United States aerospace giant Boeing had handed over to India the first of 22 AH-64E (I) Apache Guardian attack helicopters at a ceremony in Boeing’s production facility in Mesa, Arizona on 10 May 2019. The Indian Air Force (IAF) took delivery of the initial batch in July of 22 Boeing AH-64E (I) ordered in September 2015 for $ 2.02 billion. The twin-engine helicopters were subsequently transported to Pathankot Air Force Station in northern India, where they were assembled ahead of their formal induction into IAF service. On 3 September 2019, the Indian Air Force officially inducted the first 8 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters at Pathankot Air Force Station (AFS), with a total of 22 on order (plus six for the Army Aviation Corps). Air Chief Marshal B.S.Dhanoa was chief guest at the ceremony accompanied by AOC-in-C Western Air Command Air Marshal R Nambiar. Delivery of the remaining platforms is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
In anticipation of the impending deal, the United States Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on 22 December 2010 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of India of various engines, equipment, weapons, training, parts and logistical support for a possible Direct Commercial Sale of 22 (then referred to as) AH-64D Block III Apache helicopters which was the only contender ultimately short listed. The notification was made in advance so that, in the event that the AH-64D proposal was selected, the United States might move as quickly as possible to implement the sale. The proposed sale was projected to ‘contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship and to improve the security of an important partner (India) which continued to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in South Asia’. The AH-64D Block III emerged victorious after extensive flying tests conducted by the Indian Air Force of both United States Boeing AH-64D ‘Apache Longbow’ and the Russian Mil Mi-28NE “Nighthunter” next-generation attack helicopters (to counter ground armoured threats).
The contract was signed in September 2015 and the attack helicopters have entered IAF Service under the designation AH-64E (I) Apache Guardian featuring improved digital (Link-16) connectivity, the joint tactical radio system, more powerful T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded transmission to accommodate more power, capability to control Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), new composite rotor blades, full Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) capability and improved landing gear. The redesigned rotor blades increase cruise speed, climb rate, and payload capacity, while the updated Longbow radar has an over sea capacity.
As per the notification, the sale included 50 T700-GE-701D engines, 12 AN/APG- 78 Fire Control Radars (FCR), 12 AN/ APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometers, 812 AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II missiles, 245 STINGER Block I-92H missiles, 23 Modernised Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors, rockets, training and dummy missiles, 30 mm ammunition, transponders, simulators, global positioning system/ inertial navigation systems (GPS/INS), communication equipment, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, support equipment, repair and return support, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, US Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services as well as other related elements of logistics support to be provided in conjunction with a direct commercial sale of 22 AH-64D Block III Apache Helicopters.
Air Marshal AS Butola accepting the first AH-64E (I) Apache Guardian helicopter during a ceremony held at Boeing production facility in Mesa, Arizona, USA on 10 May 2019.
Sensor technology remains a key advantage of the twin-engined AH-64D (maximum take-off weight is 10,433-kg) which is also successfully battle proven having been deployed by the United States Army in Afghanistan as part of Operation Anaconda and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to fulfil the Close Air Support role. The AH-64D ‘Longbow Apache’ is equipped with the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-78 millimetre-wave FCR capable of performing under poorvisibility conditions, less sensitive to ground clutter, while the short wavelength allows a very narrow beam width, which is resistant to Electronic Counter Measures (ECM). AN/APG-78 additionally incorporates an integrated AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometer for passive location and identification of radar-emitting threats. Block III includes increasing digitisation, the joint tactical radio system, enhanced T700-GE-701D turbo shaft engines (each providing 1,265-kW) and drive systems, capability to control Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and new composite rotor blades to increase the Apache’s cruise speed (284 km/h), climb rate (889 m/min) and payload capability. The ferry range is 1,900 km and service ceiling 6,400 m, with endurance being 3 hours 9 minutes. Lockheed Martin incidentally has developed a new targeting and night vision system for the Apache, using second-generation longwave Infra-Red (IR) sensors with improved range and resolution. The new system is called ‘Arrowhead’ and has a targeting Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) with three fields of view, a dual field-of-view FLIR, a Charged Coupled Device (CCD) TV camera, electronic zoom, target tracker and auto-boresight.
The 30-mm automatic Boeing M230 chain gun is located under fuselage with 1,200 rounds of ammunition and can provides a rate of fire of 625 rounds a minute. AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow air-to-surface missiles with millimetre wave seeker perform in full fire and forget mode up to a range of 12 km against armoured formations and fortified installations. Stinger Block I-92H Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM) are carried for armed escort and self-protection. In the close support role, the helicopter carries 16 Hellfire missiles on four four-rail launchers plus 4 Stinger AAMs. If integrated with proposed AIM-9X close combat missiles (CCM), the helicopters will pose reasonable threat to even hostile unsuspecting fixed wing aircraft. The radar dome atop the rotor blades is unmasked for a single radar scan and then remasked, enabling the processors to determine the location, speed and direction of travel of upto 256 targets.
To neutralise hostile armoured formations and enemy bunkers and fortifications, the sales package for the IAF includes 812 Lockheed Martin AGM-114L-3 Longbow Hellfire Anti-Tank Guided Weapon (ATGW) plus 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II ATGW. The name Hellfire comes from its original role as a helicopter-launched fire & forget weapon. The AGM-114L-3, or Longbow Hellfire, is a fire & forget weapon equipped with a Millimetre Wave (MMW) radar seeker coupled with inertial guidance, enabling Lock on after Launch (LOAL) capability and very effective against hostile multiple rolling armour. The MMW radar also rectifies inherent limitations of the Semi-Active Laser Homing (SALH) guidance system by providing capability in adverse weather and battlefield obscurants such as dust, smoke and fog which mask position of the target or prevent the designating laser from producing a detectable reflection. Besides autonomous homing on targets designated by the Longbow Fire Control system, the missile can also use advanced modes, currently being upgraded to the AGM system, which provides home-in on active jammers that try to degrade or disable the missile. The missile will also receive advanced countermeasures to defeat and cancel jammers.
For effective fire control and optimum utilisation of AGM-114L-3 Longbow Hellfire the AH-64D ‘Longbow Apache’ is equipped with the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-78 millimetre-wave Fire Control Radar (FCR) capable of performing under poor-visibility conditions, being less sensitive to ground clutter, while the short wavelength allows a very narrow beam width, which is resistant to Electronic Counter Measures (ECM).
Complementing the AGM-114L-3 Longbow Hellfire will be the multipurpose 8 km. range AGM-114R or Romeo that uses a Semi-Active Laser Homing (SALH) guidance system and an integrated blast fragmentation sleeve (IBFS) warhead likely built around tandem shaped charge HEAT to engage targets that previously needed multiple Hellfire variants. Hellfire II locks on before or after launch and can engage multiple targets simultaneously. The missile uses trajectory shaping to enable optimal performance in degraded weather along with automatic target reacquisition after loss of track in low clouds.
The Inspiration
Many US-origin helicopters and aircraft have been bestowed tribal names of the traditional American Indians who are from the south western United States, including the Apache. Distant cousins of the Apache are the Navajo, and there are Apache communities in Oklahoma, Texas, and reservations in Arizona and New Mexico. The Apache Nations are politically autonomous, speak several different languages and have distinct cultures.
Sayan Majumdar