First E model multi-year contract ensures readiness, cost savings; includes FMS

The US government recently signed a five-year, $3.4 billion contract with Boeing through which the Army, and a customer outside the US, via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, will acquire the latest APACHE attack helicopter at a significant savings to taxpayers.

This is the first multi-year agreement for the APACHE E variant. The Army will receive 244 remanufactured APACHEs while 24 new ones will go to the international customer.

“This agreement is great news for our Army, our soldiers, the American taxpayers, our industry partners and numerous international partners,” US Army Col. Joseph Hoecherl, the APACHE project manager, explained. “It is a direct result of the professional dedication and diligent efforts by government and industry teammates to provide the much needed capabilities of the world’s best attack helicopter – the AH-64E APACHE – at a fair and affordable price that results in year over year savings to the taxpayer. In the hands of our trained U.S. soldiers, the Apache’s technologies and resulting capabilities are essential to Army operations around the globe.”

Boeing builds the APACHE in Mesa, AZ/USA. Deliveries of the E model began in October 2011. Seven customers outside the US have ordered this variant. Including this latest version, the US and 15 other countries have relied on the Apache during the past three decades.

“The APACHE has made a tremendous impact in the defense of the nations that have flown it for the last 37 years,” Kim Smith, Boeing Attack Helicopters vice president and programme manager, concluded. “Our team understands the responsibility we have to deliver the best aircraft on time at an affordable price every day, and we are committed to maintaining that well established tradition of excellence.”

On March 16, the US Department of Defense issued the following: “The contract modification originally announced on March 15, 2017, for the Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, inaccurately identified the modification solely as a foreign military sales contract to Saudi Arabia. The modification was actually to an Apache multi-year contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 (inclusive of foreign military sales – Saudi Arabia).“