Boeing will build 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for Poland under a US Army foreign military sales contract valued at nearly $4.7 billion.
Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2028. According to Boeing, Poland has already begun training pilots and maintainers and is currently leasing eight aircraft from the US Army.
Christina Upah, who oversees Boeing’s attack helicopter programmes, said in the release that the agreement will allow the company to begin assembling what she described as one of the largest Apache fleets outside the United States. She added that Boeing is working with Poland on what she called disciplined execution to support the country’s defence plans.
The company said an existing offset arrangement gives Polish industry a role in maintaining and supporting the fleet. Boeing plans to set up training programmes and assist with establishing a composite laboratory.
Boeing used the announcement to highlight the AH-64E’s current configuration, which it described as offering advanced levels of lethality, survivability, connectivity and interoperability. These claims reflect the company’s view of the platform, noting recent deliveries of AH-64Es to Australia, India, and Morocco, and identifying Poland as the nineteenth operator.
The company stated that more than 1,300 Apaches are in service globally with sustainment and training support handled by Boeing Global Services.
Who has a bigger fleet? It states one of the largest outside the US, but won’t it be the largest by a fair bit?
It will. South Korea will have the second largest outside the US at 72, Saudi Arabia third with 59. We have the 4th with 50.
Well, Poland clearly believes that Apache has a role in war-fighting.
TBH so do I once airspace dominance and control is achieved.
Worth remembering that with appropriate overwatch anyone taking a pot shot at an Apache with an MANPAD is toast.
It is easy to get seduced by all the tiny drones but at the end of the day some heavy hitting is needed once all the Ebay level kit has been cleared and disabled.
Airspace dominance won’t be possible in any future peer or near peer war. We already have drones taking out aircraft, soon it will be them with manpads or just swarming helicopter with explosives strapped to them.
The question is whether the weapons on the Apache can outranged the threat. That appears to be the way that the US is looking at it.
That assumes a lot of things that I do not agree with.
Drones don’t fly that high or that fast. The drones we have seen down jets/helicopters are precisely because the only way anyone dares to fly in the UKR battle space is on the deck because they cannot suppress the 200/300/400 batteries that are around that make high level dangerous.
If you are trying to catch Apache the drones needs to be quick – it is not a slow platform.