NEW DELHI, June 23 -- A lingering delay in the supply of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters by Boeing has disrupted the Indian Army's plans to modernise its aviation wing, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday, even as the US aerospace giant stressed it is working towards executing the contract as quickly as possible. The army raised its first Apache squadron at Jodhpur in March 2024 to strengthen its posture against Pakistan, hoping that Boeing would begin deliveries a few weeks thereafter. However, 15 months later, not a single helicopter has been delivered as the US firm grapples with supply chain bottlenecks in the aerospace industry that have slowed down production, the officials said, asking not to be named. The 451 Army Aviation squadron was raised at Nagtalao near Jodhpur on March 15, 2024. The helicopter base is fully ready to operate the Apaches, the officials added. In 2020, the army ordered six Apache attack helicopters from the US for more than Rs.4,100 crore. "We remain closely engaged with US Government and Indian Army and continue working to execute our contract as swiftly as possible to meet the Indian Army's fleet requirements. For any additional information, we defer to our customer," a Boeing spokesperson said. Another hurdle to the Apache project was related to India's low ranking in a US government programme that prioritised foreign customers, but that issue was resolved last year, as previously reported by HT. The matter related to India's rating being low on the US Defense Priorities and Allocations System Programme was resolved in April-May 2024. Issues related to DPAS, covering 22 critical components fitted on the Apaches, including engines, gearboxes and weapons, were resolved after six months of discussions, but supply chain issues linger....