The AH-64D Longbow has been 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.
The AH-64D Longbow is fitted with the Longbow millimetre wave
fire control radar and the Longbow Hellfire missile. 501 AH-64A
Apaches upgraded to AH-64D standard have been delivered to the
US Army. Deliveries completed in August 2006.
13 additional new-build Apaches have been ordered. A further 11
were ordered in November 2006. In January 2007, the US Army
ordered 96 additional remanufactured helicopters and, in April
2007, 18 new-build helicopters. The first new-build AH-64D was
delivered to the US Army in June 2007.
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS
The Longbow has also been ordered by the Netherlands (30,
deliveries complete), Singapore (20, first delivered in May
2002, deliveries complete), Israel (designated 'Seraph' nine
new, nine remanufactured, first delivered April 2005) and Egypt
(35, remanufactured, deliveries completed in January 2007).
A number of AH-64A helicopters have been upgraded to AH-64D
standard for South Korea. 30 Apaches of United Arab Emirates
(UAE) are being upgraded to AH-64D Longbow standard, deliveries
are to begin in May 2008. In June 2006, Saudi Arabia requested
the upgrade of 12 Apaches to AH-64D standard.
In August 2001, the AH-64D was selected by the Japanese Ground
Self-Defence Force with a requirement for 55 helicopters. The
Apache for Japan is designated AH-64DJP and is armed with
Stinger air-to-air missiles. Deliveries are scheduled to begin
in March 2006.
In September 2002, Kuwait ordered 16 AH-64D helicopters. The
first was delivered in February 2007. The Kuwaiti Apaches are
equipped with BAE Systems HIDAS defensive aids system. In
September 2003, Greece signed a contract for 12 (plus four
options) AH-64D Longbow, also to be fitted with HIDAS. The first
was delivered in January 2007.
BLOCK UPGRADES
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'.
"Block III improvements, slated for 2008 onwards, include
increasing digitisation."Block III improvements, slated for 2008
onwards, include increasing digitisation, the joint tactical
radio system, enhanced engines and drive systems, capability to
control UAVs and new composite rotor blade. 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.
WAH-64
A consortium of GKN Westland (now AgustaWestland), Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Shorts bid a version of
the Longbow Apache for the UK Army attack helicopter requirement
which was selected in July 1995. Assembly of the WAH-64 Longbow
Apache was carried out in the UK by AgustaWestland.
The first helicopter entered service in January 2001 designated
as the AH Mk 1. 67 helicopters have been delivered; the last was
formally handed over at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2004.
Initial operating capability was achieved in October 2004 and,
in May 2005, the first of three Army Air Corps regiments of 18
helicopters was declared fully operational. The other two
regiments are expected to be fully operational by 2010. The AH
mk 1 helicopter has also been operated successfully on HMS Ocean
helicopter carrier and, in November 2006, made a first landing
on Invincible Class aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal.
In March 2007, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that, by
September 2007, all UK Army Apache helicopters will be based at
Wattisham Airbase in Suffolk.
APACHE WEAPONS
A 30mm automatic Boeing M230 chain gun is located under the
fuselage. It provides a rate of fire of 625 rounds per minute.
The helicopter has capacity for up to 1,200 rounds of
ammunition.
The AH-64D is armed with the Lockheed Martin/Boeing AGM-114D
Longbow Hellfire air-to-surface missile which has a millimetre
wave seeker which allows the missile to perform in full fire and
forget mode. Range is 8km to 12km.
"The Apache's 30mm automatic Boeing M230 chain gun has a rate of
fire of 625 rounds per minute." The Apache can be equipped with
air-to-air missiles (Stinger, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Mistral and
Sidearm) and the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS),
formerly known as Hydra, family of guided and unguided 70mm
rockets. From 2008, it will be armed with the Advanced Precision
Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II, a laser-guided version of the
Hydra. The US Army awarded BAE Systems a contract for the APKWS
II in April 2006.
