US approves sale of Apache helicopters, hellfire and stinger missiles to India ahead of first 2+2 dialogue

Washington: The administration of US president Donald Trump approved a deal to sell six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to India for $930 million as well as hellfire and stinger missiles to bolster the country’s ability to defend its homeland and deter “regional threats”, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The Pentagon’s notification to the US Congress comes ahead of the first 2+2 dialogue between India and the US next month in Washington DC involving the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and the defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and their American counterparts Mike Pompeo and James Mattis. [caption id=“attachment_4509321” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  An AH-64 Apache helicopter. Reuters[/caption] Pentagon’s defence security cooperation agency notified US Congress about the state department’s decision. The sale is expected to pass through if no lawmaker opposes the notification. The AH-64 Apache is a multi-role combat helicopter and is used by the US Army and a number of international defence forces. The contract also includes fire control radars; Hellfire Longbow missiles; Stinger Block I-92H missiles; night vision sensors and inertial navigation systems. In its notification to US Congress, the Pentagon said, “This will strengthen India’s ability to defend its homeland and deter regional threats.” “This support for the AH-64E will provide an increase in India’s defensive capability to counter ground-armoured threats and modernise its armed forces. India will have no difficulty absorbing the helicopters and support equipment into its armed forces the,” Pentagon said. “The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” it said. A formal announcement is expected to be made shortly. The lead contractors are US arms, aviations and engineering giants Lockheed Martin, General Electric and Raytheon. Bilateral defence trade between India and the United States has risen from near zero to $15 billion since 2008. “India is projected to spend billions on military modernisation over the next decade, and we are eager to seize opportunities for American industry. These sales support our security cooperation while also generating jobs at home,” a state department official said. US government-to-government sales to India in recent years have included C-17 transport aircraft, 155 mm Light-Weight Towed Howitzers, UGM-84L Harpoon missiles, Support for C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) support equipment. In addition to these foreign military sales (FMS) cases valued at $1.62 billion, India has purchased $2.82 billion in defence articles since 2013 via the Direct Commercial Sales. These include aircraft, gas turbine engines, and electronics, among other categories of major defence articles. “Next month’s inaugural 2+2 Dialogue is an important opportunity for us to enhance our engagement on critical diplomatic and security priorities. The dialogue is an indication of the deepening strategic partnership between the United States and India and India’s emergence as a leading global power and net security provider in the region,” the state department official said. Noting that India and the United States share enduring interests and values as the oldest and largest democracies, the official said India is a key partner in America’s efforts to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability and growing prosperity. “The US-India defence and security cooperation continue to undergo a rapid expansion as part of our deepening strategic partnership. India is now one of our premier security partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” the official said. India-US defence trade cooperation continues to expand, including through the US-India Defence Trade and Technology Initiative, a partnership which began in 2012 and which seeks to create opportunities for US-India co-production and co-development, foster science and technology cooperation, and remove bureaucratic barriers to trade, the official said. In 2016, India was also awarded the status of a US Major Defence Partner, which allows India to receive license-free access to a wide range of military and dual-use technologies that are regulated by the Department of Commerce. The two countries also agreed to an updated ten-year Defence Framework Agreement in June 2015 to guide and expand their bilateral defence and strategic partnership until 2025.