NEW DELHI :
TATA Boeing Aerospace Limited
(TBAL), the joint venture
between Boeing and Tata
Advanced Systems Limited
(TASL), has completed and delivered its 400th fuselage for the
AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, marking a major milestone
for India’s growing aerospace and
defence manufacturing capabilities, it was announced.
The 400th fuselage was manufactured at TBAL’s Hyderabad
facility, which spans 52,000
square metres and produces critical structures for Apache helicopters supplied to defence customers across the world.
The milestone was highlighted by the US Embassy in India,
which said on X that 400 Apache
fuselages and counting represented a significant achievement
for Boeing and Tata Advanced
Systems and reflected the continuing US-India defence partnership. “Four hundred Apache
fuselages and counting! A major
milestone for Boeing and Tata
Advanced in Hyderabad, celebrating American defense excellence and a U.S.-India partnership that continues to deliver,”
the US Embassy in India posted.
TBAL’s Hyderabad facility
manufactures the main fuselage
structures for AH-64E Apache
helicopters that are subsequently
integrated into complete aircraft
and delivered to customers globally. The Apache is operated by
the US Army and military forces
in 19 other countries.
Boeing said the fuselages manufactured in India are integrated into final aircraft supplied
worldwide, including aircraft
delivered to the US Army and
the six Apaches supplied to the
Indian Army in 2025. The Indian
Air Force operates a fleet of 22
AH-64E Apache helicopters.
With approximately 1,300
Apache helicopters currently in
operation across 19 countries,
the latest production milestone
underlines the expanding role of
Indian manufacturing in the
global supply chain of one of the
world’s most widely deployed
attack helicopter platforms.
Established in 2016, TBAL has
developed its Hyderabad facility into a major centre for
advanced aerospace and defence
manufacturing. More than 750
engineers and technicians work
at the facility, which uses robotics, automated tooling and
advanced aerospace production
techniques to manufacture precision components.