THE AH-64 APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTER

• THE APACHE IS ISRAEL’S FAVORITE ATTACK CHOPPER
• EGYPT IS THE ONLY AFRICAN COUNTRY TO OWN THE APACHE
• THE AH-64E APACHE IS THE MOST ADVANCED VARIANT

From the AH-64A in 1984 to today’s AH-64E Version 6 (v6), one thing about the Apache hasn’t changed. It has the reputation of being the world’s most advanced and proven attack helicopter.

With more than 1,200 aircraft in operation accumulating over 4 million flight hours, 1.3 million of which have been in combat, the AH-64 Apache represents the backbone of the U.S. Army attack helicopter fleet and a growing number of international defense forces.

The dreaded Apache attack helicopter is a favorite with the IDF (Israel)

The first Apache AH-64D Longbow was delivered in April 1997 to the US Army. It was deployed by the US Army in Afghanistan as part of Operation Anaconda in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and, from June 2003, in South Korea.

AH-64D Longbow Apache is equipped with the Northrop Grumman millimetre-wave Longbow radar. The Longbow fire control radar incorporates an integrated radar frequency interferometer for passive location and identification of radar-emitting threats. An advantage of the millimetre wave is that it performs under poor visibility conditions and is less sensitive to ground clutter.

The short wavelength allows a very narrow beamwidth, which is resistant to countermeasures. Longbow Apache can conduct an attack in 30 seconds. The AH-64D Longbow is fitted with the Longbow millimetre wave fire control radar and the Longbow Hellfire missile. Boeing upgraded the 501 AH-64A Apaches to AH-64D standard and completed the deliveries in August 2006.

With the AH-64E in production until at least 2028, the Apache will serve the U.S. Army and its partner nations as the world’s primary attack helicopter into the 2060s. As Boeing and the U.S. Army continue to invest in nextgeneration technologies, the Apache brings affordable Modular Open Systems Architecture capability to serve as a centerpiece in the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) battlefield for decades to come.

A Chinese Z10 attack helicopter with striking external similarities to the Apache

CHINESE LOOK-ALIKE Z-10 

As usual, China has quite recently  developed a replica of the Apache going by the name Z-10ME helicopter. It is however hard to tell the perfomance and capabilities of the Chinese clone which has striking similarities with the Boeing-made Apache but as seen from the outside.

The Boeing AH-64 Apache  is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition  and night vision systems . It is armed with a 30mm 1.18in M230 Chain gun   carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft’s forward fuselage, and four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons for carrying armament and stores, typically a mixture of AGM- 114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70  rocket pods. The AH-64 has significant systems redundancy  to improve combat longevity.

The AH-64E Version 6 is the most modern configuration of the Apache.A network-centric, fully integrated weapon system specifically built to dominate in highly contested and complex battle space, the Version 6 Apache includes multiple enhancements to the aircraft’s sensors, software and weapons performance.

the AH-64E v6 is a lethal, survivable and agile system providing the range, maneuverability and performance needed by ground forces and contributes to current and future joint mission success.

AH-64 APACHE MARKET

Boeing delivered the first U.S. Army Apache AH-64A in January 1984. Since then, the U.S. Army and other nations have received more than 2,200 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Boeing’s global customers for the Apache include Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Egypt is the only African country that owns the AH-64 Apache. Morocco could however get it’s first deliveries as early as 2024 after placing a confirmed order of 24 AH-64 Apache variant.