Despite ongoing upgrades, the Apache AH-64, once a battlefield staple, is fast becoming outdated, prompting the US Army to reassess its role in future warfare and seek replacements.
Before the US Army’s 250th anniversary celebrations, Memorial Day Weekend’s famed Indy 500 featured a flyover of two AH-64D Apache helicopters during the pace lap. The “Pace Lap for America” was a special moment for the renowned race and the US Army.
However, it also came just weeks after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth began discussions with Army officials about the future of the Apache, which could see its service life reaching its end faster than the cars on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
First introduced in 1997, the AH-64D (Delta models) could be past their prime, even after being upgraded to Version 14. The communication systems, aircraft sensors, and onboard computing power are nearing obsolescence, while combat helicopters have been plagued by low operational readiness in recent years.
Is the US Army Ready for Modern Warfare?
Last month, the US Army announced that it would seek to retire the AH-64D variants and end the conversion process to the E-model (Echo standard). According to international military analyst firm Jane’s, “the service operates 158 D-models, of which 52 were to be remanufactured as E-models.”
The Army already operates around 560 E-models, the AH-64E, and those will remain in service. Still, Lieutenant General Joseph Ryan, the US Army’s deputy chief of staff for operations, plans, and training, warned this week that even those versions aren’t nearly as effective as they must be for the changing battlefield dynamics.
“The AH-64D … is not a war-winning capability that we can fight with and win today,” Lt Gen Ryan said on June 3 while speaking at a DC think tank.
“I would argue that the E-model [AH-64] Apache, in its current versions, the [version] 4 and the [version] 6, are also on the cusp of being capabilities where we don’t necessarily see them contributing in the fight the way they have done in the past. We are continuing to modernise and upgrade our Apache fleet, but only our newest one, to meet the demands of future warfare.”
Ryan cited the more than three-year-long war in Ukraine, where both Russia’s and Ukraine’s helicopters were shown to have “minimal” effectiveness. Though the AH-64E is armed with longer-range missiles and allows the crew to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) “from the cockpit,” according to Jane’s, the platform is still decades old.
This is a reversal for the US Army, which, as recently as 2023, had deemed its Apache fleet insufficient and signed a new contract with Boeing. The Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor aircraft, set to enter service around 2030, could replace the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter and the AH-64 Apache.
However, the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program has also been considered a potential replacement for the aging Apaches.
Boeing announced last month that it remains focused on keeping the AH-64E models flying by upgrading the Version 6 aircraft to the Version 6.5 standard. According to the aerospace firm, the update will include improved software and pilot interfaces and modernizations incorporating counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) solutions.
Those upgrades could keep the Apache in service longer, and in the meantime, it’s always suitable for thrilling audiences at sporting events.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Vincent Levelev.
