Pathankot Air Base has welcomed the first eight Boeing AH-64E Apache out of a total of 22 acquired by the Indian Air Force.
Although Boeing made the official delivery of the first four AH-64E Apache to the Indian Air Force last July at Hindon Air Base, it was today September 3 when the official delivery of the devices has been celebrated (eight) at Pathankot base with the presence of the head of the Indian Air Force, the Marshal of the Air Birender Singh Dhanoa.
In 2015, India acquired 22 AH-64E to replace the 35,000 Mi-35 that it has in service, through a contract that included as consideration that the local giant Tata was responsible for the production of all AH-64 fuselages, as well as others pieces of these, in a new factory in Hyderabad managed by a new division: Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited.
Before moving the AH-64E to India, the first crews and maintenance personnel assigned to them have completed their courses in the United States.
Last February, Boeing also made an official delivery to this air force of the first four, 15, Ch-47F (I) Chinook heavy helicopters.
And on August 29, the last of eleven Boeing C-17 of the Indian Air Force passed through the Barcelona airport on its delivery flight.
This aircraft, serial number 272, was built by Boeing in June 2014 and stored until it was sold , in this case to India. Its official delivery was on August 22, 2019.
After this plane, only eight other copies left the assembly line.
Source: fly-news
