IAF Apache develops critical failure, lands in Punjab village
India had signed the $1.1 billion deal Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters. It received all the 22 Apaches on order last year
NEW DELHI: An Indian Air Force Apache AH-64E attack helicopter made a “precautionary" landing due to “a critical failure" at a village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district on Friday, the India Air Force (IAF) said in a statement.
This is the first incident of its kind involving the Boeing-made Apache helicopter, imported by the IAF from the US last year.
The Apache helicopter took off from the Pathankot airbase and after approximately an hour of flying “had indications of a critical failure and carried out a safe landing west of Indora, Punjab," according to the statement.
“The captain of the aircraft took correct and prompt actions to recover the helicopter safely. All crew onboard the helicopter are safe and there has been no damage to any property. The aircraft will be recovered after necessary rectification," it added.
India had signed the $1.1 billion deal Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters. It received all the 22 Apaches on order last year.
These have been split between two squadrons - one based at Pathankot and the other at Jorhat.
Armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, an Apache can track up to 128 targets in a minute.
The Indian Army is also buying six Apache helicopters in a deal worth $930 million in a follow-on contract to the 2015 IAF order.
Since 2000, India has bought or ordered military equipment worth more than $18 billion from the US, including C-130J special operations planes, C-17 transport aircraft, P-8I submarine hunter planes, Harpoon missiles, helicopters, and M777 howitzers.
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