The history of the creation of the helicopter an 64. Night hunter against Apaches

According to many military experts, the finest hour of the helicopter industry fell on the second half of the 20th century. World War II did without the use of such machines. However, already in the Korean War, the situation changed dramatically. The first to use combat helicopters were the Americans. At first, the United States Air Force high command was skeptical about the idea of ​​using helicopters on the battlefield. However, during the Korean War, helicopters, contrary to the expectations of American generals, effectively carried out fire adjustment, reconnaissance, landing of paratroopers and evacuation of the wounded. The second place in the world in terms of prevalence after the Soviet “turntable” Mi-24 was taken by the American Apache helicopter. Since 1980, it has been considered the main strike combat vehicle of the US Air Force. Description, device and performance characteristics of Apache helicopters are presented in the article.

Acquaintance

The AN-64 "Apache" helicopter is the first army combat vehicle, the purpose of which is to ensure interaction with ground forces stationed at the forefront. In addition, it was planned to use shock "turntables" to counter enemy tanks. Apache helicopters (a photo of the machine is presented in the article) were created specifically for offensive operations and support of ground troops in all weather conditions.

In the modern army, an attack helicopter is an indispensable and truly versatile machine. For reconnaissance of the accumulation of enemy ground forces, coordination of combat units from the air and the destruction of armored vehicles, "turntables" will do just fine. Today, there is an absentee rivalry between the two leading armies in the world: the Russian Federation and the United States of America. Therefore, it is quite logical that many military experts are comparing the Apache helicopters and the Ka-52, developed by Russian designers.

On the effectiveness of combat "turntables"

The low flight qualities of helicopters, the complexity of maintenance and vulnerability to enemy air defenses hindered the purchase of these combat vehicles by the United States Army. Prior to the use of "turntables", almost 90% of American soldiers died from moderate to severe wounds. With the beginning of the "helicopter era", military experts noted a decrease in mortality to 10%.

At first, helicopters performed tactical tasks: they carried out supplies and the transfer of troops. Soon, the helicopter was no longer used as a vehicle, but as a strike machine, an ideal attack aircraft and a means of supporting ground forces. By the end of the Korean War, helicopters were already equipped with small light machine guns and unguided rockets.

Soon, anti-tank guided missiles were developed by military technologists. From that moment on, the helicopter began to be used as an effective means for destroying enemy armored vehicles.

About the first combat vehicles

During the Vietnam War, the Huey helicopter was widely used. This reliable and unpretentious car is still produced today. The Cobra helicopter has also become an effective tool for supporting ground forces and destroying enemy armored vehicles. At the end of the war, several special divisions were formed, armed exclusively with helicopters. In the second half of the 70s, there was a need for a new attack helicopter, which was planned to replace the Cobra.

Start of design work

The design of the new "turntable" was carried out on a competitive basis by several American aircraft manufacturing companies. In 1973, Bell and Hughes reached the final. The first company developed the 409th model AN-63, and Hughes developed the AN-64. In 1975, comparative tests of two combat vehicles were carried out. In terms of tactical and technical characteristics, as well as in such parameters as rate of climb and maneuverability, the AN-64 significantly surpassed its competitor. The Apache helicopter was controlled by test pilots Robert Ferry and Reli Fletcher. After the competition, the helicopter was fine-tuned, some changes were made to the design and on-board equipment. According to experts, the car was still tested for 2400 hours. For unknown reasons, the mass production of the Apache helicopter was decided to be postponed for a couple of years.

About the requirements for the American "turntable"

The Apache combat helicopter was supposed to have the following performance characteristics:

• Cruising speed 269 km/h.
• Rate of climb 2.3 m/s.
• Flight duration up to 110 min.
• The Apache combat helicopter must carry out successful sorties at night, in rainy weather, and also, with the help of special instruments, continue combat missions in conditions with poor visibility. In addition, the impact of a 12.7 mm projectile should not jeopardize the performance of the mission assigned to the flight crew.

About mass production

In 1981, the design of the Apache military helicopter was completed. Serial production of "turntables" was launched in 1984. A plant was built specifically for the manufacture of the AN-64 in Arizona in the city of Mesa. Initially, the Hughes Aviation Company and its helicopter manufacturing branch were engaged in the release of "turntables". However, soon the right to serial production of the AN-64 passed to the McDonell-Douglas corporation. The Apache helicopter (helicopter photo below) is one of the best attack combat vehicles in the world, which entered service with the first squadron in 1986.

Three years later, these "turntables" were completed by the National Guard of the country. Serial production of helicopters was completed in 1994. In total, the American military industry built 827 AN-64s. The production of one combat unit cost the state 15 million dollars. Russia has to spend 16 million rubles on the production of one "Alligator".

Description

For the design of the Apache helicopter model, a classic single-rotor scheme was used. For the helicopter, there is one tail and one main rotor, equipped with four blades of a special design. The main rotor is equipped with blades 6 m long. They are made of metal. The blades are coated with fiberglass.

A composite material is used for the trailing edge, and titanium for the leading edge. Thanks to this design feature, the Apache helicopter is not afraid of collisions with small obstacles - branches and trees.

The tail rotor has an X-shape. According to the developers, this design is more efficient than the traditional one. In addition, this "turntable" has a low aspect ratio wing and a three-post non-retractable wheeled landing gear using a tail wheel. The wing is removable. In the manufacture of the AN-64 fuselage, aluminum alloys and materials with increased strength and toughness are used.

The Ka-52 is an improved version of the Ka-50 Black Shark helicopter. The Russian machine is characterized by the rotation of the blades in different directions. This allows for unique maneuvering - creating a "funnel". This technique is a sideways flight of a helicopter. It is resorted to in situations where it is necessary to evade anti-aircraft defenses aimed at the "turntable".

About the features of the American car

The US Apache helicopter is equipped with spaced interchangeable engines. Since thermal radiation is generated as a result of their work, the designers, in order to reduce its impact, developed a special screen exhaust device for the helicopter. Its task is to mix cold outside air with hot exhaust.

The nose of the "turntable" has become a place for the location of a video camera, a laser system responsible for measuring the distance to the target and its illumination, a thermal imager and a mobile gun mount. To fasten the above elements to the Apache helicopter, a special turret is used. By equipping the “turntable” with an X-shaped tail rotor, the developers managed to reduce noise. In addition, various angles are provided for the location of the blades. As a result, each blade dampens some of the noise that the other produces. According to experts, a double screw is much quieter than a single screw.

The chassis is used as the main supports in the Apache helicopter model. There is no way to remove it by design. This landing gear has powerful shock absorbers, the purpose of which is to prevent injury to the flight crew by absorbing impact energy in the event of an emergency landing. The vertical speed must not exceed 12 m/s.

In combat, the Apache helicopter is reliably protected from missiles containing an infrared homing head. This was made possible thanks to a special ALQ-144 infrared countermeasure system, the task of which is to throw out IR traps.

About the cabin

Attack helicopter "Apache" is equipped with a double cabin, which is characterized by a tandem seating arrangement. The front one is intended for the second gunner pilot, and the rear one, raised by 480 mm, is for the pilot. The lower part and sides of the cabin are covered with armor. The space between the seats became a place for a transparent partition. In its manufacture, Kevlar and polyacrylate are used. This partition is able to withstand a direct hit by a bullet and projectile, the calibers of which vary from 12.7 to 23 mm. This cockpit design provides the flight crew with maximum protection.

In an effort to increase the combat survivability of the Apache helicopter, American designers in the "turntable" use two independent hydraulic systems, protected fuel tanks and armored most important systems and sections.

The design of the Russian helicopter Ka-52 (according to NATO classification, it is listed as "Alligator") is characterized by a coaxial scheme. The cabin in this "turntable" is double. However, the chairs are located side by side to each other. There are no restrictions for piloting in the Alligator. Thus, both pilots can fire and control the "turntable". The cockpit of the helicopter is equipped with a special armored capsule. The crew can eject at an altitude of at least 4100 m. The armored coating protects the pilots from bullets of caliber no higher than 23 mm.

About weapons

Apache can destroy enemy armored vehicles with the help of an aviation single-barreled automatic gun M230 caliber 30x113 mm. Its weight is almost 57 kg. The length of the gun is 168 cm. Within one minute, the pilot can fire up to 650 shots. The fired projectile flies at a speed of 805 m/s. Communication with the tool is provided by an electric drive. Shooting at tanks is carried out:

• A cartridge containing a high-explosive fragmentation projectile M799 and an explosive weighing 43 g.
• A cartridge that uses the M789 armor-piercing HEAT projectile. This ammunition is capable of penetrating 51 mm thick.

As the main weapon in the AN-64, Hellfire anti-tank missiles are used. On one "turntable" can fit up to 16 of these missiles. They are located on four underwing pendants. For missiles, point firing at a target at a distance of no more than 11 thousand meters is provided. Since the indicator of the maximum range of tank missiles does not exceed 5 thousand meters, heavy machine guns 1.5 km, the Apaches, according to experts, can be considered inaccessible to these enemy guns. Unable to destroy the AN-64 and the Igla, Verba and Stinger anti-aircraft missile launchers.

The Russian "turntable" is equipped with:

• Twelve anti-tank missiles "Whirlwind". They move towards the target at a speed of 400 m/s. Russian missiles are able to destroy an enemy tank from a distance of up to 8,000 meters. They penetrate armor 95 mm thick.
• Small arms and cannon armament, which is represented by a mobile gun 2A42 caliber 30 mm. The gun is equipped with 460 rounds. The weight of one is 39 g. The projectile moves towards the target at a speed of 980 m / s. The gun is effective at a distance of up to 4 km.
• Unguided rocket weapons of caliber 80 and 122 mm.
• Four guided air-to-air missiles R-73 and Igla-V.

What is an American helicopter equipped with?

For the AN-64, powerful electronic equipment is provided. Flight crew training takes place on a special simulator. The Apache helicopter is equipped with the TADS system, which performs detection and target designation, and represents the main combat power of the "turntable". In addition, the designers developed the PNVS night vision system and the INADSS integrated helmet-mounted system, with the help of which small arms and missile weapons are activated by turning the head. The main system is equipped with a laser pointer-rangefinder. The ability to track the terrain so as not to be detected by the enemy during sorties has become available thanks to the more advanced FLIR-PNVS system.

About the power plant

"Apache" is equipped with a T700-GE-701 engine, whose power is 1695 liters. With. For the "turntable" there are two high-pressure fuel pumps, the place for which were special nacelles on both sides of the fuselage. The helicopter is equipped with two sealed tanks, the total capacity of which is 1157 liters. The tanks are located behind the pilot's seat and behind the gearbox. In addition, fuel tanks (4 pcs.) can be additionally attached to the wing assemblies equipped with armament suspensions. The capacity of one tank is 870 l.

About performance characteristics

Here's what to note:

• AN-64 is capable of reaching a maximum speed of up to 309 km / h, cruising - 293. The Russian "turntable" is considered somewhat faster. The maximum speed of the Alligator is 350 km / h.
• Apaches are designed for a combat load of up to 770 kg.
• The flight range indicator is 1700 km, Ka-52 - 520.
• The helicopter is designed for three-hour flights.
• The flight crew consists of two people.
• The maximum takeoff weight is 8006 kg, the normal takeoff weight is 6670 kg. Empty helicopter weighs 4657 kg.
• The helicopter has a maximum rate of climb of 12.27 m/s.
• The helicopter is operated from the USA, Israel, the Netherlands and Japan.

About modifications

The American helicopter is presented in several versions:

• "Sea Apache" AN-64A. This model of the "turntable" carries out anti-submarine defense of the forces of the US Navy and Marine Corps. In addition, the helicopter conducts reconnaissance activities. The helicopter carries out flights over distances of up to 240 thousand meters, searches for and destroys enemy ships. Also, this combat vehicle is used in situations where it is necessary to cover the landing of landing troops. 18 Sea Apache units were purchased by Israel, 12 by Saudi Arabia, 24 by Egypt, 12 by Greece. In addition, several "turntables" are used in South Korea and Kuwait.
• "Apache Bravo" AN-64V. Represents a more advanced previous model. During the design, the designers used the experience of using "turntables" in the Persian Gulf. In this, the developers have changed the layout of the cockpit and increased the wingspan. Due to more powerful engines and external tanks, the helicopter can carry out sorties, the range of which has now increased by 200 thousand meters. The military industry of the United States has produced 254 combat vehicles.
• AN-64S. "Turntable" is an intermediate option between the AN-64A and Apache Longbow models. By helicopter in 1993, a 2000-hour test program was completed. It was planned to upgrade 308 combat vehicles. However, in 1993 the program was closed.
• AN-64D "Longbow Apache". It is an improved model of the AN-64A. It is considered the second major modification of the Apache. The main feature of this "turntable" is the presence of the AN / APG-78 radar system. Its location was a special streamlined container above the main rotor. In addition, the helicopter is equipped with reinforced engines and new on-board equipment. It has been in service with the US Army since 1995.

Expert opinion

According to aviation experts, the engine power of the American model loses to the power plant, which is equipped with the Russian Alligator combat vehicle. However, in such a parameter as flight range, the Apaches are superior to the Ka-52. Regarding weapons, the American helicopter is weaker. The Alligator is equipped with real giants - 122-millimeter S-13 unguided aircraft missiles, which are capable of penetrating concrete firing points, as well as armored vehicles and enemy ships.

Both models also differ in the quality of booking. The Apaches use polyacrylic and Kevlar armor plates, which, according to experts, are theoretically capable of withstanding a direct hit from a heavy machine gun projectile. However, the events of 2003, when the United States army invaded Iraq, show the opposite in practice. Then an ordinary peasant managed to bring down the Apache. As a weapon, he used a simple hunting rifle. Ka-52 is more tenacious.

Finally

The Apache's baptism of fire took place in Panama in 1989. Later, this combat vehicle was also used in other armed conflicts. In Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan, the AN-64 has established itself as the most advanced combat helicopter of the second generation.

Helicopters of Russia and the world (video, photo, pictures watch online) occupy an important place in the overall system of the national economy and the Armed Forces, honorably fulfilling the civil and military tasks assigned to them. According to the figurative expression of the outstanding Soviet scientist and designer ML. Mile, “our country itself is, as it were, “designed” for helicopters.” Without them, the development of the boundless and impassable spaces of the Far North, Siberia and the Far East is unthinkable. Helicopters have become a familiar element of the landscape of our grandiose construction projects. They are widely used as a vehicle, in agriculture, construction, rescue service, military affairs. When performing a number of operations, helicopters are simply irreplaceable. Who knows how many people's health was saved by the helicopter crews who took part in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident. The lives of thousands of Soviet soldiers were saved by combat "turntables" in Afghanistan.

Before becoming one of the main modern transport, technological and combat vehicles, Russian helicopters have come a long and not always smooth path of development. The idea of ​​lifting into the air with the help of a main rotor originated among mankind almost earlier than the idea of ​​flying on a fixed wing. In the early stages of the history of aviation and aeronautics, the creation of lift by "screwing into the air" was more popular than other methods. This explains the abundance of rotary-wing aircraft projects in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Only four years separate the flight of the Wright brothers' plane (1903) from the first lift of a man into the air by helicopter (1907).

The best helicopters were used by scientists and inventors, they hesitated for a long time which method to prefer. However, by the end of the first decade of the XX century. less energy-intensive and simpler in terms of aerodynamics, dynamics and strength, the aircraft took the lead. His successes were impressive. Almost 30 years passed before the creators of helicopters finally managed to make their devices workable. Already during the Second World War, helicopters went into mass production and began to be used. After the end of the war, the so-called "helicopter boom" arose. Numerous firms began to build samples of new promising technology, but not all attempts were successful.

Combat helicopters of Russia and the United States It was still more difficult to build than an aircraft of a similar class. Military and civilian customers were in no hurry to put a new type of aviation equipment on a par with the already familiar aircraft. Only the effective use of helicopters by Americans in the early 50s. in the war in Korea convinced a number of military leaders, including Soviet ones, of the advisability of using this aircraft by the armed forces. However, many, as before, continued to consider the helicopter "a temporary delusion of aviation." It took another ten years until helicopters finally proved their exclusivity and indispensability in performing a number of military tasks.

Russian helicopters have played a big role in the creation and development of Russian and Soviet scientists, designers and inventors. Their significance is so great that it even gave rise to one of the founders of the domestic helicopter industry, Academician B.N. Yuriev to consider our state as the "birthplace of helicopters." This statement, of course, is too categorical, but our helicopter pilots have something to be proud of. These are the scientific works of the school of N.E. Zhukovsky in the pre-revolutionary period and the impressive flights of the TsAGI 1-EA helicopter in the pre-war years, the records of the post-war Mi-4, Mi-6, Mi-12, Mi-24 helicopters and the unique Ka family of coaxial helicopters, modern Mi-26 and Ka -32 and much, much more.

The new Russian helicopter is relatively well covered in books and articles. Shortly before his death, B.N. Yuryev began to write the fundamental work "The History of Helicopters", but managed to prepare only the chapters relating to his own work in 1908 - 1914. It should be noted that insufficient attention to the history of such an aviation industry as helicopter construction is also characteristic of foreign researchers.

Military helicopters of Russia in a new way illuminating the history of the development of helicopters and their theories in pre-revolutionary Russia, the contribution of domestic scientists and inventors to the global process of development of this type of equipment. A review of pre-revolutionary domestic works on rotary-wing aircraft, including previously unknown ones, as well as their analysis, were given in the corresponding chapter in the book "Aviation in Russia", prepared for publication in 1988 by TsAGI. However, its small size significantly limited the size of the information provided.

Civil helicopters in their best colors. An attempt has been made to cover the activities of domestic helicopter industry enthusiasts as fully and comprehensively as possible. Therefore, the activities of leading domestic scientists and designers are described, as well as projects and proposals are considered, the authors of which were significantly inferior to them in terms of their knowledge, but whose contribution could not be ignored. Moreover, in some projects, which generally differed in a relatively low level of development, there are also interesting proposals and ideas.

The name of the helicopters denoted significant qualitative changes in this type of equipment. Such events are the beginning of a continuous and systematic development of helicopter projects; the construction of the first full-scale helicopters capable of taking off the ground, and the beginning of mass production and practical use of helicopters. This book chronicles the early history of helicopter engineering, from the concept of propeller lift into the air to the creation of the first helicopters capable of taking off from the ground. A helicopter, unlike an airplane, a flywheel and a rocket, does not have direct prototypes in nature. However, the screw that creates the lifting force of the helicopter has been known since ancient times.

Small Helicopters Despite the fact that propellers were known and there were empirical prototypes of helicopters, the idea of ​​using a main rotor to lift into the air did not become widespread until the end of the 18th century. All the rotorcraft projects being developed at that time remained unknown and were found in the archives many centuries later. As a rule, information about the development of such projects has been preserved in the archives of the most prominent scientists of their time, such as Guo Hong, L. da Vinci, R. Hooke, M.V. Lomonosov, who in 1754 created an "airfield machine".

Private helicopters in a short time were created literally dozens of new designs. It was a competition of the most diverse schemes and forms, as a rule, one- or two-seat apparatus, which had mainly an experimental purpose. The military departments were a natural customer for this expensive and complex equipment. The first helicopters in different countries were assigned to communications and reconnaissance military vehicles. In the development of helicopters, as in many other areas of technology, two lines of development can be clearly distinguished - but the dimensions of the machines, that is, the quantitative one, and the line of development of the qualitative improvement of aircraft within a certain size or weight category that almost simultaneously arose.

Site about helicopters which contains the most complete description. Whether the helicopter is used for geological exploration, agricultural work or for the transport of passengers - the determining role is played by the cost of an hour of operation of the helicopter. A large share of it is depreciation, that is, the price divided by its service life. The latter is determined by the resource of the aggregates, r, e. by their service life. The problem of increasing the fatigue strength of blades, shafts and transmissions, main rotor bushings and other helicopter units has become a paramount task that still occupies helicopter designers. Nowadays, a resource of 1000 hours is no longer a rarity for a serial helicopter, and there is no reason to doubt its further increase.

Modern helicopters comparing the combat capabilities of the original video has been preserved. The image found in some publications is an approximate reconstruction, and not entirely indisputable, carried out in 1947 by N.I. Kamov. However, a number of conclusions can be drawn on the basis of the archival documents cited. Judging by the test method (suspension on blocks), the "airfield machine" was undoubtedly a vertical take-off and landing apparatus. Of the two methods of vertical lift known at that time - with the help of flapping wings or by means of a main rotor - the first seems unlikely. The protocol says that the wings moved horizontally. In most flyers, they are known to move in a vertical plane. A flywheel whose wings oscillate in a horizontal plane with an installation angle that changes cyclically, despite repeated attempts, has not yet been built.

The best helicopter design is always directed to the future. However, in order to more clearly imagine the possibilities for further development of helicopters, it is useful to try to understand the main directions of their development from past experience. What is interesting here, of course, is not the prehistory of helicopter construction, which we will only briefly mention, but its history from the moment when the helicopter, as a new type of aircraft, was already suitable for practical use. The first mention of a device with a vertical propeller - a helicopter, is contained in the notes of Leonardo da Vinci dating back to 1483. The first stage of development stretches from the model of a helicopter created by M. V. Lomonosov in 1754, through a long series of projects, models, and even devices built in kind , which were not destined to take to the air, until the construction of the world's first helicopter, which in 1907 managed to get off the ground.

The fastest helicopter in the outlines of this machine, we recognize the schematic diagram of the most common single-rotor helicopters in the world now. B. I. Yuryev managed to return to this work only in 1925. In 1932, a group of engineers, headed by A. M. Cheremukhitsnch, built a TsAGI 1-EA helicopter, which reached a flight altitude of 600 m and lasted 18 m / w in the air which was an outstanding achievement for that time. Suffice it to say that the official flight altitude record, set 3 years later on the new Breguet coaxial helicopter, was only 180 m. At this time, there was a pause in the development of helicopters (helicopters). A new branch of rotorcraft, gyroplanes, came to the fore.

The new Russian helicopter, with a greater load on the wing area, came face to face with the then new spin problem of loss of speed. It turned out to be easier to create a safe and sufficiently perfect autogyro than to build a helicopter helicopter. The main rotor, freely rotating from the oncoming flow, eliminated the need for complex gearboxes and transmissions. The articulated attachment of the main rotor blades to the hub used on gyroplanes provided them with much greater strength, and stability for the gyroplane. Finally, stopping the engine was no longer dangerous, as was the case with the first helicopters: by autorotating the gyroplane, it was easy to land at low speed.

Large helicopters for landing marines from ships determined the further development of the military helicopter industry as a transport and landing. The landing by S-55 helicopters of the American troops at Inchon during the Korean War (1951) confirmed this trend. The size range of transport and assault helicopters began to be determined by the dimensions and weight of ground vehicles used by the troops and which had to be airlifted. Therefore, the carrying capacity of the first transport helicopters in foreign armies was 1200-1600 kg (the weight of a light military vehicle used as a tractor and related guns).

USSR helicopters correspond to the weight of light and medium tanks or corresponding self-propelled chassis. Whether this line of development will be completed in such a range of dimensions depends on the ever-changing military doctrine. Artillery systems are mostly being replaced by rockets, which is why we find demands from the foreign press as well. Power did not lead to an increase in payload. Indeed, but to the technical level of that time, the weight of propellers, gearboxes for the entire apparatus as a whole increased with an increase in power faster than the lifting force increased. However, when creating a new useful and even more so new for national economic application, the designer cannot put up with a decrease in the achieved level of weight return.

Soviet helicopters, the first samples, were created in a relatively short time, since the specific gravity of piston engines always decreased with increasing power. But in 1953, after the creation of the 13-ton Sikorsky S-56 helicopter with two 2300-hp piston engines. with the size range of helicopters in the Zapal was interrupted and only in the USSR, using turboprop engines. In the mid-fifties, the reliability of helicopters became much higher, therefore, the possibilities of their use in the national economy also expanded. Economic issues came to the fore.

The US Air Force in the 80s replenished the new AH-64 helicopter, better known as the "Apache", designed for offensive operations. He became the first army combat helicopter designed for joint combat operations with ground forces and anti-tank operations.

The AH-64 played an important role in the formation of the American Air Force, becoming a cult model. The helicopter took part in several armed conflicts, and was also used in filming movies. To date, it is the second most common in the world (primacy is retained by the Soviet Mi-24).

Story

The idea of ​​​​using combat helicopters was confirmed by the results of the use of AH-1 Cobra machines in the Vietnam War. It was not clear which model would become the basis in combat units.

The main contender for this place, the AH-56 Cheyenne helicopter development program was closed in 1972 due to high costs. Attempts to replace the AH-1 with the S-67 and the upgraded version of the S-61 failed.

By 1972, the US Air Force announced a program to develop an updated combat helicopter, codenamed AAH (Advanced Attack Helicopter). AN-64 "Apache" (or model 77) was created by "Hughes Helicopters, Inc." and was positioned as a helicopter for the destruction of enemy armored vehicles in any conditions and at any time of the day.

It got its name in honor of the Indian tribe of the same name, which previously lived in the United States.

The finished sample was tested in September 1975. Six years later, he received the official name - "Apache". The first serial helicopter was lifted into the air only in 1984, and deliveries of this model began a year later. By that time, the development company became part of Mc Donnell Douglas Corporation.

The production of this model continues to this day, while the production is carried out in parallel by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.

Modifications

The US Armed Forces praised the car. Over time, more and more new versions of the Apache appeared, and the designers modified the helicopter to perform various combat missions.

ModelAN-64A, designed specifically to protect the fleet and marines from enemy naval forces, as well as for reconnaissance in a particularly remote area.

The Apache helicopter is capable of operating at a distance of up to 240 km from the base point.

Version of the AN-64V, updated on the basis of experience gained in the conflicts in the Persian Gulf. The main differences were:

• increased wing span compared to the original version;
• modified cockpit layout;
• forced power plant;
• fuel tanks with an increased volume were used, which ensured the expansion of the range by 200 km.

The third modification of the Apache was the AN-64S, which featured the removed Longbow radar and upgraded engines. The car was lifted into the air in 1992. The first results encouraged the customer, and it was decided to bring a batch of 308 helicopters of the AH-64A modification to the 64C standard. But by 1993, the program was considered ineffective, and then closed.

The AH-64D "Longbow" series represents another attempt to improve helicopter performance. The machines raised the antenna above the propeller planes and installed an improved version of the Dash 701C and T700-GE-701C engine. The list of weapons was supplemented with AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles. 227 Apache helicopters have been upgraded. The updated models were put into operation in 1996.

The AH-64E "Guardian" model is a further development of the AH-64D. Compared to its predecessor, it has significant changes:

• Apache propeller blades are made of composite materials;
• an improved version of the engine with a capacity of 2000 hp each was used;
• new electronics and control system installed;
• an updated weapons control radar, a target detection and data transmission system were used.

Design

The fuselage "Apache" standard form (semi-monocoque), made of aluminum alloys and high-strength and tough materials. The machine is built according to a single-rotor scheme with 4-bladed main and tail screws. The X-configuration tail rotor is less noisy, and the blades at different angles suppress some of the noise produced by the main rotor.

There is a removable wing of small elongation.

For landing "Apache" meets 3-rack, clumsy landing gear with one tail wheel and enhanced shock absorption. It can withstand normal landings (up to 3.05 m/s) and emergency landings (up to 12.8 m/s). It is allowed to take off and land a helicopter from surfaces with a small angle of inclination (up to 12° in the longitudinal direction and up to 15° in the transverse direction).

On the Apache helicopter, advanced equipment was used at the time of creation. All guidance, target tracking and battlefield assessment systems were located in the bow.

The equipment of the AH-64 helicopter included:

1. TADS detection and targeting system.
2. The PNVS system, which is an improved version of the FLIP complex, is responsible for providing night vision for pilots. The equipment includes an on-board IR-view system for the front hemisphere with a 30x magnification.
3. The Apache pilots' helmets were equipped with the IHADSS integrated aiming system. It makes it possible to fully control the existing weapons through the movement of the head.

The TADS (Target Acquisition and Designation Sights, night vision system) electro-optical system includes:

• laser pointer equipped with tracking system (LRF/D);
• system of IR-view of the front hemisphere;
• daytime (DT) television display system.

The PNVS system gave the Apache pilot all the relevant information needed to complete combat missions. All helicopter equipment gave the pilots the following viewing angles:

• ± 120° in azimuth.
• +30°/-60° in elevation.

Two turboshaft engines are responsible for the flight of the Apache helicopter, the takeoff power of each was 1695 hp. AH-64 motors are mounted in nacelles on the sides of the fuselage. The fuel supply was carried out from two protected tanks, the total capacity of which is 1157 liters. One tank is installed behind the seat of the pilot, and the second - behind the main gearbox. Additionally, 4 outboard fuel tanks of 870 liters each can be attached to the wing hardpoints of weapons.

From below and on the sides, the cockpit is protected by armor. Between the seats there is a transparent protective partition made of Kevlar and polyacrylate. Armor AH-64 provided partial protection against armor-piercing bullets up to 12.7 mm caliber and small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. Fuel tanks carry additional protection, and duplication of hydraulic systems is also used.

The crew of the Apache machine consists of 2 people located in tandem in the cockpit. Ahead is the seat of the second pilot-operator of onboard weapons. Behind him is the main pilot's workplace, raised by 483 mm.

Armament AH-64 "Apache" is located on 4 pendants under short wings.

Armament was combined in various proportions, based on the goals and objectives of the operation. Posted here:

• up to 16 Hellfire anti-tank missiles (which hit point targets and are equipped with an autonomous guidance system);
• 76 pieces of 70-mm missiles with folding plumage "Hydra";
• at the ends of both wings it was possible to place the Stinger UR.

In addition, under the Apache fuselage, a single-barreled automatic cannon M230E1 "Chain Gun" was installed with a maximum ammunition load of 1,200 rounds.

Combat use

Various Apache modifications were used in well-known military conflicts, for example, during the 1989 hostilities in Panama or during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 (then more than 200 AH-64 helicopters were involved).

For the first time in combat, the AH-64 Apache was tested during the American invasion of Panama in December 1989. The experience of use was small: only 11 helicopters of this model were involved, and AGM-114 rockets were launched (successfully) several times.

They played a more significant role during Operation Desert Storm. Then the Apaches fired the first shots of this war, hitting Iranian radar stations in Baghdad and destroying both radars. In hostilities with the Iranian troops, the AN-64 proved to be an effective anti-tank weapon (from 200 to 500 tanks and other armored vehicles were destroyed).

Helicopters have shown themselves to be a technique suitable for supporting ground forces. Over the entire period of the operation, only 3 Apache helicopters were lost.

Combat equipment allowed "Apache" to successfully destroy tanks, striking from long distances.

This not only made the helicopter inaccessible to ground vehicles, but also allowed the AH-64 to destroy targets far from the nearest enemy air defense zone (up to 8 km), making the Apache a more difficult target. As a result, MANPADS of that time (Needle, Stinger and Willow) also could not hit the helicopter and cover their tanks from their fire.

Further, Apaches were used in 1999 in Yugoslavia. "Apache" during the operation of NATO forces were used in Albania and supported the planned land offensive in Kosovo. Helicopters never took part in real combat operations, only a few times they were involved in training flights and participated in the defense of air bases.

Peak use of the AH-64 came in 2003. Then the invasion of Iraq took place, where they were actively used in battle. Several modifications of the Apache helicopter were tested here, for example, the AH-64D.

Is it currently in service

The US military still uses the AH-64 "Apache", with six hundred helicopters. This model was acquired by the Allied Armed Forces of America:

• Israel.
• Saudi Arabia.
• Egypt.UAE.
• Greece.
• England.
• China.
• Netherlands.
• India.
• South Korea.
• Japan and several other smaller states.

In total, more than 2,000 Apache helicopters were produced. The design features of the AH-64 allow it to be upgraded with new, more modern combat systems.

Tactical and technical characteristics

The cost of one "turntable" was about $ 50,000,000. Below is a comparison of the AH-64 "Apache" with two other helicopters produced at about the same time - MI 24 and MI 28.

The MI-24 was one of the first attack helicopter models produced in the USSR. Initially, it was intended to transport troops behind enemy lines and support friendly forces from the air. But later it became clear that it was worse suited for the transfer of soldiers than for offensive missions.

conclusions

The key moment in the history of the use of the AH-64 was the war in Iraq. The Apache helicopter was assigned the characteristics of a model designed to support ground units from the air and destroy enemy armored vehicles.

It became more difficult when a guerrilla war began against the Americans in Iraq. Due to the change in tactics, the number of lost AH-64s increased. A number of Apaches were shot down while flying over city blocks during unexpected shelling from the ground, taking the pilots by surprise. At such moments, it is difficult to determine where the strike came from, so the pilots could not carry out anti-aircraft maneuvers.

Here, the disadvantages of booking a helicopter also appeared. The armor covered most of the hull, but protected only from machine gun fire and some small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. Being close to MANPADS, the AN-64 was the most vulnerable. Plus, there are documented cases where Apache pilots were injured from Kalashnikov shots at the car.

The Apache helicopter did not become an ideal weapon, but successfully performed the tasks assigned to it. The helicopter industry has been actively developed, and the United States has taken a leading position in the production of such aircraft.

Video

A spokesman for the US Department of Defense released a message saying that Boeing has received a contract for AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.

For the needs of the US Army, the contractor, Boeing, is to supply 35 helicopters of the latest modification in the amount of $591 million.

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-bladed attack helicopter equipped with a wheeled landing gear and a crew of 2 pilots.

Helicopters is armed with a 30 mm M230 Chain Gun automatic cannon with 1200 rounds of ammunition, located under the main landing gear, under the forward part of the helicopter fuselage. To accommodate weapons, 4 external suspension units are installed, where, as a rule, AGM-114 Helifire and Hydra 70 missile launchers are mounted. To increase survivability, the helicopter is equipped with additional backup systems for the main work processes during the flight.

The AH-64 Apache model replaced the AH-1 Cobra combat helicopter. The latest modification of the helicopter has been produced at the Boeing Defense factories from 1997 to the present. In total, more than 2000 aircraft were produced.

In the US Army, the helicopter is the main combat vehicle, and is also used by the armed forces of Greece, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands and Singapore. Manufactured under license in the UK under the name Agusta Westland Apache.

The first samples of the Apache helicopter entered the army in 1981. After rigorous testing in the field and during combat operations, they were approved for mass delivery to US Army units. In the course of transformations at Boeing and improvements to the project since 1997, Apache has been produced at the company's factories.

During the modernization of the helicopter, Apache modifications were produced: AH-64A, AH-64A + / D, AH-64E, WAH-64D.

The AH-64 Apache has four main rotor blades and four tail rotor blades. The crew in the cabin of the helicopter is located in tandem: the gunner sits in front, and the pilot sits on a raised platform behind. Helicopters are equipped with a power plant consisting of two GE T700 turboshaft engines with a power (depending on modification) of 1696 - 2100 hp. One of the features of the Apache helicopter was the use of an integrated helmet with the display of sighting systems (IHADSS). The helmet allowed the pilot to control the aiming of the automatic cannon with aimed fire at the enemy.

The AH-64 is designed to perform combat missions around the clock under adverse conditions, through the use of night vision systems.

Helicopter specifications

crew - 2 people;

weight (empty) - 5165 kg;

weight (equipped) - 8000 kg;

maximum takeoff weight - 10433 kg;

power plant - 2 turboshaft engines GE T700-GE-701$

maximum speed - 293 km / h;

cruising speed - 265 km / h;

combat radius - 476 km and 295 minutes;

· the maximum height of rise - 6400 m (with the minimum load);

armament: 1x3ohm M230 Chain Gun with 1200 rounds of ammunition,

· rockets Hydra 70 -70 mm and CRV 70 - 70 mm, air - ground, AGM-114 Hellfire.

The helicopter continues to enter service with the US Army and its allies, undergoing constant modernization and re-equipment.

McDonnell Douglas AH-64A "Apache"

Considered the world's first true attack helicopter, the Apache helicopter gained recognition during Operation Desert Storm. It was these helicopters that completed the first combat mission in this war, destroying Iraqi defensive positions on the very first day.

