The UK has officially received its 50th AH-64E Apache at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona, marking the completion of its fleet of the world’s most advanced attack helicopters for the British Army.
With this final airframe now delivered, the UK’s operational Apache fleet is fully established at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk, while the training fleet is complete at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire.
Beyond providing a significant boost to UK defence capabilities, the Government say that the Apache programme also supports economic growth, sustaining more than 300 jobs at Boeing Defence UK (BDUK) and benefiting 75 UK companies, including 33 small-to-medium enterprises. Around 6% of the global Apache supply chain investment is in the UK.
Mark Langrill, Defence Equipment & Support’s (DE&S) Director of Rotary Wing & Uncrewed Air Systems, was in the US to accept the final helicopter alongside members of DE&S’ Apache Delivery Team and the British Army.
Mark Langrill said:
“We are incredibly proud to accept such a cutting-edge capability and to receive the final airframe of the British Army fleet. The Apache programme is being delivered by a team drawn from across DE&S, industry, and our British Army colleagues—all of whom share a common goal: to bring the most up-to-date version of this outstanding battle-winning aircraft into service while creating and supporting jobs and skills in the UK.”
Procured by DE&S under a £1.7 billion Foreign Military Sale with the US Government, the AH-64E Apache combines components from the Mk1 Apache (D-model)—which served the British Army for more than two decades—with a new fuselage and cutting-edge technology.
Operated by the 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team, the Apache is a twin-engine, tandem-seat helicopter designed to operate day and night, in all weather conditions and combat environments.
The aircraft’s modernised engines, advanced optical and thermal sights, sensors, and radar systems allow it to fly faster, detect and engage targets at greater ranges, and process data more effectively. With a top speed of over 300kph, it provides faster sensor-to-shooter times through Crewed Un-Crewed Teaming and greater tactical agility via a Cognitive Decision Aiding System.
Key capabilities include:
- Passive detection of radar threats without exposing the aircraft’s position
- Ability to track over 1,000 targets, classify 256, and prioritise the top 16 within seconds
- Engagement of land, maritime, and air targets with:
- Up to 1,160 rounds of 30mm automatic cannon fire
- Up to 76 wing-mounted 70mm Hydra or Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets
- Up to 16 Hellfire and Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles
Survivability has been significantly enhanced with:
- Advanced situational awareness displays
- Hostile Fire Indicators and real-time geolocation of threats
- A modernised Defensive Aid Suite integrated with on- and off-board sensors sharing threat data via Link 16 datalinks
Colonel David Amlôt MBE, of the British Army’s Combat Aviation Programmes, said:
“The AH-64E Apache Guardian is the most advanced attack helicopter in the world. Battle-tested and modernised, it is a fully integrated weapon system designed to fight multi-domain operations in highly contested, complex battlespaces, from the desert to the Arctic.”
“The AH-64E is a critical part of UK deterrence and forms an integral part of the British Army’s contribution to the NATO New Force Model and Forward Land Forces. Through this procurement, we will see increased interoperability with our NATO and allied partners, with an expected 19 nations operating the Apache by the end of the decade—further strengthening our collective deterrence.”
Long-Term Support for the Fleet
BDUK is providing long-term training and support for the AH-64E fleet through a 20-year agreement with DE&S. This contract has created approximately 315 jobs at Middle Wallop and Wattisham, including apprenticeships.
Maria Laine, President of Boeing UK, Ireland, and the Nordics, said:
“Delivering the 50th E-model Apache to the British Army marks a significant achievement in Boeing’s enduring alliance with the United Kingdom, a relationship that spans more than 80 years. I am immensely proud of our global team for their dedication in delivering and supporting this advanced Apache fleet, a vital capability that will bolster UK national security for decades to come.”
The 50th Apache will remain in the US for software testing to enable advanced teaming with Uncrewed Air Systems before being delivered to the UK in 2026.
Another batch of these would greatly improve the firepower of the British Army. However, is it wise to buy American?
It’s a conundrum: the US is increasingly unreliable, but there isn’t really anything close to the Apache.
It’s not the US as such, more like the Unstable bunch who are heading to civil war in their own country due to psychopathic and egotistical disorders.
Just my personal opinion.
You may not be far off, but I think it’s a big bunch unfortunately. Scary times.
M8, It’s a number game and in a shooting war the US will either have to chose sides or completely forget any credibility as a Defence equipment exporter.
Poland is in for 96 which is a massive buy, does anyone think corporate America will throw that market under a bus and tank their own share price.
Trump hasn’t tangled with US Military / Industrial complex yet !
He’s just rendered Himars completely useless by turning it off for ukraine
I disagree and have had the good fortune of having one of the previous gorgeous things come and do a bit of probing for me on more than one occasion.
I firmly believe that drone tech has reached the point where an expendable unit armed with guns, or NLAWS/M72, can be sent in place of a vulnerable AH64 if you are facing peer forces.
Not true, the Italian’s will soon be introducing their Fennice A229 helicopter.
Correction AW249 😳.
Not true, the UK can join Italy on the AugustaWestland A249 new attack helicopter program or the Airbus led Tiger program. Europe in actuality has 2 very capable attack helicopter programs running.
Also a point to from the Ukraine war is it appears the utility of attack helicopters is being diminished in an environment where there is a proliferation of manpads, anti drone / anti aircraft systems on the frontlines. The failure of Russia’s attack helicopters (ka52, Mil 28 and Mil 24/35) to show an major effect to the frontlines maybe an indication that the importance of manned attack helicopters is diminishing and being replaced by remote piloted FPD drone swarms.
