Overview
- Speaking at a House GOP retreat, President Trump asserted that India ordered 68 Apaches and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally sought a meeting over five-year delays.
- Official contracts and delivery records show India purchased 28 AH-64E Apaches in two tranches—22 signed in 2015 for the Air Force and six in 2020 for the Army—with all aircraft delivered by December 2025.
- The six-helicopter Army order ran nearly two years late due to post-pandemic supply shortages, lower DPAS priority, a temporary Boeing safety-testing pause and a Turkey overflight denial that forced rerouting in November 2025.
- Indian government sources have contradicted the U.S. President’s account and, despite political pressure to respond sharply, New Delhi is opting for public restraint as trade negotiations continue.
- Trump linked his remarks to U.S. tariff policy, noting a 50% levy on Indian goods including a 25% component tied to Russian oil purchases, a tension that has fed debate over defense supply reliability and India’s push for indigenous options.