Apache LOA to be signed soon?

Neelam Mathews

June 21, 2012

Orlando

The Letter of Agreement for 22 Boeing Apache helicopters valued at $1.4 billion is expected to be signed by the end of this year, Aerospace Diary learns.

India recently decided to reduce the field of competitors to award the attack helicopters to a single contractor- Boeing. The Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter and a version of the UH-1N Huey were dropped from the competition leaving the Boeing AH-64D Block III as only contender.

The Government of India has requested  possibly for 50 T700-GE-701D engines, 12 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars, 12 AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometers, 812 AGM-114L-3 HELLFIRE LONGBOW missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 HELLFIRE II missiles, 245 STINGER Block I-92H missiles, and 23 Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors, rockets, training and dummy missiles, 30mm ammunition, transponders, simulators, global positioning system/inertial navigation systems, communication equipment, spare and repair parts; tools and test equipment, support equipment, repair and return support, personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support .

Lockheed Martin in partnership with Northrop Grumman produces the Fire Control Radars adapted by the user for wide situational awareness, says a spokesman here. There are plans to extend its range. The Hellfire II Romeo is a heat augmentation warhead - that can gauge any target- and services all target types and can be integrated into a variety of aircraft, says Lockheed.

At the facility here, a spokesman told Aerospace Diary that delivery schedules were not an issue. The life of a Hellfire is typically ten years. The company has an efficient life cycle support program. “As long as the condition (of the missile) is good, we have a Stock Reliability Program (to extend life),” says the spokesman.

The prime contractors for the project will be Lockheed Martin Corporation in Orlando, Florida; General Electric Company, in Cincinnati Ohio; Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensor in Owego, New York; Longbow Limited Liability Corporation in Orlando, Florida; and Raytheon Company in Tucson, Arizona.