TSAMTO, March 10th. The British Ministry of Defense officially received the 50th new AH-64E Apache attack helicopter during an event held at the Boeing plant in Mesa, Arizona.
A group of specialists from the Organization for the Purchase and maintenance of defense products (Defense Equipment) was sent to the United States to accept the machine. & Support – DE&S) of the British Ministry of Defense, headed by Mark Langrill, Director of Helicopter and Unmanned Systems.
According to the plans, the 50th Apache will remain in the United States for software testing in order to provide enhanced interaction with unmanned aerial vehicles (MUM-T), after which it will be delivered to the UK in 2026.
After the delivery of the last helicopter, the Apache fleet of the British Armed Forces will be fully deployed at the Wattisham base, and the training fleet at the Army Aviation Center in Middle Wallop.
The AH-64E is a twin-engine helicopter with tandem crew accommodation. It can be used at any time of the day and in difficult weather conditions. The vehicle is designed to search for and destroy enemy air defense systems, tanks and armored vehicles. The armament includes a 30-mm automatic cannon with a rate of fire of up to 1,160 rounds per minute, up to 76 70-mm Hydra or UR APKWS and up to 16 Hellfire ATGM. Thanks to the upgraded fire control radar, the AH-64E can detect more than 1,000 potential targets, classify up to 256 of them, display 128 to the crew and promptly identify the 16 highest priority threats.
As reported by CAMTO, in August 2015, the US State Department approved the potential supply of services to the UK under the Foreign Military Sales program for the modernization of 50 WAH-64D attack helicopters to the AH-64E Apache Guardian version, as well as equipment and services related to the contract, with a total value of up to $ 3 billion.
In July 2016, the British Ministry of Defense signed an agreement worth $2.3 billion for the supply of 50 AH-64E Apache. Unlike the Apache helicopters in service, assembled at the AgustaWestland facility in Yeovil, the new helicopters are manufactured in the United States. The UK MOD has saved money by transferring a number of systems from the existing WAH-64D to new helicopters, including the upgraded M-TADS/PNVS (Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor) detection and targeting system and the Longbow radar.
In May 2017, the US Department of Defense entered into the first agreement with Boeing worth $ 488.076 million for the restoration and modernization of 38 WAH-64D helicopters of the British Armed Forces to the AH-64E Apache Guardian version, the supply of three simulators and related spare parts. The delivery of 12 more helicopters was carried out within the framework of the contract announced by Boeing on December 26, 2019 for the modernization of 47 AH-64E for three foreign customers (Great Britain, the UAE and the Netherlands).
The first pair of new AH-64E Apache was delivered to Wattisham Air Force Base in November 2020. The AH-64E reached initial operational readiness in May 2023. The delivery of all the machines was scheduled to be completed in 2024, but due to logistical problems, the deadlines were extended by another year.
According to Jane's Defense Weekly, the new helicopters will be used as part of the 3rd and 4th regiments of the British Army Aviation. To date, the 662nd and 663rd squadrons of the 3rd Regiment are fully prepared for the use of AH-64E, and the 664th and 656th squadrons of the 4th Regiment will complete training by the end of 2025.
As part of the 3rd and 4th regiments, 32 AN-64E helicopters will be deployed at the Wattisham base, 12 AH-64E will be deployed at the Middle Wallop Training base (Hampshire). Six more helicopters will be used to organize the maintenance cycle.
