Everything about The Ah-64 Apache totally explained
The
AH-64 Apache is an all-weather day-night military
attack helicopter and is the
United States Army's principal attack helicopter, and is the successor to the
AH-1 Cobra. The AH-64 is a twin-engined helicopter with four-bladed main and tail rotors. It has a crew of two which sit in tandem. The main fixed armament is a 30 mm
M230 Chain Gun, it's also able to carry a mixture of
AGM-114 Hellfire and
Hydra 70 rockets on four hard points mounted on its stub-wing pylons.
Designed by
Hughes Helicopters in response to the Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter Program. McDonnell Douglas purchased Hughes Helicopters and continued the development of the AH-64 resulting in the AH-64D Apache Longbow which is currently produced by
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. The United States Army's Apaches have been in action in
Panama,
Gulf War (destroying 500 tanks),
Afghanistan, and
Iraq.
Development
Advanced Attack Helicopter
Following the cancellation of the
AH-56 Cheyenne in favor of USAF and Marine projects like the
A-10 and
Harrier, the
United States Army sought an aircraft to fill an anti-armor attack role that would still fall under Army command (the 1948
Key West Agreement having forbidden the Army from commanding fixed-wing aircraft). The Army wanted an aircraft better than the
AH-1 Cobra in firepower, performance and range. It would have the maneuverability to fly
nap-of-the-earth (NoE) missions. To this end, the US Army issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) for an Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) in 1972.
Proposals were submitted by five manufacturers:
Bell,
Boeing-Vertol (teamed with
Grumman),
Hughes,
Lockheed, and
Sikorsky. In 1973, the U.S. Department of Defense selected finalists Bell and Hughes Aircraft's
Toolco Aircraft Division (later
Hughes Helicopters). This began the phase 1 of the competition.
The AH-64A then entered phase 2 of the AAH program. This called for building three preproduction AH-64s, and upgrading the two YAH-64A flight prototypes and the ground test unit up to the same standard. Weapons and sensor systems were integrated and tested during this time, The total cost of the AH-64D program is US$10.5 billion through April 2007.
Design
The AH-64 is powered by two
General Electric T700 turboshaft engines with high-mounted exhausts on either side of the rotor shaft. The Apache has a four-blade main rotor and four-blade tail rotor. The crew sits in tandem, with the pilot sitting behind and above the copilot-gunner in an armored crew compartment. The crew compartment and fuel tanks are armored against 23 mm gunfire. The main rotor blade is designed to remain intact after sustaining hits by 23 mm rounds.
The helicopter is armed with a 30 mm
M230 Chain Gun that can be slaved to the gunner's helmet-mounted gunsight, fixed to a locked forward firing position, or controlled via the TADS (Target Acquisition and Designation System). The AH-64 carries a range of external stores on its stub-wing pylons, typically a mixture of
AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles,
Hydra 70 general-purpose unguided 70 mm (2.75 in) rockets, and
AIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles for defense. In case of emergency the pylons also have mounting points for personnel transfer (mounting points are handles normally used by maintenance personnel).
The AH-64 is designed to endure front-line environments and to operate during the day or night and in adverse weather using avionics and electronics, such as the
Target Acquisition and Designation System, Pilot Night Vision System (TADS/PNVS), passive infrared countermeasures,
Global Positioning System (GPS), and the Integrated Helmet And Display Sight System (IHADSS).
Operational history
United States
The Apache was first used in combat during the 1989 invasion of
Panama,
Operation Just Cause. The AH-64A Apache and the AH-64D Apache Longbow have played important roles in several
Middle Eastern wars, including the
Gulf War,
Operation Enduring Freedom in
Afghanistan, and
Operation Iraqi Freedom in
Iraq. The Apaches were proven to be excellent
tank hunters and also destroyed hundreds of armored vehicles (mainly of the
Iraqi army).
During
Operation Desert Storm on
January 17,
1991, eight AH-64As guided by four
MH-53 Pave Low IIIs, were used to destroy a portion of the Iraqi radar network to allow bomber aircraft into Iraq without detection. During the 100-hour ground war, a total of 277 AH-64s took part. Apaches destroyed over 500 tanks, numerous armored personnel carriers and many other vehicles during Operation Desert Storm. The
March 24 attack, against an armored
brigade of the
Iraqi Republican Guard's Medina Division, was largely unsuccessful, apparently because the tank crews had set up a "flak trap" in broken terrain, employing their
guns to good effect. More recently two Apaches were lost along with their crews between
January 28 and
February 2,
2007 to
Iraqi insurgent ground fire in Taji and Najaf.
