Cabinet clears $2.5 billion deal for Boeing military choppers

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The cabinet on Tuesday cleared the purchase of Boeing's Apache and Chinook helicopters in a deal worth around $2.5 billion, two government sources said, in a further boost to defence ties with the United States.

The approval for 22 Apache attack and 15 heavy lift Chinook helicopters, meant to replace the military's ageing Soviet-origin choppers, came just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to the United States to drum up investments into India.

"Both have been cleared, the total cost is $2.5 billion," a defence ministry source told Reuters.

(Reporting by Nigam Prusty; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Malini Menon)