link : Why Apaches for Army, ask critics
Why Apaches for Army, ask critics
Source:-Why Apaches for Army, ask critics
The Indian Army is a step closer to operating its own attack helicopters, with the U.S. State Department approving the sale of six Apache helicopters. For the Army, it is a long-held ambition, but critics say it is an illogical move.
Early this week, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of six additional AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to India for the Army. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the deal would be worth $930 million.
Right now, the Army operates only smaller Cheetah and ALH (Advanced Light Helicopters) that weigh less than five tonne. All bigger helicopters, including the Mi-35 attack helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft are operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Former Army chief General V.P. Malik said the Army had been “looking for a long time” for dedicated attack helicopters. “During Kargil [conflict of 1999], we could not use attack helicopters in that area. We used armed helicopters,” he said. General Malik was the Army chief during the Kargil conflict.
“In today’s combat situation, they become very important to support combat formations both in the plains and mountains. Particularly when they are with the Army, it can be operated better than when they are with the Air Force,” Gen. Malik said. He argued that all over the world, attack helicopters are with the Army.
‘Ill-advised move’
However, a retired senior Air Force officer countered saying the move is ill-advised. “For operational reasons, logistics and other factors, these helicopters should be with the Air Force. We built our first attack helicopter squadron with fighter pilots,” he pointed out. Will the Army have its own dedicated maintenance division or will the Air Force maintain them, he asks.
“Setting up a maintenance division for just six is creating a white elephant. If the Air Force is going to do it, then the Army will get to blame the Air Force whenever it wants to,” he said.
Under the present procurement plan, the IAF will operate 22 Apache attack helicopters, while the Army will have six of them. The IAF procurement plan was approved in 2015.
A serving Army officer said the attack helicopters being part of the Army’s corps and operated by the Army will give “an unprecedented teeth as these aircraft can have a disproportionate firepower on enemy tanks on the ground. This is the model that the U.S. Army follows.”
The retired Air Force officer pointed out that “we are not a superpower” and need to “optimise resources”. He said the U.S. Army operating attack helicopters has a historical reason from World War II, until when the air elements were part of the U.S. Army.
Source:- The Hindu
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