AH-64 Apache

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AH-64 Apache
Type Attack helicopter
Manufacturer Hughes, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing IDS
Maiden flight 30 September 1975
Status Active service
Primary users United States Army
Israel Air Force
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Royal Netherlands Air Force
Produced 1984-present
Number built 1,048[1]
Unit cost US$18 million (1984)[1]
Variants Westland WAH-64 Apache

The AH-64 Apache is the United States Army's principal attack helicopter, and is the successor to the AH-1 Cobra. The AH-64 is powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines. The crew sits in tandem, with the pilot sitting behind and above the copilot-gunner in an armored crew compartment. The AH-64 is armed with a 30 mm M230 chain gun and carries 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, it was built 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). 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.

Contents

Following the cancellation of the AH-56 Cheyenne, the United States Army sought an aircraft to fill an anti-armor attack role. 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.[2]

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.[2]

Each company built prototype helicopters and went through a flight test program. Hughes' Model 77/YAH-64 prototype first flew on September 30, 1975, while Bell's Model 409/YAH-63 prototype first flew the following day.[2] After evaluating test results, the Army selected Hughes' YAH-64 over Bell's YAH-63 in 1976. Reasons for selecting the YAH-64 included its more damage tolerant four-blade main rotor and the stability of the YAH-63's tricycle landing gear arrangement.[3]

The AH-64 then entered phase 2 of the AAH program. This called for building three preproduction AH-64s, and upgrading the two YAH-64 flight prototypes and the ground test unit up to the same standard.[4] Weapons and sensor systems were integrated and tested during this time,[2] including the new Hellfire missile.[4]

In 1981, three pre-production AH-64s were handed over to the U.S. Army for Operational Test II. The Army testing was successful, but afterwards it was decided to upgrade to the T700-GE-701 version of engine, producing 1,690 shp (1,259 kW).[2] In late 1981, the AH-64 was named the "Apache" keeping with the Army's traditional use of Native American tribal names for its helicopters. Hughes was approved for full scale production in 1982.[2] In 1983, the first production helicopter was rolled out at Hughes Helicopter's facility at Mesa, Arizona. In 1984, Hughes Helicopters was purchased by McDonnell Douglas for $500 million. Hughes later became part of The Boeing Company with the merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas in August 1997. The total cost of the AH-64D program is US$ 10.5 billion through April 2007.[5]

Hydra 70 and AGM-114 Hellfire.
Hydra 70 and AGM-114 Hellfire.

An AH-64 provides air support over Tikrit, Iraq on February 24, 2006.
An AH-64 provides air support over Tikrit, Iraq on February 24, 2006.

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.[2] This was the first attack of Desert Storm.[2] The Apaches carried an asymmetrical load of Hydra 70 flechette rockets, Hellfires, and one auxiliary fuel tank each.[citation needed] 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.[2]

AH-64A at Forward Operating Base Speicher, Iraq in 2005.
AH-64A at Forward Operating Base Speicher, Iraq in 2005.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, some Apaches were damaged in combat, including one captured by Iraqi troops near Karbala on March 24, 2003, and shown on Iraqi television. The captured helicopter was destroyed via air strike the day after it was captured.[6] 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.[7][8] 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.[9]

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.[10]

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 did not make it back to base.[8]

IAF AH-64A "Peten" פתן
IAF AH-64A "Peten" פתן
Apache Longbow at the International Aerospace Exhibition 2006.
Apache Longbow at the International Aerospace Exhibition 2006.

The Israeli Air Force uses the Apache to strike various targets with guided missiles. The AH-64A attacked and destroyed dozens of Hezbollah outposts in Lebanon during the 1990s, attacking in many weather conditions — day and night. During the al-Aqsa Intifada, the IAF used the Apaches to kill senior Hamas figures, such as Ahmed Yasin and Adnan al-Ghoul, with guided missiles. In the Israel-Lebanon conflict of July – August 2006, two IAF AH-64A helicopters collided, killing 1 pilot and wounding 3, all critically. In another incident in the conflict, an IAF AH-64D Longbow crashed, killing the two pilots, due to a malfunction in the rotor hub.[11]

Main article: Westland WAH-64 Apache

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[12] under license from Boeing replacing the engines with more powerful Rolls-Royce plc 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.[13] 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.[14]

Royal Netherlands Air Force ordered 30 AH-64D Apaches in 1996,[15] 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.[16] 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.[17]

Royal Netherlands Air Force AH-64D at the Farnborough Air Show, 2006.
Royal Netherlands Air Force AH-64D at the Farnborough Air Show, 2006.

Two major models of AH-64 Apache are in service in the US Army: the AH-64A (USAR and ARNG) and the AH-64D (active).

The AH-64A is a two-seat attack helicopter powered by two GE T700 turbo-shaft engines, with high-mounted exhausts on either side of the rotor shaft. The crew sit in tandem, with the pilot sitting behind and above the copilot-gunner. The crew compartment is armored against 23mm gunfire fired from ZSU-23/4s. The helicopter is armed with a 30mm 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 70mm rockets, and AIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles for defence. In case of emergency the pylons also have mounting points for personnel transfer.[18] (The "mounting points" referenced here are handles normally used by maintenance personnel, and not an actual rescue harness point)

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.[2] The radio, navigation, and GPS modifications, would later be installed on most A-model Apaches as part of an upgrade program.

Additional funding from Congress in late 1991 resulted in a program to upgrade AH-64As to a AH-64B+ version. More funding changed the plan to upgrade to AH-64C. The C upgrade would include all changes to be included in the Longbow except for mast mounted radar and newer engines. However, after 1993, the C designation was dropped.[2]

The upgrades would go forward. However, since the only difference between the C model and the radar-equipped D model was the radar, which could be moved from one aircraft to another, a decision was made to not distinguish between the two versions, despite the presence or absence of the radar.

