India Offers Increase In Apache Helicopter Orders

India has offered a follow-on order of 39 AH-63D Apache helicopters in addition to the 22 being negotiated to cut down costs, Indian media reported.

India had earlier offered to buy 22 Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers along with four P-8I anti-submarine warfare aircraft from the US. These purchases worth $1.4 billion are in the final stages and expected to be before the Cabinet soon.

Regional security situation, defense deals and joint military projects will top US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday.

“I'm here to pursue different possibilities and options that have been initiated over the years,” Hagel was quoted as saying on the US Department of Defense’s official website. “We have a number of specific projects that we will discuss.”

One is the renewal of the 10-year Defense Trade and Technology Initiative, which former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta presented, he said, adding that it built a framework and base for specific proposals the United States is now working on with the Indian government.

“I'm interested in understanding more of their interests and some specific proposals,” Hagel said. “We are doing more than we've ever done military-to-military with India with joint exercises,” he added. “We want to continue to build on [that relationship].”