The fleet is in place now. whether we service 70 or 50 the dependency is there. given they are cheap, effective and already in service makes sense to order more
I wouldn’t call $52m per aircraft cheap… I’d rather have a single Typhoon or F-35 than two Apaches.
Helicopter gunships have been great assets in recent conflicts, however the Ukraine war has shown how vulnerable they can be to even manpads, never mind more high performance missiles. I think 50 is enough to cover that capability need. Any new funds could return much better bang for our buck in other areas.
Russia used their KA-52 to great effect during the Ukrainian offensive in 2023, Countless videos of them smashing up Ukrainian armour hovering outside of MANPAD range but with Vikhr range. They were the Russians best weapon during the offensive.
Even another 10 as wasn’t it 60 D’s being replaced by 50 E’s? Why the drop, is less really more here? Why not more with more!?
I’d go on record to say we should purchase 30 more of these attack helicopters.
There really is nothing comparable, but make sure we can service and repair them fully here in the UK and we purchase enough spare parts and munitions now before the US becomes even more unreliable a partner.
Apache is the cheapest way to drastically increase firepower without relying on a big uptick in personnel.
I’d suggest a re visit of Westlands (AKa Augusta, AKA Leonardo, AKA Boeing) previous plans personally…. Maybe we could ditch the Imperial measurements and work to the Metric so that we can produce our own, again. With the superior RR engines.
ISTBC but I think you will find the new engines in the E model are more powerful than the old RR engines.
There is one far cheaper and far quicker way and that is up arming the army wildcat.fitting the army wildcats to take 20 LMM, it would make them a nasty ground attack and air defence platform.
Good call. Whilst AW249 is tempting, the Wildcat option prevents introducing another type. We still have options we can exercise on our wildcat contract, would make sense to do those for both the army and the navy.
And ideally buying more Wildcats while we’re at it.
we need the software source code to be independent, like any modern platform
The war in Ukraine has shown the limits of attack helicopters. A lot of their roles have been superseded in terms of anti-armour and their survivability against an enemy with competent air defence is pretty poor. They are still capable and fulfil a semi-niche role (rapid response to offensive – for example in Spring/Summer 2023 when Russia was able to quickly deploy Ka-52s to engage the Ukrainian offensive where they didn’t have time to relocate other assets) however many of their duties have been superseded. 50 is a good number – given shortfalls in other areas I don’t think it’s a priority to get more.
Formidable platform, wish we had something comparable in Europe but we don’t..
Where are you from T.? I’d noted before you’d said you were not a Brit.
If only they would keep a dozen or so of the D model as a reserve.
It may be time to also up arm the army wildcats, we know the army did not want them armed just incase some idiot politician decided they could replace apache. Now that risk is past and they need to increase lethality it may be time to arm the army wildcats with LLM a 7km range. Mach 1.5 missile with an intelligent warhead, that can engage ground and air targets is not a bad almost instant firepower upgrade.
Seems an easy, relatively cheap, win win.
Even for MoD.
Completely agree. It’s a shame there are only 34 of them. They could be relatively cheap but effective rapid response platforms, bringing much needed mobility and firepower. But dread to think what 15 years of defence inflation has done to the unit cost if a second batch were to be considered. I think the total cost of 62 Wildcats was £1.7bn, so about £27m per aircraft. I suspect much of that was development costs though, so the actual unit cost may have been £15m-£20m.
Not even sure if there is an open, or easily opened, production line tbh.
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O/T but now trump has stopped intelligence going to Ukraine as well as weapons! Anybody who thinks he is not a Russian troll think again!
Agree the intel is there not much extra cost to share with Ukraine. Quite sickening.
If Ukraine is anything to go by, they are expensive sitting ducks
Attack Helicopters have proved to be very vulnerable in certain situations in Ukraine, but it might not be wise to change doctrine too much because of that. Ukraine is a vast relatively flat country with limited cover for Helicopters. The Mast Mounted Sights of the Apache are a massive tool for staying out of the line of fire.
Just watched Macrons presidential broadcast.
The threat from Russia is real. The Russian Army will be rebuilt to 1.5 million and 4500-5000 MBT, supported by 2000-3000 gen 4 aircraft by 2030.
They are spending +40% of their GDP on their military.
How to respond to that threat?
Macron has just announced a doubling of their army from 115,000-+ 230k troops by 2030 and ditto massive expansion of air force and navy.
Shows the stupidity of sticking to a % of just 2.5% rather than just outlining what capability and numbers we need.
It’s massively obvious we need to go far beyond 3%>
SDSR must address these issues. We must rearm, prepare and conventionally deter Putin and Xis adventurism
Up to 5000MBT?! Where are they going to get all the personnel for that? Trump must be well aware of Russia’s expansions plans so makes you wonder why he’s matey with Putin and if there’s some “domination competition” race amongst them and Xi with the rest of the world in lane 4?
Where’s UK and Europe going to be? Seems like Macron is pretty switched on already! Tough has to meet tough. Even KS said time for less talk and more action recently. Well that really needs to be demonstrated pretty darn soon.
So the French Army is currently 115k…I’d be happy with a stated intention to get the UK Army to even that level, if properly equiped that would.be a decent position to be in….and before anyone starts yes I already know France is in mainland Eurioe and we are not…and the Armies roles.are ‘ different’.
There’s been a lot of talk about loyal wingman drones for jet fighters, but I’m wondering if there’s a case for teaming day a couple of Jackal drones carrying LMMs being teamed up with an Apache?…
BTW has the RAF actually ordered any Jackals???