Colonel Jeffrey Hager, Project Manager, APACHE Program Manager confirmed today that the programme of record for the US Army remains unchanged at 690 AH-64Es attack helicopters. "We produced 82 aircraft at full production rate this year and expect to turn out 48 aircraft per year during the multi-year," he said.
The AH-64Es already fielding with the 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (Tigersharks) have maintained a readiness rate of 88% in Afghanistan (exceeding expectation) during the period mid May through to mid September this year. So far the newest model in the APACHE line has logged over 23,000 flying hours, or which nearly 7,500 have been in combat. The aircraft are now being withdrawn from the fight in Afghanistan as they have been at operational readiness rate since they deployed.
Boeing personnel and the program managers are looking forward to talking to the returning aircrew to conduct an after action review (AAR) of how the aircraft performed in battle.
The second unit equipped, the 1/25th Aviation Regiment, has been conducting training including deployed maritime trials onboard ships. "We are doing ‘crawl, walk, run’ in this scenario right now," said Hager. "We have a lot to learn in the maritime environment." The main ambition here is to make software improvements to the radar that will enable the helicopter to detect small to medium targets at sea in a variety of sea states.
They also participated in Indonesia's Armed Forces Day celebrations in early October (as Indonisia is actively engaged in trying to buyy the new version of the AH-64E).
The AH-64Es already fielding with the 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (Tigersharks) have maintained a readiness rate of 88% in Afghanistan (exceeding expectation) during the period mid May through to mid September this year. So far the newest model in the APACHE line has logged over 23,000 flying hours, or which nearly 7,500 have been in combat. The aircraft are now being withdrawn from the fight in Afghanistan as they have been at operational readiness rate since they deployed.
Boeing personnel and the program managers are looking forward to talking to the returning aircrew to conduct an after action review (AAR) of how the aircraft performed in battle.
The second unit equipped, the 1/25th Aviation Regiment, has been conducting training including deployed maritime trials onboard ships. "We are doing ‘crawl, walk, run’ in this scenario right now," said Hager. "We have a lot to learn in the maritime environment." The main ambition here is to make software improvements to the radar that will enable the helicopter to detect small to medium targets at sea in a variety of sea states.
They also participated in Indonesia's Armed Forces Day celebrations in early October (as Indonisia is actively engaged in trying to buyy the new version of the AH-64E).
Andrew Drwiega