Boeing AH-64 Apache<br />From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<br />AH-64 Apache<br /><br />A radar-less AH-64D Longbow Apache from U.S. Army's 101st Aviation Regiment in Iraq<br />Role Attack helicopter<br />National origin United States<br />Manufacturer Hughes Helicopters<br />McDonnell Douglas<br />Boeing Defense, Space & Security<br />First flight 30 September 1975<br />Introduction April 1986<br />Status;Active, in production<br />Primary users;United States Army<br />Israel Air Force<br />Egyptian Air Force<br />Royal Netherlands Air Force<br />Produced 1983–present<br />Number built 1,174 as of February 2010<br />Unit cost AH-64A: US$20 million (2007),<br />AH-64D (AH-64A upgrade): US$18 million (2007)<br />Variants AgustaWestland Apache<br />The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra. First flown on 30 September 1975, the AH-64 features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. The Apache is armed with a 30-millimeter (1.2 in) M230 Chain Gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's forward fuselage. It has four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 features multiple aircraft systems with built-in redundancy to improve survivability in combat; improved crash survivability for the crew has also been prioritized.<br />The U.S. Army selected the AH-64 over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, awarding Hughes Helicopters a pre-production contract for two more aircraft. In 1982, the Army approved full production. McDonnell Douglas continued production and development after purchasing Hughes Helicopters from Summa Corporation in 1984. The first production AH-64D Apache Longbow, an upgraded version of the original Apache, was delivered to the Army in March 1997.