British Army AH Mk 1 helicopters are armed with the CRV7 70mm
rocket system from Bristol Aerospace of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Longbow Apache carries the combination of armaments chosen
for the particular mission. In the close support role, the
helicopter carries 16 Hellfire missiles on four four-rail
launchers and four air-to-air missiles.
SENSORS
The 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 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.
The Longbow Apache can effect an attack in 30 seconds. The radar
dome is unmasked for a single radar scan and then remasked. The
processors determine the location, speed and direction of travel
of a maximum of 256 targets.
The Target Acquisition Designation Sight, TADS (AN/ASQ-170), and
the Pilot Night Vision Sensor, PNVS (AN/AAQ-11), were developed
by Lockheed Martin. The turret-mounted TADS provides direct-view
optics, television and three-fields-of-view forward-looking
infrared (FLIR) to carry out search, detection and recognition,
and Litton laser rangefinder/designator. PNVS consists of a FLIR
in a rotating turret located on the nose above the TADS. The
image from the PNVS is displayed in the monocular eyepiece of
the Honeywell Integrated Helmet And Display Sighting System,
IHADSS, worn by the pilot and copilot/gunner.
"The AH-64D Longbow Apache is equipped with the Northrop Grumman
millimetre-wave Longbow radar."Lockheed Martin has developed a
new targeting and night vision system for the Apache, using
second-generation long-wave infrared sensors with improved range
and resolution. The new system is called Arrowhead and has a
targeting FLIR with three fields of view, a dual field-of-view
pilotage FLIR, a CCD TV camera, electronic zoom, target tracker
and auto-boresight. Arrowhead entered production in December
2003 and the first unit was delivered to the US Army in May
2005. 704 US Army Apaches are to be equipped with Arrowhead by
2011.
A contract to equip the UK AH Mk1 helicopters with Arrowhead was
placed in May 2005. Deliveries are scheduled for between 2009
and 2010.
COUNTERMEASURES
The Apache is equipped with an electronic warfare suite
consisting of: AN/APR-39A(V) radar warning receiver from
Northrop Grumman (formerly Litton) and Lockheed Martin; Lockheed
Martin AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometer Electronic
Support target acquisition system; AN/ALQ-144 infra-red
countermeasures set from BAE Systems IEWS (formerly Sanders, a
Lockheed Martin company); AN/AVR-2 laser warning receiver from
Goodrich (formerly Hughes Danbury Optical Systems then
Raytheon); AN/ALQ-136(V) radar jammer developed by ITT; and
chaff dispensers.
US Army Longbow Apaches were to be fitted with the ITT
AN/ALQ-211 SIRCM (Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency
Countermeasures) suite, however the availability of funding for
this project is uncertain.
UK AH Mk 1 Apaches are fitted with BAE Systems Helicopter
Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (HIDAS), also chosen by Kuwait
and Greece. HIDAS, which includes the Sky Guardian 2000 radar
warning receiver, entered service on the AH Mk 1 in July 2003.
Israeli AH-64D helicopters are fitted with the Elisra Seraph
self-protection system, including SPS-65 missile warner and
SPJ-40 radar jammer.
Dutch AH-64D helicopters are being fitted with the Northrop
Grumman Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) pod.
ENGINES
The Apache is equipped with two turboshaft engines, each
providing 1,265kW. The American AH-64D has General Electric
T700-GE-701 engines and the UK Apache is fitted with RTM322
engines from Rolls-Royce / Turbomeca.
An Apache Longbow armed with 16
Hellfire missiles, eight under each wing.
The Apache has been designed for
high survivability in combat.
The M230 provides a fire rate of
625 rounds per minute.
The AH-64D Longbow Apache entered service with the 1st Battalion
of the 227th Aviation Regiment in October 1998.
Apache firing one of its Advanced
Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), formerly known as Hydra,
70mm rockets.
Near Real-Time situational awareness
schematic.
The AD-64D Apache Longbow is the
most lethal, survivable, deployable and maintainable
multi-mission helicopter in the world.
British Army Longbow Apaches are
equipped with CRV7 70mm rocket systems.
.JPG)
