Key Points – The US Army is phasing out its older AH-64D Apache attack helicopters due to age-related wear, low readiness, and high operating costs.
-This move is part of a broader force transformation under Defense Secretary Hegseth, aimed at creating a “leaner, more lethal force” by divesting outdated systems and augmenting manned platforms with drone swarms.
U.S. Soldiers assigned to 12th Combat Aviation Brigade conduct pre-flight checks on an AH-64D Apache longbow helicopter at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Sept. 28, 2022. 12th CAB is among other units assigned to V Corps, America’s Forward Deployed Corps in Europe. They work alongside NATO Allies and regional security partners to provide combat-ready forces, execute joint and multinational training exercises, and retain command and control for all rotational and assigned units in the European Theater. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Randis Monroe)
-While the AH-64D is being retired from US service, the newer, more capable, and significantly cheaper-to-operate AH-64E Apache Guardian remains in production and continues to be upgraded. Poland is notably leasing some retiring US Army AH-64Ds for training purposes.
The Sun Sets on the AH-64D Apache as the US Army Modernizes
The US Army’s tank hunter from the Cold War won’t be completely removed from service, but older models face retirement.
The Apache attack helicopter was Boeing’s answer to the US Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter, an initiative that sought to give the US Army its own organic airborne anti-armor platform. While the US Air Force could bring their A-10 Thunderbolt II to bear against Soviet armored formations in Europe, and the US Navy and Marine Corps, the Army, in contrast, had no analog. The Army needed something that offered better performance and increased firepower compared to the Vietnam-era AH-1 Cobra, one of the United States’ early attack helicopters, and the resulting winner, the AH-64A, entered service in 1986 — and it has been the US Army’s tank-killing attack helicopter for decades.
The current Apache standard, the AH-64E, remains in production. It is the product of decades of refinement, and its specifications and capabilities are quite impressive. But with the US Army set to retire its older AH-64Ds due to age-related wear issues, low readiness levels, and unjustifiably high costs, what will the fate of the attack helicopter be across the services? Could a drone swarm replace some of the traditional roles of the attack helicopter?
Compare and Contrast
Since its introduction into service, the Apache has gone through several iterations, which generally focused on improving engine outputs, boosting armor protection, and upgrading electronics and sensors. The newest Apache is by far the most capable—and among the cheapest yet.
Boeing’s newer AH-64E is significantly cheaper than the legacy AH-64D. Whereas the AH-64D costs over $10,000 per flight hour, the AH-64E is about half that. In addition to significantly improved affordability, the AH-64E sports more powerful T700-GE-701D engines that give it better performance in hot and high-altitude environments, as well as greater range and speed.
The AH-64E’s avionics and targeting acquisition are also improved, which, along with open systems architecture, allows it to incorporate other improvements, including navigation and communications systems, in the future. Robuster, lighter rotor blades, and other structural enhancements also contribute to the AH-64E’s improved performance.
Sweeping Force Structure Changes
As part of the Pentagon’s wide-ranging revision to the US Army’s force structure, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has directed the branch to “build a leaner, more lethal force… by transform[ing] at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems.”
To that end, Secretary Hegseth specifically instructed the Army to “reduce and restructure manned attack helicopter formations and augment with inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries” as part of the Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform memo sent to senior leadership within the Pentagon late last month.
The second AH-64 Apache rolls onto the taxiway and to the takeoff pad. The Idaho Army National Guard’s Orchard Combat Training Center was host to elements of the Republic of Singapore Air Force during July. Based in Arizona, The Singapore contingent operates eight AH-64 Apache Helicopters as part of the Peace Vanguard Task Force.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll wrote a Letter to the Force the following day. In one section on eliminating waste, General Driscoll explained: “We will cancel procurement of outdated crewed attack aircraft such as the AH-64D, excess ground vehicles like the HMMWV and JLTV, and obsolete UAVs like the Gray Eagle. We will also continue to cancel programs that deliver dated, late-to-need, overpriced, or difficult-to-maintain capabilities. Yesterday’s weapons will not win tomorrow’s wars.”
While the sun seems to be setting on the AH-64D in US Army service, that older Apache variant is getting a new lease on life in Poland as the country prepares to accept nearly 100 AH-64Es in the coming years.
Polish Lease, Training
Poland penned an agreement with the United States for AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters as training platforms ahead of Warsaw’s introduction of the newer AH-64E updated Apache helicopters.
“Polish instructors are already being trained to teach future Apache AH-64E pilots. These eight [AH-64D] units are a bridge version until 2028 when the first [AH-64E] units ordered by Poland will arrive,” Secretary of State at the MND Paweł Bejda said.
The $300 million lease deal with Boeing covers eight AH-64Ds. The helicopters will allow Polish Apache pilots to train before receiving 96 AH-64Es, part of a larger $10 billion Polish investment in combat aviation.
“The AH-64E Apache attack helicopters ordered by Poland will provide the Land Forces Aviation [Brigade] with completely new combat capabilities in terms of target engagement and reconnaissance. This is also another key change in the modernization and development of helicopter aviation of the Polish Armed Forces. Poland will become the second largest user of these helicopters in the world, after the United States,” the MND added, as per Jane’s.
What Happens Next to the Apache Helicopter?
According to recent reporting, Boeing is keen to upgrade the US Army’s existing fleet of AH-64Es, part of which reportedly includes a software-based modification called Version 6.5. Boeing’s Apache production line for servicing the US Army will run until the 2027 to 2028 timeframe, whereas Warsaw’s recent order will keep Boeing from closing its doors on the Apache program until 2030 to 2031.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
