Boeing has announced that the 2,000th AH-64 Apache attack helicopter has come off the assembly line. This can't be the 2,000th to be newly manufactured - nowhere near that number have been built - but most older models have been or are being 'remanufactured', some more than once, to bring them into line with the latest standard. I'm therefore assuming that the 2,000th airframe was probably an older model going down the line for the second or third time.
Nevertheless, it's quite an achievement. The AH-64 is the world's pre-eminent attack helicopter. Nothing else comes close, as India found out during its recent competition to select an attack helicopter for its armed forces. The latest Russian offerings were rejected out of hand as being completely outclassed by the latest Apache variant.
Here's a Boeing video about the latest version of the Apache, the AH-64E Guardian.
Almost simultaneously, Kenn Christenson has produced a video tribute titled 'First Attack: History of the 1st Battalion 227th Aviation Regiment', which is currently equipped with Apache helicopters. It covers 50 years of service by this US Army unit, from Vietnam to Afghanistan. It's over half an hour in length, but I found it well worth watching.
Looks like the Apache will be serving well into the 21st century. It's done yeoman service thus far.
Peter
Not only is it Number 2000 to be built, but half or more of them serve in the military's of nations other than the US. At last count the are in service with more than a dozen nations, And US taxpayer picked up the bill for ALL of them.
ReplyDeleteYep, not too shabby for a now 40 year old design... :-)
ReplyDeleteLived in Southern CA back then and my wife's girlfriend was lead on the air frame. He was well retired when he stopped by after Desert Storm mentioning that his design had been vindicated.
ReplyDeleteThey are pug ugly compared to a Super Cobra. No one should have to fly an aircraft that ugly.
ReplyDeleteGerry