Apaches

[quadrapiper]

...the US Army are having some difficulty retaining them.

https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2017/09/07/the-army-is-bringing-back-pilot-retention-bonuses/

Wouldn't that be something to build terms of service around? Figure out how much time the CAF is hoping to get out of a pilot specialist post-training and make that the obligatory term - assume that most will disappear to commercial aviation. Would expect that number's already been determined somewhere in the career management and training/recruiting worlds.

 

[alexanderpeterson]

British Apaches have a folding blade mechanism for shipboard storage to support amphibian operations.
IMO Apaches would be good for CAF, besides escort recce and fire support missions, a foldable rotor would enable Apaches to be embarked in new JSS or even aboard a frigate/destroyer for littoral operations.
Could Apaches be adapted to naval helicopter hauldown equipment.

I didnt see this post until now. I re started the conversation around Used British Apaches -now more than ever they are thinking on retiring the Gazzeles-

 

[alexanderpeterson]

I read that UK is lookin to replace Gazelles helicopters. They provide support for Batus in Canada. It would be great to see a British Apache replacing it instead of the Lynx. Airbus H135

 

[KevinB]

I read that UK is lookin to replace Gazelles helicopters. They provide support for Batus in Canada. It would be great to see a British Apache replacing it instead of the Lynx. Airbus H135

I doubt you will see much in BATUS these days from the UK - the British want their Military somewhere relevant, and sure as SH*T they aren't going to put Apaches in Canada.

 

[AmmoTech90]

There are no Gazelles left in SU/C. Apaches would not do the job the Gazelles do there. They have brought Apaches over in the past to do Apache things.

 

[Kirkhill]

It has been a while....

Life in the attack helicopter

Israel’s new Apache buy a result of lessons learned since Oct. 7: Analysts - Breaking Defense

Israel's expansion of their Apache helicopter cache is a reflection of two years of constant wars.

breakingdefense.com

"Israel has been approved to buy 30 new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters represents a shift in priorities for the Israel Defense Forces, as Israel seeks to bolster the armed forces in the wake of two years of a multi-front wars"

"the decision to procure the newest E model represents a reversal from just a few years ago, when the IDF had made a conscious decision to move away from manned rotorcraft.

"“This is lesson from the war in Gaza."

"The last two years of war have shown that the Apaches “remain a vital necessity on the battlefield, particularly in urban warfare and commando operations.”"

"the war “proved the vitality of the array for unique missions, and therefore a decision was made to continue to maintain the two old types of helicopters and simultaneously acquire new ones, called ‘Echo’ [Ah-64E], in a volume to be determined according to budgetary constraints.”"

This is on top of the USMC finding new missions for their Venoms and Vipers launching long range missiles and conducting anti-drone missions with their APKWS IIs

US Marine attack helicopters to field long-range missiles by 2027

L3Harris Technologies will produce its Red Wolf systems for the Marine Corps’ Precision Attack Strike Munition program.

www.defensenews.com

U.S. Navy to Enhance APKWS with Air-to-Air Software - Naval News

The U.S. Navy is taking steps to enhance APKWS air-to-air capability through a new software upgrade, according to new documents.

www.navalnews.com

Marines to give air-to-ground missile new counter-drone capabilities

The Marine Corps plans to upgrade the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile so it can take down enemy drones, according to the service’s new aviation plan.

defensescoop.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Further to...

https://news.usni.org/2026/02/03/marines-attack-helicopters-to-get-long-range-maritime-strike-electronic-warfare-missile

 

[Kirkhill]

India and Israel both looking at AH-64Es


"However, as pointed out by Indian Air Force veteran Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) in a previous EurAsian Times article, “the main reason attack helicopters will not disappear is that they fill a niche that very few platforms can fill. They are the only 350 KMPH missile carriers that can hide behind trees, pop up, and literally shoot and scoot.”"

2 IAFs, 1 Helicopter: Why Israel & India Are Doubling Down on the AH-64E Apache Choppers in Drone Era?

Despite the vulnerability faced by attack helicopters in traditional close-in, low-and-slow attack roles, countries like Israel and India appear to be betting big on the American Apache attack choppers. The United States recently approved a potential $3.8 billion foreign military sale to Israel...

www.eurasiantimes.com

 

[KevinB]

India and Israel both looking at AH-64Es


"However, as pointed out by Indian Air Force veteran Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) in a previous EurAsian Times article, “the main reason attack helicopters will not disappear is that they fill a niche that very few platforms can fill. They are the only 350 KMPH missile carriers that can hide behind trees, pop up, and literally shoot and scoot.”"

