Bangladesh Forces Goal 2030 and Apache Helicopters

 
Forces Goal 2030 is a military modernization program of the Bangladesh Armed Forces which began in 2009 and revised in 2017, designed to the capabilities of the three services of the Bangladesh armed forces: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force.

The primary focus of the modernization program is the reformation of the military organization, expansion of the forces, the transformation of the indigenous defense sector to support research and manufacturing, and acquisition of modern military weapons. The requirement for modernization was realized in the aftermath of 2008 Bangladesh-Myanmar naval standoff later resulting in Bangladesh's favour. One of the primary objectives of the modernization program is to develop a three-dimensional force (land, air and sea) capable of conducting multi-platform warfare.

To fulfill the modernization requirements, the Bangladesh Government allocates funds exclusively for the program in addition to the defense budget. The funds allocated for the program during the first five years is estimated to be around forty-thousand crores taka (US$5.2 billion). The program was revised in 2017, following the Rohingya refugee crisis, which facilitated a larger monetary allocation towards the modernization program.

Bangladesh's closest neighbour India has Apache Helicopters. Reportedly Myanmar Air Force is stronger than Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy are stronger than Myanmar Army and Myanmar Navy. Myanmar military forces possess 275 aircrafts and thousands of personnel for operating these combat aircrafts. It should be noted that Myanmar Air Force crossed Bangladesh's airspace a number of times in 2018. Keeping this in view the strength and capability of Bangladesh Air Force should be enhanced to safeguard the independence and sovereignty of the country.

A negotiation between Bangladesh and the United States of America was held a couple of years ago for Bangladesh Air Force to purchase Apache Helicopters. However, the current status of the negotiation is not known to everyone. The aim of this discussion should be materialized and Bangladesh should purchase Apache Helicopters from the USA.

According to defence journal Janes, Boeing has confirmed that its AH-64E Apache attack helicopter has been down-selected for a potential program in Bangladesh.Company officials confirmed the development - which points to growing defence ties between the Bangladesh and the United States - in a media briefing on 21 January 2020.

Boeing's Terry Jamison, senior manager for global sales and marketing for attack and cargo helicopter programs, said the program in Bangladesh is proceeding through a US Foreign Military Sale. He added that Bangladesh is looking to procure the AH-64E through a competitive-bidding process through which the Boeing platform had beaten competitors "on price".

He said, "In Bangladesh we have been down-selected not just based on capability, but we went head-to-head with some of our competitors and we were down-selected based on price."Jamison added that Boeing had identified "a lot of opportunities" for other sales of the AH-64E across the Asia-Pacific. He said such opportunities were evident not just in developed markets but also in new and developing markets - such as Bangladesh.

Boeing officials indicated that cost efficiencies in the Apache program were being achieved through economies of scale and the certainty of long-term modernization. About 1,200 Apaches are in operation in global markets, said officials, and the platform has been identified by the US government to undergo modernization through the late 2040s.

A total of 15 countries currently operate the platform, although Boeing expects that number to increase in near future.Bangladesh has obtained a broad range of socio-economic advancement in recent years. On equal terms with this development, Bangladesh should also enhance the precision and competence of its defence services, security analysts have stated.