Aircraft for US Army and First Apaches for Australia

Boeing is to build 184 AH-64E Apaches for the US Army and international customers – including the first models for Australia – under a $1.9 billion contract that could potentially increase to $3.8 billion with future obligations.

The US Army will receive 115 re-manufactured Apaches, with an additional 15 to be procured as options, ensuring significant savings. The additional 54 aircraft are earmarked for partner nations under Foreign Military Sales agreements. “We are enhancing the US Army’s attack fleet, while supporting additional partner nations and welcoming our newest Apache customer, the Australian Army […] This contract highlights the need for Apaches worldwide,” commented Christina Upah, VP of Attack Helicopter Programs. The award comes on the heels of the Army’s Apache fleet surpassing five million flight hours.

Col John Maher, US Army Apache project manager, said the multi-year contract “demonstrates the Army’s commitment to continue putting unmatched capability into the hands of our nation’s finest, while providing stability and predictability for the outstanding citizens and companies that pour their talent into producing the best attack helicopter in the world”.

Under the first multi-year contract inked in 2017, Boeing delivered 244 re-manufactured Apaches to the Army and 24 new-build aircraft to an international customer. There are currently over 1,275 Apaches in operation around the world. Boeing Global Services will continue to deliver optimal readiness for operators, including training devices, spare provisions, support and test equipment kits, depot support, field engineering and technical manuals. Major advantages in the technical publication area allow for a streamlined process approach to re-use data, which reduces operational and sustainment costs.