The last tranche of Apache gunships arrived recently to India from the United States

India ordered only 28 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the United States, delivered in two tranches of 22 in 2015 and eight in 2020. The final batch of three helicopters landed at Hindon airbase in December 2025, completing all deliveries on schedule. This marked the end of India's Apache acquisition program, far short of initial plans for 39 machines—22 for the Indian Air Force and 17 for the Army, wrote renowned defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan of India Today.

President Donald Trump recently claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged him to expedite delivery of 68 Apaches, delayed for over five years. Indian defence ministry officials swiftly fact-checked this assertion off-record, confirming the actual order stood at just 28 units. Such statements highlight frequent mismatches by Trump in public narratives surrounding defence procurements.

The primary deterrent to further purchases has been the exorbitant cost. Each Apache, equipped with radars, sensors, Hellfire missiles, Hydra rockets, a 30mm cannon, and Stinger air-to-air missiles, commands around $150 million (₹1,350 crore). In stark contrast, the indigenous HAL Prachand Light Combat Helicopter costs approximately $48 million (₹400 crore) per unit.

This sticker shock led India to scale back ambitions dramatically. The Army, originally eyeing 17 Apaches, settled for just six. Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Suri, former Director General of the Army Aviation Corps, noted that while the Apache excels in close air support with its potent armament, costs remain a significant barrier to acquiring the additional 11 helicopters once planned.

The Apache embodies the American attack helicopter doctrine, originating in the Vietnam War era. The Bell AH-1 Cobra debuted in 1967 as the first purpose-built gunship, evolving into the heavier, all-weather AH-64 Apache by 1984. Designed to counter massed Soviet armoured formations in Europe's air-land battles, it never faced that exact scenario.

Apaches first saw combat in the US-led invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. They provided close air support, reconnaissance, and troop backing against Taliban and insurgent forces. However, vulnerabilities emerged starkly in urban environments, as evidenced by the March 2003 Karbala ambush where Iraqi forces damaged all 30 Apaches in a single engagement using small arms and RPGs, downing one.

India's interest piqued in 2007 to replace ageing Soviet Mi-35 gunships. Requests for proposals issued in 2009 saw Boeing's Apache outpacing Russia's Mi-28 on cost and technical merits, culminating in the 2015 contract. At that time, the Russia-Ukraine war loomed seven years distant, masking emerging threats.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has exposed helicopter frailties. A 2025 NATO Joint Air Power Competence Centre study revealed Russia lost over 100 gunships and attack helicopters in the war's first two years. More than 60 per cent fell to man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS), with others succumbing to anti-aircraft artillery, small arms, and even RPGs in direct-fire roles.

Drones pose an escalating challenge in this 'air littoral'—the contested zone from ground level to a few thousand metres. While rare, drone shoot-downs of helicopters occur; in September 2025, Ukraine's forces released footage of a $500 FPV drone destroying a $10 million Russian Mi-8. As unmanned systems grow sophisticated, traditional rotorcraft like the Apache face heightened risks in drone-infested battlefields.

A senior Indian military official and former attack helicopter pilot conceded that the heavily contested air littoral will sideline Apaches from frontlines. "We have to look for new roles for them," he remarked, underscoring the need for doctrinal shifts. Recent US operations, such as the January 3 deployment of nearly 150 aircraft—including Apaches—in the sanitised airspace during Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's abduction, affirm their utility only in air dominance scenarios.

Over 2,700 Apaches have been produced, with limited production continuing briefly. Yet the US Army's 2026 budget omits new orders, prioritising a "more effective mix of next-generation rotary and unmanned platforms" while slashing Air Cavalry Squadrons. This pivot mirrors global trends questioning manned attack helicopters amid proliferating cheap, lethal drones and portable defences.

For India, with its focus on indigenous capabilities like the Prachand and ongoing projects such as the TEJAS and AMCA, the Apache serves as a high-end asset for specialised missions. High costs and evolving threats have curtailed expansion, favouring cost-effective, versatile alternatives suited to asymmetric and peer conflicts along borders with Pakistan and China.

Based On India Today Report