TATA Boeing Aerospace Limited has achieved a major milestone by delivering its 400th “Made in India” fuselage for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter from Hyderabad, Economic Times reported.

TATA Advanced Systems Limited has signed an MoU with the Javelin Joint Venture to co-produce Javelin missiles in India, strengthening Indo-US defence industrial cooperation.

TATA Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), a joint venture between Boeing and TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), has rolled out its 400th fuselage for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter from its 52,000-square-metre manufacturing facility in Hyderabad.

The fuselages, manufactured entirely in India, are integrated into Apache aircraft supplied worldwide, including to the US Army. The Indian Army received six Apache helicopters in 2025, while the Indian Air Force currently operates a fleet of 22 AH-64E Apaches.

TBAL was established in 2016 and employs more than 750 engineers and technicians. The workforce relies on advanced robotics, automation, and aerospace manufacturing technologies to produce fuselage aero-structures for the Apache program.

This capability highlights the growing integration of India’s aerospace ecosystem into global defence supply chains.

The Hyderabad facility has become a critical part of Boeing’s global production network, with fuselages exported to multiple countries. The milestone underscores India’s increasing role in high-value defence manufacturing.

In a related development, TATA Advanced Systems Limited signed a memorandum of understanding last week with the Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. The agreement covers the co-production of the Javelin All Up Round (AUR) missile within India.

TASL was selected as the prime partner for future in-country co-production after an evaluation of multiple firms based on capability and technical expertise.

Under the MoU, both parties plan to explore setting up a dedicated final assembly and integration facility in India, alongside component manufacturing capabilities, to meet future production demands and support regional stability across the Indo-Pacific.

The co-production initiative is designed to link American manufacturing supply chains with Indian assembly operations. Multiyear manufacturing of sub-assembly kits will take place at Lockheed Martin’s Troy facility in Alabama, while guidance electronics units will be produced at Raytheon’s Tucson facility in Arizona.

These components will then be shipped to India for final assembly and integration. The process is expected to generate high-tech jobs locally while sustaining manufacturing employment in the United States.

The collaboration reflects a broader trend of Indo-US defence industrial cooperation, with India increasingly positioned as a hub for advanced aerospace and missile systems manufacturing.

The Javelin missile, a proven anti-tank weapon system, has been widely used by US and allied forces. Co-production in India will enhance operational readiness for the Indian Armed Forces while strengthening supply chain resilience.

The agreement also supports interoperability and aligns with Indo-Pacific defence collaboration goals. It is expected to reinforce India’s defence industrial ecosystem by localising final assembly operations and expanding domestic manufacturing knowledge.

This dual achievement—TBAL’s 400th Apache fuselage delivery and TASL’s Javelin co-production MoU—marks a significant step in India’s defence modernisation and its integration into global supply chains.

Agencies