The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack
helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit
for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters
for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the
AH-1 Cobra, and was first flown on 30 September 1975. The AH-64 was introduced
to US Army service in April 1986. The AH-64 Apache features a nose-mounted
sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with
a 30-millimeter (1.2 in) M230 Chain Gun carried between the main landing gear,
under the aircraft's forward fuselage. It has four hardpoints mounted on
stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and
Hydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has a large amount of systems redundancy to
improve combat survivability. The U.S. Army selected the AH-64, by Hughes
Helicopters, over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, and later approved full production
in 1982. McDonnell Douglas continued production and development after
purchasing Hughes Helicopters from Summa Corporation in 1984. The first
production AH-64D Apache Longbow, an upgraded version of the original Apache,
was delivered to the Army in March 1997. Production has been continued by
Boeing Defense, Space & Security; over one thousand AH-64s have been
produced to date. The U.S. Army is the primary operator of the AH-64, it has
also become the primary attack helicopter of multiple nations, including
Greece, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands and Singapore; as well as being produced
under license in the United Kingdom as the AgustaWestland Apache. U.S. AH-64s
have served in conflicts in Panama, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and
Iraq. Israel has made active use of the Apache in its military conflicts in
Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, while two coalition allies have deployed their
AH-64s in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The AH-64 Apache has a four-blade main rotor and a
four-blade tail rotor. The crew sits in tandem, with the pilot sitting behind
and above the copilot/gunner. The crew compartment has shielding between the
cockpits, such that one crew member can survive hits. The compartment and the
rotor blades are designed to sustain a hit from 23-millimeter (0.91 in) rounds.
The airframe includes some 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg) of protection against
ballistic strikes. The Apache also utilizes a self-sealing fuel system to
protect against the loss of fuel caused by ballistic projectiles. The AH-64 is
powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines with high-mounted
exhausts on either side of the fuselage. Various models of engines have been
used on the Apache, those in British service use engines from Rolls-Royce
instead of General Electric. In 2004, General Electric Aviation began producing
more powerful T700-GE-701D engines, rated at 2,000 shp (1,500 kW) for AH-64Ds.
One of the revolutionary features at the introduction of the Apache was its
helmet mounted display, the Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System
(IHADSS), among other abilities the pilot or gunner can slave the helicopter's
30 mm automatic M230 Chain Gun to his helmet, making the gun track head
movements to point at where he looks. The M230E1 can be alternatively fixed to
a locked forward firing position, or controlled via the Target Acquisition and
Designation System (TADS).
The AH-64 is designed to endure front-line environments and
to operate during the day or night and in adverse weather using avionics, such
as the Target Acquisition and Designation System, Pilot Night Vision System
(TADS/PNVS), passive infrared countermeasures, GPS, and the IHADSS. A newer
system that is replacing TADS/PNVS is Arrowhead (MTADS); it is manufactured by
Lockheed Martin, a contract was made on 17 February 2005 to begin equipping all
models of American Apaches. The AH-64 is adaptable to numerous different roles
within its context as Close Combat Attack (CCA), and has a customizable weapons
loadout for the role desired.[38] In addition to the 30-mm M230E1 Chain Gun,
the Apache carries a range of external stores on its stub-wing pylons,
typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, and Hydra 70
general-purpose unguided 70 mm (2.76 in) rockets. The Stinger and AIM-9
Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radiation missile
were evaluated beginning in the late 1980s. The Stinger was initially selected
over the AIM-9, but the US Army is considering the Starstreak air-to-air
missile instead. The stub-wing pylons also have mounting points for use during
ground helicopter maintenance; though in case of emergency the mount points can
be used for harnessing personnel to the wings during transport. External fuel
tanks can also be carried by the pylons to increase range and mission time. For
rapid deployment and transport around the world, six AH-64 Apaches can be
safely fitted inside the cargo hold of a USAF Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.
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