It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. Our plans enhance your reading experience. As we fight disinformation and misinformation, and keep apace with the happenings, we need to commit greater resources to news gathering operations. *Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print.   Boeing handed over the last of the five AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force (IAF), completing the contract for 22 Apaches.The Apaches were deployed at the Leh air base as part of the forward movement of assets, amid the stand-off with China in Ladakh.The final five of the 22 Apache attack helicopters were handed over to the IAF at the Air Force Station, Hindan, in June, Boeing said in a statement on Friday.Earlier, in March, Boeing handed over the last five of the 15 CH-47F(I) Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to the IAF.The IAF inducted the first batch of Apaches in September 2019 and based them at Air Force Station, Pathankhot, Punjab. The US built Chinook has a proven record of night flying in Afghan mountainous terrain and has two heavy calibre machine guns deployed at the front and back of the chopper, the Hindustan Times reported.A government official said the top-of-the-line fighter jets are staying away from the LAC lest the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) radars in occupied Aksai Chin identify their frequency signatures and use it to jam in the worst case scenario.“Even though the Chinese PLA have placed their electronic intelligence radars on mountain tops in the occupied Aksai Chin area for a clear line of sight, the war-time signature of Rafale will be different from that in practise mode. It received the first four Boeing CH-47 Chinook … The PLA aircraft detection radars are good as they have been manufactured keeping the US air force in mind,” said an expert.The Rafale jets are armed with Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, MICA multi-mission air-to-air missiles and Scalp deep-strike cruise missiles — weapons that will allow fighter pilots to attack air and ground targets from standoff ranges.The Meteor missiles have a no-escape zone believed to be three times greater than that of current medium-range air-to-air missiles. However, we have a request for those who can afford to subscribe: please do. In a significant event for the country that will strengthen our national security further, our guardian in the sky, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has inducted the first batch of the Chinook CH-47F (I) helicopters. File pic of an AH-64E Apache helicopter during induction ceremony in Pathankot on September 03, 2019 You can support quality journalism by turning off ad blocker or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to The Hindu. The Chinook is a heavy lift, tandem rotor helicopter which will provide the Indian Air Force with strategic airlift capability, across all spectrum of combat.

During the India visit of President Donald Trump in February, India and the U.S. signed a deal for six additional Apaches for the Army.Boeing’s joint venture in Hyderabad, Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited, has been producing aero-structures for the AH-64 Apache helicopter for both the U.S. Army and international customers, the statement said.

According to Defence Aviation Post, US-based aerospace giant Boeing completed deliveries of its CH-47F Chinooks to the IAF in March. “The final five of the 15 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters were handed over to the IAF at the Air Force Station, Chandigarh, just before the countrywide lockdown,” sources said. Subscribe to Morning Filter & Evening Wrap newsletter Proud moment! 126 Helicopter Flight (Featherweights) is a helicopter squadron and is equipped with Mil Mi-26 and based at Chandigarh Air Force Station. Covering geo-political news and current affairs across Asia It’s no surprise, considering the situation on the Sino-Indian border — the first batch of Rafale fighter jets inducted in the Indian Air Force’s Golden Arrows squadron are now “fully operational.”The five fighters just landed at Ambala air base last week, after being flown from the Dassault factory in France — and two of them are trainers.What is a bit alarming, is that the IAF’s new fighters are already practising night flying in the mountainous terrain of Himachal Pradesh, tThe rush to training is so that the Golden Arrows squadron, with its Meteor air-to-air missile and SCALP air-to-ground stand-off weapon, will be ready if the situation deteriorates on the 1,597 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector.And if that were not enough, rapid deployment Chinook helicopters have flown in the night over 16,000 foot Daulet Beg Oldi, the Indian Army’s last outpost near Karakoram Pass, the Hindustan Times reported.The decision to fly a Chinook over the DBO advance landing ground at night was taken to test the Indian Army’s capability of rapid insertion of special forces and infantry combat vehicles in the sub-sector north (SSN) area. Printable version | Aug 14, 2020 8:12:40 AM | https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/iaf-gets-last-of-five-apache-attack-helicopters-from-boeing/article32042881.ece The first Chinook helicopter had earlier arrived by ship on February 10, 2019 at the Mundra port in Gujarat. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.Your support for our journalism is invaluable.