US approves possible Apache support sale to India months after Trump’s helicopter claims sparked row

The United States has approved a possible $198.2 million sale of Apache helicopter support services and related equipment to India, months after US President Donald Trump triggered controversy with claims about delayed helicopter deliveries to New Delhi.

The US State Department said on Monday, as reported by Reuters, it had cleared the proposed foreign military sale covering sustainment support, spare parts, logistics assistance and related equipment for India’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.

The principal contractors for the package will be Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the State Department said.

The approval comes at a delicate phase in India-US ties, with the two countries negotiating a long-awaited trade agreement even as tensions persist over tariffs, Russian oil purchases and Trump’s repeated remarks targeting New Delhi.

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In January this year, Trump claimed at a Republican retreat in Washington that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally approached him over delays in Apache helicopter deliveries.

“I had India coming to me. ‘Sir, I’ve been waiting five years … Prime Minister Modi came to see me. Sir, may I see you, please?’” Trump said, while claiming he helped speed up the process.

However, official timelines surrounding India’s Apache acquisitions do not substantiate Trump’s account.

India acquired Apache helicopters through two separate deals. The first contract, signed in 2015 during former US President Barack Obama’s administration, involved 22 Apache helicopters for the Indian Air Force in a deal valued at around $2.2 billion. Deliveries under that agreement were completed on schedule by 2020.

A second agreement for six Apache helicopters for the Indian Army was signed during Trump’s 2020 visit to India. While this order experienced repeated delays, all helicopters had been delivered by December 2025.

The latest support package nevertheless underlines the continuing strategic depth of India-US defence ties despite political friction.

Over the past decade, Washington has emerged as one of India’s largest defence suppliers, with New Delhi procuring helicopters, drones, maritime surveillance aircraft and transport platforms as part of a broader military modernisation drive amid rising security challenges from China and Pakistan.

The Apache AH-64E is regarded as one of the world’s most advanced attack helicopters, equipped with precision-strike systems, advanced targeting capabilities and network-centric warfare technologies designed for high-intensity battlefield operations.