Latest news with #ApacheHelicopters
India.com
13-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
15 months on, Indian army still awaits delivery of Apache Helicopters from the US, signed Rs 50100000000 agreement to buy…., delay reported due to…
15 months on, Indian army still awaits delivery of Apache Helicopters from the US, signed Rs 50100000000 agreement to buy...., delay reported due to... More than a year after the Indian Army created its first Apache attack helicopter squadron, the actual helicopters are still nowhere in sight. The squadron was set up in March 2024 at Nagtalao in Jodhpur, but it hasn't become operational yet, simply because the Apache AH-64E helicopters promised by the United States have not arrived. India had signed a USD 600 million agreement (current rate: 50,100,000,000 INR)with the US in 2020 to buy six Apache helicopters for the Army. As per the original plan, the first three were supposed to be delivered by May or June 2024. That deadline came and went. The delivery was then postponed to December 2024, reportedly due to global supply chain problems. But now even that date has passed, and there's still no word on when the helicopters will finally land in India. According to officials from the Defence Ministry, the delay is due to technical problems on the US side. Meanwhile, Indian Army pilots and support teams who were trained and ready months ago are stuck waiting, with nothing to fly. This is in contrast to the Indian Air Force, which had received 22 Apache helicopters earlier under a separate deal made in 2015. The delay for the Army has therefore become even more frustrating, as the squadron remains incomplete and idle despite all preparations.
LBCI
31-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Israeli drone strike targets Deir al-Zahrani in South Lebanon, killing one
An Israeli drone carried out an airstrike early Saturday morning in the town of Deir al-Zahrani, killing a young man identified as M.A.J., according to the National News Agency. J. (33) was on his way from home at dawn, as he did every day, to perform morning prayers at the mosque in his hometown when the drone targeted his Kia vehicle on the road adjacent to the Deir al-Zahrani–Nabatieh highway near the pedestrian bridge. He was killed instantly. He was the brother of a fighter who was killed in clashes with Israel in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif during the 66-day war. The strike was preceded by Israeli Apache helicopters flying deep into the area's airspace.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE £2 billion UK Apache helicopter gunships to get protection from drones as they fly too slowly over the battlefield
Defence chiefs are to invest billions on drones to protect 'slowcoach' Apache helicopters previously flown by Prince Harry, the Mail has learned. With their 30mm chain guns and Hellfire missiles, Apaches saved countless lives in Afghanistan and are considered vital to future frontline operations. However, in Ukraine, Russian attack helicopters operating along the line of combat engagement have proved vulnerable to cheap to produce kamikaze drones. As a result, a major review of Britain's defence priorities will focus on purchasing drones to protect 'legacy' helicopters, other aircraft and armoured vehicles. The long-awaited Strategic Defence Review, to be published on Monday, could commit more than £4 billion in additional funding for crewless systems. The drones, or Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs), will be managed by the Royal Air Force and will be introduced into service over the next decade. Systems tipped by defence insiders to be on the Ministry of Defence's shopping list include 'Loyal Wingman' drones which incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI). The integration of crewed and uncrewed aircraft into a collaborative fighting force is known as Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T). The regular flying speed of the Army Air Corps' Apaches is around 180mph. Britain has a fleet of 50 (AH-6E) helicopter gunships made by Boeing and worth more than £2 billion. Last night, an Army source said: 'When you were on a mission in Afghanistan, the Apaches would take off first because they were slow and we would follow in a Chinook transport helicopter and catch them up. 'The vulnerability of helicopter gunships on the frontline has been a major takeaway from Ukraine and given the UK's long-term commitment to the Apache, this issue has to be addressed. 'To remain a viable option on the frontline, the Apaches will require crewless escorts to eliminate threats in what is a very crowded battlespace. 'Everything has changed in the last few years. Low-level flying was always danger but it has gone to another level now. 'The Apache fleet is worth around £2billion. That's a big write off if it has become obsolete.' The RAF published its Autonomous Collaborative Platform strategy last year. The service is committed to conducting MUM-T operations routinely by 2030. Last night, Matthew Savill, from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said: 'A figure of £4bn additional funding on uncrewed systems would be a start. The SDR will have to prioritised between crewed and uncrewed. 'It is an interesting idea to put up drones to protect helicopters but that is a lot of clutter close to the ground. Armoured vehicles and tanks, such as Challenger 3, will also require active protection by drones to protect against other drones.' According to insiders, the SDR will commit 'less than £10 billion of additional funding' for new equipment over the duration of this parliament. As the UK's annual defence budget is currently £56.9 billion, £10 billion or less over four years was described last night as 'less than transformational'. Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: 'If this proves a damp squib SDR then blames lies with Labour's failure to properly fund defence. 'It should resist further welfare spending so we can go to 3 per cent of GDP on defence and give our military the tools for the job.' In a bid to reengage Britain's military with the civilian population, schoolchildren are to be taught the value of the armed forces, also as part of the Strategic Defence Review. The Ministry of Defence is looking to engage with the Department for Education on a project to challenge an apparent 'disconnect' between the armed forces and civilians. For the UK to sustain any long-term conflict against a peer adversary, it will be required to regenerate its forces from its civilian population, either voluntarily or through drafting. The MOD hopes to make pupils more aware of employment opportunities within the Army, Navy and RAF beyond the stereotypical roles of each service. These classes would be delivered as part of the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PHSE) curriculum. Last night, the MOD said: 'We will not be drawn into commenting on claims regarding the review ahead of publication. 'This Government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War - 2.5% by 2027 and 3% in the next Parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5 billion this financial year. 'The SDR will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK - making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.'
