is a toothless tiger. Or Am I missing something?
 

WARREN SS

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I have never seen Indian Apaches sporting Hellfire missiles so far. It seems the Hellfire missiles are yet to be delivered or there is a separate contract for that which is yet to be signed. I hope it does get its full armament suit unlike the Rudra helicopter which is still waiting for AL-ATGM. Without Hellfire, Apache is a toothless tiger. Or Am I missing something?
Hellfire Is Procured Its in Ammo Storage You Seeing Fighter Doing Sorties Without LGB And Dumb bombs

Its Mission Payload

It was Approved way back in 2018


The Government of India has requested to buy the following items in support of a proposed direct commercial sale of six (6) AH-64E Apache helicopters: fourteen (14) T700-GE-701D engines; four (4) AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars; four (4) Radar Electronic Units (REU) Block III; four (4) AN/APR-48B Modernized Radar Frequency Interferometers (M-RFI’s); one hundred eighty (180) AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles; ninety (90) AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II missiles; two hundred (200) Stinger Block I-92H missiles; seven (7) Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors (MTADS-PNVS); and fourteen (14) Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI). Also included are rockets, training and dummy missiles, 30mm cannons and ammunition, transponders, simulators, communication equipment, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, support equipment, repair and return support, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistic and program support. The total estimated program cost is $930 million.

We Can get More From US bases in ASIA as we Signed logistic Support agreement

We Bought More this year
 
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piKacHHu

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Hellfire Is Procured Its in Ammo Storage You Seeing Fighter Doing Sorties Without LGB And Dumb bombs

Its Mission Payload

It was Approved way back in 2018


The Government of India has requested to buy the following items in support of a proposed direct commercial sale of six (6) AH-64E Apache helicopters: fourteen (14) T700-GE-701D engines; four (4) AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars; four (4) Radar Electronic Units (REU) Block III; four (4) AN/APR-48B Modernized Radar Frequency Interferometers (M-RFI’s); one hundred eighty (180) AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles; ninety (90) AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II missiles; two hundred (200) Stinger Block I-92H missiles; seven (7) Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors (MTADS-PNVS); and fourteen (14) Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI). Also included are rockets, training and dummy missiles, 30mm cannons and ammunition, transponders, simulators, communication equipment, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, support equipment, repair and return support, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistic and program support. The total estimated program cost is $930 million.

We Can get More From US bases in ASIA as we Signed logistic Support agreement

We Bought More this year
For the 6 Apaches, they have included full armament suite as a package deal but for the 2015 Deal in which contract for 22 Apaches & 15 Chinooks were signed , I am not able to find such a detailed break-up of weapons as you have mentioned. Quite possible that they were not included in the deal. (Happy to be proven wrong !! )

"The contract is believed to have an option for follow-on orders for 11 more Apaches and four extra Chinooks. The deal for Apache is in two parts: one Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) contract will be signed with Boeing for the attack helicopter, while another will be a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement with the US government for its weapons, radars and electronic warfare equipment. The Chinook, which was selected after extensive trials in 2012, is being acquired as a DCS deal. "


Probably this is the reason why this deal for only 6 Apaches looks so expensive as compared to the earlier one? And this follows the question that whether the earlier deal included the Hellfire missiles or not ? Or may be the advance payment made for 6 Apaches/Romeos could be used to secure early supply of Hellfires so that it could be operationised on the existing fleet.
 

WARREN SS

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Romeos could be used to secure early supply of Hellfires so that it could be operationised on the existing fleet.
Seems So 930 Million $ include Weapon Supplies 2018 FMS

Se-prate deal of 6 Indian Army Deal is Due on delivery by 2023

 

WolfPack86

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Indian Air Force (IAF) Apache attack helicopter at a forward airbase near India-China border carrying out air operations.
Sweet! An ‘officially cleared’ clip of an IAF AH-64E from the Gladiators squadron seen landing today at an air base in Ladakh. Expect to see a flood of air power imagery starting now.
 

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