American AH-64Ds are currently flying in Iraq and Afghanistan without the Longbow Fire Control Radar as there are simply no armored threats for coalition forces to deal with.
The vast majority of Apache helicopters that have taken heavy combat damage have been able to continue their assigned missions and return safely to their bases. For example, of the 33 Apaches employed in the
March 24,
2003 attack, 30 were damaged by Iraqi ground fire with several being damaged beyond repair, but only one of these didn't make it back to base.
United Kingdom
The UK operates a version of the Apache called the Westland WAH-64 Apache, and is designated Apache AH Mk1 by the British Army.
Westland has built 67 WAH-64 Apaches under license from Boeing replacing the engines with more powerful
Rolls-Royce units. A folding blade assembly for carrier operations is another important change so they can operate alongside amphibious forces off
Royal Navy ships. The Westland Apache replaces the
Westland Lynx as the
British Army's tactical attack helicopter. The WAH-64s are currently deployed in
Afghanistan. British WAH-64 Apaches are using the Longbow Fire Control Radar in Afghanistan, saying that it improves situational awareness and avoidance of other aircraft during tactical maneuvers.
The Netherlands
Royal Netherlands Air Force ordered 30 AH-64D Apaches in 1996, after leasing 12 AH-64As. The
radar domes were not included, hence the Dutch AH-64Ds are not referred to as Longbows. Their first deployment was in
Djibouti,
Africa. They were also deployed alongside US AH-64s in support of NATO
peacekeeping forces in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2004, Dutch AH-64s were deployed as part of the Netherlands contribution to
Multinational force in Iraq. At the same time Dutch Apaches were also deployed to
Kabul as part of the Netherlands contribution to ISAF. In February 2006, the Netherlands contribution to NATO forces in Afghanistan was increased from 600 to 1,400 troops and 6 AH-64s were sent in support.
Other users
In September 2003,
Greece ordered 12 AH-64D (in addition to the already existing fleet of 20 AH-64A+) for a total cost of $675 million (presumably including weapons and support), indicating a gross unit cost for the AH-64D of $56.25 million.
Singapore purchased a total of 20 AH-64D Longbow Apache aircraft in two batches between 1999 and 2001. The
United Arab Emirates purchased a total of 30 AH-64A helicopters in 1991 and 1994, which they're now upgrading to AH-64D specification. Kuwait has purchased 16 Longbow helicopters. Other countries with the Apache include Egypt, Holland, Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan is thought to have ordered six Apache Longbow for its various anti-terrorism missions.
South Korea had a plan to purchase 36 AH-64D but the plan was canceled in favor of co-developing a domestic attack helicopter, the Korean Attack Helicopter, (KAH) under the KAH program with partnership from Eurocopter, which will be based on the Eurocopter Tiger.
The
Republic of China (
Taiwan) plans to purchase 30 AH-64D from 2008 onwards for its
Army.
Variants
AH-64A
The AH-64A is the original production attack helicopter. It is powered by two GE T700 turbo-shaft engines. The crew sit in tandem in an armored compartment.
The helicopter is armed with a 30 mm M230 chain gun that can be slaved to the gunner's helmet-mounted gunsight. The AH-64A carries a range of external stores on its stub-wing pylons, including a mixture of
AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles,
Hydra 70 general-purpose unguided 70 mm (2.75 in) rockets, and
AIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles for defense.
AH-64B
In 1991 after Operation Desert Storm, the AH-64B was a proposed upgrade to 254 AH-64As. The upgrade included new rotor blades, a Global Positioning System (GPS), improved navigaton systems and new radios. Congress approved US$ 82 million to begin the Apache B upgrade. The B program was canceled in 1992.
Block III improvements, slated for 2008 onwards, include increasing digitization, the joint tactical radio system, enhanced engines and drive systems, capability to control
UAVs, new composite rotor blade and landing gear upgrades. The new blades, which successfully completed flight testing in May 2004, increase the Apache's cruise speed, climb rate and payload capability. The Block III System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract was awarded to Boeing in July 2006. Funding for the naval version wasn't provided and the Marine Corps continues to use the
AH-1 SuperCobra as of 2008.
Operators