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Watch Brit troops blast targets with £50m Apache attack choppers in huge show of force on Vlad's doorstep in Lapland
BRITISH troops blasted enemy targets with £50million Apache helicopters in a massive show of force on Vladimir Putin's doorstep. Soldiers in the Arctic Circle sent a carefully coded message to Moscow's mad tyrant, turning the home of Santa Claus into Europe's biggest military firing zone. 7 7 The British Army 's top-of-the-range Apache choppers launched deadly Hellfire anti-armour missiles, smashing mock positions seven miles away at 1,000mph. Hellfires are used to hit high-value targets like enemy tanks because of how much damage a single payload can inflict. The Sun watched on as troops performed a complete refuel and rearmament of two Apache choppers, which can fly for two-and-a-half hours at 220mph, in just 40 minutes. British soldiers carefully loaded two giant 100lb missiles, carried by three troops at a time, as the pilots showed off how they can aim the chopper's 30mm machine gun simply by looking at a target. More than 350 UK troops are in Lapland, just 70 miles from Finland's border with Russia, where the sun shines virtually round the clock. Speaking from the remote Sodankyla Airfield, Air Trooper Alfie Giles, 19, told The Sun: 'The Hellfire is a very powerful weapon. I've seen the damage it can do up close, and it's a lot. 'They cost about £80,000. We would use them to eliminate tanks. 'If this hits a vehicle, the vehicle is destroyed. 'I loaded my first Hellfire during this exercise, and that's quite a big thing to do. All of that training we do here is very useful to take forward. 'It's a great feeling to actually get hands-on with the aircraft and the ammunition.' Putin visits Kursk just 35 miles from Ukraine for first time since recapturing territory with waves of suicide missions Air Trooper Molly McLelland, 19, added: 'Some of us haven't been out here before, so it's nice to get together and use this experience for the next deployment. 'Environments like this are so different to the UK. 'It's really important that we do this, so everyone has an understanding of what it could be like if things were to happen.' The aviation communications specialist said the drills could serve as 'a little reminder' to Russia of NATO 's presence. She went on: 'We're aware of where we are, we're not trying to hide it, and we're all very aware of what's going on.' The extreme drills are part of preparation work for next year's exercise Razor Edge, where the UK will take a leading role. Brigadier Nick English, Commander of the 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team, told The Sun: 'You can't ignore the fact that there's a land war in Ukraine, and part of the role of NATO is in deterrence. 'Finland has been doing this for a very long time, and living next to Russia for a very long time. 'This (drill) allows us to bring things that they otherwise wouldn't have access to.' He added that his unit's Apaches demonstrated Britain's 'unique' role in NATO. The Northern Strike drills are being run without any American presence amid US President Donald Trump 's demands for European allies to stump up more money. 7 7 7 Dr English said: 'I think what you're seeing, importantly, is some of our best capabilities here. 'Whether that's rocket artillery, whether that's our attack helicopters, these are the things that Britain can uniquely contribute to NATO. 'We're bringing those capabilities that states don't have currently, and allow us to integrate them in.' British forces have been in Finland since the start of the month, but most were firing real chopper missiles for the first time on Wednesday. The chance to mount a full-scale practice assault only comes around roughly once a year. The brigadier added: 'The range here is big enough to allow us to fire missiles in a full scenario, which is what they've done. 'For some of my team, this is the first time. 'They're newly qualified, and this is the first time they fired Hellfire missiles. 'That actually gives them a phenomenal confidence, that from all of the training and practice that we give them, when they come here and try it for real, it all works.' Soldiers braved the Finnish 'summer' complete with snow, thick mud, and temperatures still below freezing. But Major Joe Wooldridge, of the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, joked: 'This is a typical summer's day for the regiment up in Northumberland. It's really important that we do this, so everyone has an understanding of what it could be like if things were to happen Molly McLellandAir Trooper 'We have quite a bit of experience in doing this from Estonia and other places with similar conditions.' 'We've been working closely with our Finnish colleagues to understand what the conditions are like now, what they were like a few weeks ago, and what they will be like for the rest of our time here.' British troops will also test rocket launchers later this week alongside 6,000 Finnish and Swedish soldiers. It comes after Vladimir Putin visited the Kursk region for the first time since his troops prised their land back from Ukraine in a long and costly face-saving mission. Vlad met with volunteer organisations on Tuesday, the Kremlin said, and marched around a nuclear power plant wearing a silly white helmet. He also said the Kremlin supported the idea of continuing monthly payments to displaced Russian families that still could not return to their homes.
