The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a precautionary check on its fleet of ‘AH-64E Apache’ attack helicopters last week, and the entire fleet of 22 has been cleared to fly again.The IAF’s move came after the US Army, on October 2, issued a statement directing an immediate “temporary pause” in flight operations for AH-64E Apache helicopters which are equipped with the “improved drive system” transmissions.The US Army, which flies a couple of hundred of the Apache, called to cease flying of the helicopters till “required inspections and corrective actions are completed”.Sources confirmed to The Tribune that the entire fleet of the IAF was inspected by experts last week and has been okayed to fly again. “So far, no issue has been found with the fleet to keep it grounded,” a senior official confirmed.Besides the US-origin Apache, the IAF fleet of attack helicopters includes the Russian-origin Mi35 and the indigenous light combat helicopters (LCH).The IAF uses attack helicopters as a flexible, low-altitude component of its air power. These fill the gap between fixed-wing strike aircraft and ground forces, especially in the mountainous and high-altitude terrain along India’s northern borders.The AH-64E Apache was inducted in the IAF in 2019 and are home-based at two locations — Pathankot in Punjab and Jorhat in Assam.The helicopter is capable of delivering a variety of weapons, which include air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm hydra rockets and air-to-air Stinger missiles. The Apache also carries a 30 mm gun with 1,200 rounds as part of its arsenal. To add to the lethality of the helicopter, it carries fire control radar, which has a 360-degree coverage and nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems.