The US State Department has cleared two possible military support deals for India worth over USD 428 million, covering Apache attack helicopters and M777 ultra-light Howitzers.
According to the approval, sustainment support services for AH-64E Apache helicopters are valued at nearly USD 198.2 million, while long-term support for M777A2 Ultra-Light Howitzers is estimated at around USD 230 million.
The State Department said Boeing and Lockheed Martin will serve as the principal contractors for the Apache package, while BAE Systems will handle support for the M777 Howitzers.
India’s request for the Apache package includes sustainment support services, engineering, technical and logistics assistance from the US government and contractors, technical publications and data, personnel training, and other logistics and program support elements.
The State Department further noted that the proposed sales would enhance India’s ability to respond to existing and future threats, improve homeland defense capabilities, and strengthen deterrence against regional threats.
Air India crash: India to monitor Boeing probe in USIndia’s aviation regulator is preparing to send officials to Seattle to observe sensitive testing of a Boeing 787 fuel-control switch panel removed from an Air India aircraft after pilots on a London-Bengaluru flight flagged a possible defect. The development has once again drawn attention to the Dreamliner’s fuel-control switches as Indian investigators work towards the final report into the fatal Air India Boeing 787 crash in Gujarat last June that killed 260 people. According to Reuters, the upcoming tests in Seattle are expected to focus on the switch locking mechanism and whether external pressure applied from a certain angle could move the switches while they remain locked. |