IAF AH-64D "Saraf"
IAF AH-64D "Saraf"
AH-64D at the Farnborough Air Show, 2006.
AH-64D at the Farnborough Air Show, 2006.
  • Block I

The advanced model, the AH-64D Apache Longbow, is equipped with an improved sensor suite and weapon systems. The key improvement over the A-variant is the AN/APG-78 Longbow dome installed over the main rotor which houses a millimeter-wave Fire Control Radar (FCR) target acquisition system. The elevated position of the radome allows detection and (arcing) missile engagement of targets even when the helicopter itself is concealed by an obstacle (e.g. terrain, trees or buildings). Further, a radio modem integrated with the sensor suite allows a D-variant Apache to share targeting data with other AH-64Ds that do not have a line-of-sight to the target. In this manner a group of Apaches can engage multiple targets but only reveal the radome of one D-variant Apache. Apaches that include all of the improvements of the Longbow Apache, with the exception of the Fire Control Radar are still designated as "AH-64D Apache Longbows", as the radome is removable and interchangeable between aircraft.

The aircraft was updated with T700-GE-701C engines, and a fully-integrated cockpit. The forward fuselage of the aircraft was expanded to accommodate new systems. In addition, the aircraft receives improved survivability, communications, and navigation capabilities. Most existing capabilities of the AH-64A Apache are retained.

  • Block II

The first of the upgraded Block II Apaches was delivered to the US Army in February 2003. Block II includes upgrades to the digital communications systems to improve communications within the 'tactical internet'.[citation needed]

  • Block III

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.[citation needed]

A number of other models have been derived from both AH-64A and AH-64D for export. The British-built Westland WAH-64 Apache (assembled from kits purchased from Boeing) is based on the AH-64D with several different systems, including newer, more powerful engines.

A naval version of the AH-64A was proposed for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy from 1984 to 1987.[3] Multiple concepts were studied with altered landing gear arrangements, improved avionics and weapons.[19] Funding for the naval version was not provided and the Marine Corps continues to use the AH-1 SuperCobra as of 2007.[3]

Military operators of the AH-64
Red: Current Green: Projected

The original unit cost for the AH-64A was about US$14.5 million.[citation needed] 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 are now upgrading to AH-64D specification.[20] Kuwait has purchased 16 Longbow helicopters.[21] Other countries with the Apache include Egypt, Holland, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.[22]

Pakistan is thought to have ordered 6 Apache Longbow for its various anti-terrorism missions.[23][24][25] Bahrain has eight Apache aircraft.[26] South Korea had a plan to purchase 36 AH-64D but the plan was canceled apparently due to fundamental problems.[clarify]

The Republic of China (Taiwan) plans to purchase 30 AH-64D from 2008 onwards for its Army.[27]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2: pilot, CPG (co-pilot/gunner)
  • Length: 58.17 ft (17.73 m) (with both rotors turning)
  • Rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
  • Height: 12.7 ft (3.87 m)
  • Disc area: 1,809.5 ft² (168.11 m²)
  • Empty weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 18,000 lb (8,000 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 21,000 lb (9,500 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2× General Electric T700-GE-701 and later upgraded to T700-GE-701C (1990-today) turboshafts, -701: 1,690 shp, -701C: 1,890 shp (-701: 1,260 kW, -701C: 1,490 kW) each
  • Fuselage length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
  • Rotor systems: 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor

Performance

Armament

  1. ^ a b c Boeing AH-64 Apache. Jane's: All the World's Aircraft. Jane's Information Group (2000-10-13). Retrieved on 2006-06-17.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Bishop, Chris. Apache AH-64 Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) 1976–2005. Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-816-2.
  3. ^ a b c Donald, David. Modern Battlefield Warplanes. AIRtime Publishing Inc, 2004. ISBN 1-880588-76-5.
  4. ^ a b The Boeing AH-64 Apache, vectorsite.net, July 1, 2007.
  5. ^ AH-64D Apache Longbow - Deagel.com
  6. ^ "Downed Apache Blown Up"
  7. ^ "U.S. Apache pilots taken prisoner", CNN.
  8. ^ a b Fred Kaplan. Chop the Chopper: The Army's Apache attack-helicopter had a bad war. Slate. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
  9. ^ "Iraq fire downed US helicopters", BBC.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ "Boeing Leads Inquiry Into Israeli Apache Crash"
  12. ^ "British Army Receives 67th Apache In Ceremony Held At The Farnborough Air Show 2004", AgustaWestland, 21 July 2004.
  13. ^ [2]
  14. ^ [3]
  15. ^ "Boeing Delivers 30th AH-64D Apache to Royal Netherlands Air Force"
  16. ^ government.nl news archive "Six Apaches to Iraq to boost security"
  17. ^ "More Dutch troops for Afghanistan"
  18. ^ "Helicopter rescue bid for Marine"
  19. ^ McDonnell Douglas AH-64 "Sea Apache" project, Aviastar.org, accessed November 11, 2007.
  20. ^ http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/uaes-30helicopter-apache-upgrade-program-underway-02551/
  21. ^ http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/kuwait-runs-apache-longbow-contract-to-2622-m-01086/#more
  22. ^ http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/676m-to-convert-us-and-foreign-ah64s-to-ah64d-apache-longbows-02119/#more
  23. ^ http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=29
  24. ^ http://hrw.org/reports/2002/usmil/USass0202-02.htm#P198_33148
  25. ^ http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/nov/11ny3.htm
  26. ^ http://www.traveldocs.com/bh/economy.htm
  27. ^ Taiwan to Buy Apaches to Counter China Threat. Defense News (2007-07-09). Retrieved on 2007-10-07.

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