AH-64 Apache Team Defends Helicopter's Performance In Iraq
By Jefferson Morris
Responding to criticism of the performance of the AH-64 Apache
attack helicopter during the war in Iraq, a Boeing Apache official
and a retired former Apache commander said the aircraft's record
proves it is survivable, although it's too early to draw definitive
lessons learned from the conflict.
Critics have questioned the aircraft's survivability, pointing to
several incidents in which low-flying Apaches have taken damage
from ground troops. In one such case, a force of more than 30
AH-64D Apache Longbows had to withdraw after taking heavy damage to
rotors and airframes in a late March clash with Republican Guard
troops south of Baghdad. One aircraft went down, although it and
its crew were recovered later.
"Having 30 aircraft sustain the fire that they did, and bring 29
crews back - that's the definition of survivability," a retired
senior Army officer who commanded an Apache unit during Desert
Storm told Aerospace Daily.
Formal lessons learned from the war will be derived from analysis
of reports made by troops embedded within each service, according
to the official. The Army plans to complete its lessons learned
assessment by mid-July, he said, which will feed into a larger
assessment by DOD.
"I am very confident that what we're going to find is ... that the
aircraft is extremely survivable, and we'll find that out from the
crews that fly it, and from the operations they've conducted," the
official said.
Nine Apache Units were deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi
Freedom, and the helicopter has flown an estimated 1,000 sorties
with no casualties so far among aircrews, according to
Boeing.
Survivability systems
The Apache was designed with "layers of survivability," according
to Mike Burke, director of Apache business development for Boeing.
The first layer includes the aircraft's long-range sensors and
weapon systems. The second layer includes a radar jammer and an
infrared jammer for countering incoming missiles.
The final layer of protection mitigates damage in the event of a
hit, Burke said. Both pilots sit in armored seats, and a blast
shield between the two can prevent both from being killed at the
same time. The airframe also has been constructed to absorb
potentially lethal forces in the event of a crash, much like a
car.
"Some of the press that we have is talking about the failure of the
Apache because of all the hits that it took," Burke said. "When
you've got an aircraft that can get in close to the enemy, because
that's what the tactical situation calls for ... and be able to fly
home, recover your crews, repair the few holes and go back out and
fly again, what's a failure about that?"
The "first principle" of Army aviation is to operate near the
ground, where aircraft must endure the same conditions as ground
forces, according to Burke.
"There are instances [when] if you're going to save your soldiers
and accomplish the mission, you've got to get close," he
said.
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