AH-64 Apache

The AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter developed for the United States Army by Hughes Helicopters, later produced by McDonnell Douglas and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Featuring a tandem cockpit for a two-person crew and tailwheel landing gear, the aircraft entered U.S. Army service in April 1986. The helicopter is built for close combat attack roles and is characterized by its nose-mounted target acquisition and night vision sensors, helmet-mounted display weapon targeting, and redundant damage-tolerant systems.

Development

The U.S. Army initiated the Advanced Attack Helicopter program in November 1972 to replace the AH-1 Cobra. Hughes Helicopters built the Model 77 prototype, designated YAH-64, which flew for the first time on 30 September 1975. The Army selected the YAH-64 over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976 and approved full-scale production in 1982. McDonnell Douglas acquired Hughes Helicopters in 1984, continuing development until merging into Boeing in 1997. As of March 2024, over 2,700 Apaches have been delivered to the U.S. military and 18 international operators.

Design

The AH-64 utilizes a four-blade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines. The airframe contains 2,500 pounds of ballistic protection capable of sustaining hits from 23 mm rounds, along with self-sealing fuel tanks and crashworthy landing gear. Sensor equipment includes the Target Acquisition and Designation System/Pilot Night Vision System (TADS/PNVS), upgraded on later models to the Arrowhead system, and the mast-mounted AN/APG-78 Longbow fire-control radar on AH-64D/E variants. The Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS) allows either crew member to slave the automatic cannon to head movements.

Armament

The helicopter carries an under-fuselage 30 mm M230 Chain Gun with a capacity of 1,200 rounds. Four hardpoints on stub-wing pylons accommodate external stores, primarily AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles and Hydra 70 mm rocket pods, as well as Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guided rockets. Additional armament configurations support AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, Spike NLOS missiles, and external fuel tanks.

Operational History

The U.S. Army first deployed the AH-64 in combat during Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, 277 Apaches destroyed 278 tanks along with enemy radar sites and armored vehicles. U.S. forces subsequently operated the aircraft in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The Israeli Air Force deployed its Apaches in Lebanon and Gaza, while British and Dutch forces operated the type in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Variants

• AH-64A: The initial production variant powered by twin General Electric T700 engines and fitted with TADS/PNVS targeting sensors.

• AH-64B: A 1991 proposed upgrade package featuring new radios, navigation systems, and GPS that was canceled in 1992.

• AH-64D Apache Longbow: A modernized variant featuring a glass cockpit, uprated engines, and the AN/APG-78 Longbow millimeter-wave fire-control radar on the rotor mast.

• AH-64E Guardian: An upgraded model introduced in 2012 with T700-GE-701D engines, composite rotor blades, and direct control capabilities for unmanned aerial vehicles.

• AgustaWestland Apache: A British license-built variant of the AH-64D equipped with Rolls-Royce engines and folding main rotor blades for shipboard operations.