2 IAFs, 1 Helicopter: Why Israel & India Are Doubling Down on the AH-64E Apache Choppers in Drone Era?

Despite the vulnerability faced by attack helicopters in traditional close-in, low-and-slow attack roles, countries like Israel and India appear to be betting big on the American Apache attack choppers. The United States recently approved a potential $3.8 billion foreign military sale to Israel...

www.eurasiantimes.com

But I suspect that in short order most of AH squadrons will be uncrewed working with a leader crewed system.

 

[Kirkhill]

In the meantime, working with what is on hand

https://news.usni.org/2026/02/27/u-s-army-attack-helicopters-hold-maritime-attack-drills-in-the-pacific

 

[Kirkhill]

The Japanese approach since 2022: Buying lots of UAVs and, it seems, experimenting.

The transition from manned attack helicopters to unmanned systems is one of the most significant structural shifts in GSDF aviation in decades. With ¥11.1 billion now formally appropriated, five airframes authorized, and two completed test and evaluation programs on record, Japan’s ground forces are moving from planning to procurement

The policy driving this procurement traces directly to Japan’s Defense Buildup Program, approved by the cabinet in December 2022. That plan mandated the phased elimination of the GSDF’s AH-1S Cobra anti-tank helicopters and AH-64D Apache combat helicopters, with their firepower and reconnaissance missions transferred to multi-purpose and attack UAVs. The wide-area UAV line in the fiscal year 2026 budget is the first confirmed funding step toward that force structure objective. The Defense Buildup Program’s longer-term organizational annex calls for the establishment of one multi-purpose unmanned aircraft unit within the GSDF by approximately fiscal year 2032.

Japan buys drones to replace Apache fleet

Japan's fiscal year 2026 defense budget, enacted on April 7, includes ¥11.1 billion ($69.7 million) earmarked for the acquisition of five "wide-area UAVs" for the Ground Self-Defense Force, according to budget documents published by the Ministry of Defense. The budget line

defence-blog.com

UAVs under consideration as replacement for AH-1S Cobra and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters:

the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2S
the Israeli-made Heron Mk II

the US-made General Atomics’ Gray Eagle 25M, the modernized variant of the MQ-1C, ... could theoretically meet the requirement.
The Gray Eagle 25M completed its first flight in December 2023 and has begun deliveries to U.S. Army National Guard units.

SUBARU signed a contract with the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency in December 2023 worth approximately ¥660 million to conduct a concept-demonstration study for a vertical-takeoff-and-landing multi-purpose UAV, with a delivery deadline of February 2025.

....

Just as interesting is the speed of processing these projects

The Ministry of Defense issued its second Request for Information on multi-purpose UAVs on January 30, 2026, following an initial RFI in March 2025. The submission deadline for industry responses to the second RFI was March 12, 2026

....

I notice the VTOL interest.

I wonder if the Kratos success has reminded people of the utility of RATO (Rocket Assisted Take Off) systems. Virtually any aircraft could benefit from a rocket boost at launch to eliminate the need for a runway. And rockets are cheap.

The exhaust from those hot launches does have to be managed though.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Manned helicopters might end up being mobile drone control ships, providing instant high ground to maintain long distance signals on drones. One of the things I hear out of Ukraine is that any high ground is valuable from a radio signal POV and extends drone effective drone ops.

 

[Kirkhill]

Manned helicopters might end up being mobile drone control ships, providing instant high ground to maintain long distance signals on drones. One of the things I hear out of Ukraine is that any high ground is valuable from a radio signal POV and extends drone effective drone ops.

As long as they are fully exploiting their elevation to extend their horizons and keeping ther platform well back from the fight itself.

This may add to explaining the interest in low cost long range missiles for helicopters.

5 km missiles are not going to cut it unless the target is coming to your safe space.

US Marine attack helicopters to field long-range missiles by 2027

L3Harris Technologies will produce its Red Wolf systems for the Marine Corps’ Precision Attack Strike Munition program.

www.defensenews.com

....

Meanwhile the Brits are going a different direction than the Japanese

New details emerge on new medium helicopter deal

Beyond the aircraft themselves, a new contract notice sets out the full scope of what Leonardo will deliver under the deal.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

The Brits analyses are coloured by:

A lack of sense of urgency
A lack of money
An inability to make a decision
The need to preserve union jobs even if it means keeping electric lights on to keep candlemakers employed.