In a striking development that underscores deepening geopolitical rifts, Turkey appears to have obstructed the delivery of the Indian Army’s second and final batch of six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. Ordered from the United States in 2020, the aircraft were en route to India when their transport was suddenly halted—an interruption that sources attribute to Ankara’s refusal to grant overflight clearance.
The heavy-lift An-124 Ruslan cargo plane, serial number UR-82008, operated by the Ukrainian company Antonov Airlines, began its journey on October 30 from Leipzig, Germany, heading to Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona, where Boeing manufactures the AH-64E. According to multiple plane spotters, including the aviation tracker @KiwaSpotter, the aircraft was seen loading three Indian Army–painted Apaches—distinct with their sand-gray camouflage and Indian insignia.
The cargo plane departed Mesa Gateway on November 1, landing at East Midlands Airport in England after a transatlantic flight. Curiously, it remained grounded there for eight days, raising questions among aviation enthusiasts and defense analysts monitoring the flight path.
Then, on November 8, the An-124—rather than proceeding eastward toward India—reversed course. It flew back across the Atlantic to Arizona, returning to Mesa Gateway Airport. Photographs that surfaced on defense forums and social media showed the Apaches being unloaded from the aircraft and towed away by Ford F-250 trucks on the tarmac.
Officially, Boeing attributed the unexpected detour to “logistical issues.” However, an informed defense source quoted by the EurAsian Times revealed a more troubling explanation: Turkey had denied airspace clearance for the cargo flight because it carried Indian military hardware.
“The An-124 was stuck in England for a week because Turkey refused to grant overflight permission,” said the source, requesting anonymity. “This decision was influenced by the current state of relations between India and Turkey.”
That “state of relations” has sharply deteriorated in recent months. India-Turkey ties, already strained since 2019 over President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s repeated remarks on Kashmir, hit a new low during the May 2025 four-day war between India and Pakistan.
During the conflict—triggered by India’s Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory air and ground offensive following the Pahalgam terror attack—Turkey took a decisively pro-Pakistan stance. Ankara not only condemned India’s strikes but also supplied Islamabad with military aid, including reconnaissance drones and electronic warfare components.
Turkey’s open diplomatic, military, and media backing of Pakistan sparked outrage in New Delhi. Indian authorities responded swiftly: several Turkish media accounts on X (formerly Twitter) were blocked for allegedly spreading misinformation, and the government revoked security clearance for Celebi Airport Services, a Turkish company operating at multiple Indian airports.
Though some of these restrictions were later eased, the damage was lasting. Indian trade associations called for a boycott of Turkish goods and tourism, significantly reducing the flow of Indian travelers to Istanbul and Antalya. The suspension of direct charter services followed, underscoring a collapse in people-to-people contact.
Turkey’s alignment with Pakistan is long-standing, rooted in religious and strategic affinities. Erdoğan has consistently voiced support for Islamabad on the Kashmir dispute, describing it as a “threat to peace” in speeches at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) since 2019.
While New Delhi had previously brushed aside such rhetoric, Turkey’s material support during an armed conflict was viewed as an unforgivable escalation. “It’s one thing to talk about Kashmir,” said a retired Indian diplomat. “It’s another to actively back Pakistan’s military logistics during hostilities. That crossed a red line.”
In response, India has deepened defense and diplomatic engagement with Turkey’s regional rivals—Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia—a strategic realignment evident in the expanding trilateral cooperation between New Delhi, Athens, and Nicosia.
The latest airspace denial appears to be Ankara’s attempt at quiet retaliation. Turkey controls one of the most strategically significant aviation corridors between Europe and Asia. Any heavy cargo flight from Western Europe to South Asia—particularly those carrying sensitive defense materials—typically requires Turkish clearance.
“The denial of overflight to an Antonov carrying Indian military assets is unprecedented,” said an analyst at Janes Defence Weekly. “It signals that Ankara is willing to leverage its geographic position to exert political pressure.”
For India, the timing could not be worse. The Indian Army’s AH-64E procurement has already suffered repeated delays due to global supply chain disruptions. The first batch of six helicopters, initially scheduled for delivery in mid-2024, finally arrived in July 2025. The second and final batch was slated for November 2025, completing the Army’s $600 million order signed in 2020.
Now, with the cargo turned back, that schedule appears uncertain.
India’s experience with the Apache platform dates back to 2019 when the Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted 22 AH-64Es ordered under a 2015 deal worth $2.1 billion. These aircraft were deployed at Pathankot Air Force Station near the Pakistan border and at Jorhat in Assam, covering the eastern front with China.
The Indian Army, seeking its own attack aviation capability independent of the IAF, placed a follow-on order for six additional helicopters. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the first Army batch earlier this year as a “game changer” that would “enhance the Army Aviation Wing’s operational effectiveness in high-altitude and complex terrains.”
The AH-64E Apache Guardian—often dubbed “tanks in the air”—is the world’s most advanced multi-role attack helicopter. Built by Boeing, it integrates cutting-edge avionics and weapons systems, making it capable of both offensive and reconnaissance missions.
- Twin GE T700-701D engines for greater power and altitude performance.
- AN/APG-78 Longbow radar, capable of tracking 128 targets and engaging 16 simultaneously.
- Lockheed Martin Arrowhead FLIR (Forward-Looking Infrared) for day/night and all-weather target acquisition.
- AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, 70mm rockets, and a 30mm M230 chain gun for precision ground attacks.
These capabilities make the Apache ideal for India’s dual-front contingencies—anti-armor operations against Pakistan and mountain warfare along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The helicopter’s Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) system allows it to operate in coordination with surveillance drones, an advantage in high-altitude conflict zones where visibility and reaction time are critical.
The delivery delay, while logistical on the surface, has deeper strategic resonance. It highlights how diplomatic tensions can intersect with defense supply chains, even when the primary supplier—Boeing—is American.
“Turkey’s move shows the vulnerabilities in India’s global defense logistics,” said a retired Indian Air Marshal. “When critical assets are transported through multiple jurisdictions, politics can easily become a factor.”
India has traditionally relied on Antonov heavy cargo aircraft for long-range transport of oversized military equipment, particularly from the U.S. and Europe. However, with the ongoing war in Ukraine and strained NATO logistics, alternative routes are limited.
If Turkey maintains its stance, India may have to explore alternate air routes via Central Asia or the Middle East, potentially through Greece, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia—though each adds distance, cost, and complexity.
The incident comes amid a broader reconfiguration of defense alliances. Ankara’s increasingly assertive diplomacy—from its role in the South Caucasus to its deepening cooperation with Beijing and Islamabad—has set it on a collision course with India’s Indo-Pacific ambitions.
Meanwhile, New Delhi’s engagement with Greece, France, and the UAE has deepened, with joint exercises and defense deals emphasizing shared security in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
Analysts believe the Apache incident could accelerate India’s pivot away from Turkish routes and suppliers. “It will likely push New Delhi to diversify transport logistics and build redundancy into critical military deliveries,” observed an Indian defense scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
For now, Boeing maintains that the issue is “temporary” and that it is “working with partners to ensure timely delivery.” However, with Ankara’s position uncertain and no official word from the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the timeline for the Indian Army’s Apache induction remains in limbo.
