The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine, multi-role combat helicopter developed by American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters and today manufactured by Boeing. The rotorcraft, which is crewed by two in a tandem cockpit arrangement, took its first flight on September 30, 1975 and entered service in April of 1986. The Apache, named for the Apache people of the southwestern United States, has seen continuous upgrades since its introduction and has participated in a number of conflicts, notably those of the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. Due to its performance, broad array of weapon systems, and advanced sensor and C3 suite (command, control, and communications), the Apache has proven itself to be the most versatile and effective single-platform rotary wing attack system in military history.
The Apache evolved out of the United States Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter program of the mid-1960s. The program set forth a request for an attack helicopter that would meet a specific set of criteria, specifically, the Army sought a platform that could counter large numbers of tanks and other mechanized units from the air. Hughes Helicopters won with its initiative that would come to be the Apache.
The modern Apache comprises a number of advanced situational awareness and fire control systems that allow it to engage a wide variety of enemy targets simultaneously. It has an onboard M230 30mm chain gun, rocket pods for a variety of air-to-ground rockets, and the ability to carry both air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles. Sensor and communications systems allow for day / night / adverse condition target acquisition and designation and receipt of sensor feed from unmanned systems.
The Apache has an overall length of 58 feet, 2 inches, a fuselage length of 49 feet, 5 inches, and it stands 12 feet, 8 inches tall. It has a 4-blade main rotor system with a diameter of 48 feet. It is powered by two General Electric turboshaft engines that give the aircraft a cruising speed of 165 miles per hour and a top speed of 182 mph. It has a range of 1,180 miles and a service ceiling of 20,000 feet above sea level.