The AN-64 "Apache" helicopter combines the qualities of a helicopter with the firepower of an attack aircraft. Like an infantryman, the AN-64 helicopter can quickly maneuver in order to most effectively use its weapons.He is also able to hide in the folds of the terrain, sharply "dive", suddenly appear and quickly respond to a rapidly changing combat situation. But, unlike the infantryman, he can quickly deliver his heavy weapons over a long distance. Acting on the battlefield in conjunction with Boeing / Northrop Grumman E-8 "J-STARS" electronic intelligence and communications aircraft, the Apache helicopter becomes a decisive factor in the success of a military operation.
Clumsy and oddly beetle-like in appearance, the helicopter transforms when it carries a Hellfire ATGM, Hydra unguided missiles, and an M230 Chain Gun cannon. This powerful arsenal is supported by an effective system of high-tech sensors (optoelectronic and thermal), which allow you to fight the enemy at any time of the day.
The Apache helicopter was conceived and developed during the Cold War years, as the West needed an adequate weapon against heavy tanks. Today, the time when NATO countries were threatened by tens of thousands of tanks in service with the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies is almost forgotten. The Apache helicopter is capable of detecting a tank and destroying it, while it can use the folds of the terrain to approach the target unnoticed. When everything is ready to strike, the helicopter abruptly “jumps” from behind cover and uses its deadly weapon, being out of reach of tank weapons. If the situation is not as it should be, then the Apache's weapons allow it to fight at close range.
Apache helicopters are capable of doing their job, despite some limitations. Many of the helicopters in service do not have a GPS satellite navigation system and equipment for long-term flights in the terrain following mode.
Being a product of the 1970s, the AN-64 helicopter is more of an "analog" fighter than a "digital" one. It takes a lot of hard work to put a combat mission plan into helicopter systems, and the plan must first be written down on paper. "Apache" perform the task as a group, and if the connection in the group is lost, then it is no longer possible to complete the task. Helicopter crews are testing the veracity of the statement of the German military theorist and General Karl Clausewitz, who said that "in contact with the enemy, no plan survives." Pilots must fly and fight in a stressful situation, hoping that all the answers to the questions asked are correct before the moment when the shooting starts.
The gunner-operator and pilot sit in tandem in a double cockpit. The crew has excellent visibility and can effectively control the helicopter. The helicopter quickly responds to commands from the controls. The wheeled chassis provides free movement on the ground.
The AN-64 "Apache" combat helicopter is a formidable weapon. But he was not the first in this capacity. The superiority in the market of combat rotorcraft belongs to the Bell AH-1G Huye Cobra helicopter, which debuted during the years of the Vietnam War.
Currently, six countries that have Apache helicopters in service are implementing programs for their further improvement.
The goal of these programs is to incorporate modern radar systems and digital avionics into the design of a helicopter created in the 1970s. Once regarded only as an anti-tank weapon, the Apache helicopter is turning into an effective and powerful multi-purpose weapon on the battlefield of the 21st century.

Apache Helicopter Development History

Having failed with the development of the improved combat rotorcraft Lokheed AN-56A "Cheyenne", carried out in 1962 - 1970. Under the AAJFSS (Advanced Close Support Combat System) program, which cost more than $600 million and was assessed as a "resounding failure", the US Army tried to use an intermediate type of attack helicopters: the Sikorsky S-67, developed from the S-61 helicopter and the Bell 309 "King Cobra", developed from the Bell 209 "Huye Cobra" and "Sea Cobra" helicopters. However, in 1972, it was found that none of these helicopters, as well as the modified AN-56 rotorcraft, did not meet the requirements of the army, which decided to start a new program of advanced combat helicopter AAN (Advanced Attack Helicopter), proposed in August 1972. helicopter companies to participate in the US Army competition.
In October 1972, the requirements for the ANN helicopter were developed: armament: a gun with a caliber of 30 mm and a rate of fire of 500-700 rounds per minute on a turret with an ammunition load of 800 rounds and up to 16 ATGM "Tou" on four pylons or up to 72 NAR with a caliber of 70 mm in four containers;
a crew of two in tandem; estimated takeoff weight 7260 kg; rate of climb with vertical takeoff 2.5 m/s; ferry range with external fuel tanks 1480-1350 km; navigational equipment with night vision devices, providing flights in difficult meteorological conditions and at night at an altitude of less than 30 m at a speed of more than 90 km/h; passive radio countermeasure system for ground-based radars; IR reduction system and non-reflective painting of the helicopter to reduce the likelihood of detection; booking the cockpit and the most important units for protection against bullets with a caliber of 12.7 mm; duration of helicopter maintenance: for one flight hour 8-15 hours.

In August 1972, the US Army published an official request for proposals for the creation on a competitive basis of an advanced new generation combat helicopter AAN (Advanced Attack Helicopter).
The AAN helicopter was seen as a replacement for the Bell AN-1 "Cobra" helicopters, which played an important role in the final phase of the Vietnam War. The main task of the future AAN helicopter was night strike operations in the European theater of operations. In response to a request, five US helicopter companies submitted proposals. These were Bell, Boeing-Vertoll (together with Grumann), Hughes Helicopters, Lokheed and Sikorsky. Of these, Bell saw itself, not without reason, as a potential winner. Indeed, of all the contestants, Bell had the most experience in building combat helicopters. The YAH-63 (“Model 409”) helicopter she developed looked quite flawless in appearance. The Hughes Helicopters company created some kind of angular and clumsy Model 77 helicopter, which received the designation YAH-64 in the American army.
On June 22, 1973, the US Department of Defense announced that the Bell YAH-63 and Hughes Helicopters YAH-64 helicopters had been selected for further development and comparative testing. Thus began the first phase of the AAN program. Each firm was assigned to build three helicopters: two for flight and one for ground testing, the so-called GTV (Ground Test Vehicle) helicopter. By June 1975, Hughes Helicopters managed to start ground tests of the first flight prototype AV-01 (Air Vehicle-01) helicopter. The power plant and some systems were worked out on this helicopter. The AV-02 helicopter was intended for flight tests. It should be noted that the AV-01 helicopter never took off, in fact, it served as a GTV helicopter.
Bell was ahead of the competition. Back in April 1975, the YAH-63 GTV helicopter was ready, which forced Hughes Helicopters to speed up the development of their helicopter. As a result, the first flight of an experimental YAH-64 helicopter took place on September 30, 1975, a day earlier than the YAH-63 helicopter.
An intensive flight test program began.
At first it was factory tests, and then comparative tests in the US Army. At this point, instead of the proposed Tou ATGMs, it was decided to arm the AAN helicopter with Rocwell Hellfire missiles. ATGM "Hellfire" was specially designed for helicopters. It was a laser-guided missile capable of hitting targets over 6 km away. It was based on the principle of “fire and forget”, i.e. after launch, the helicopter had to hide, and the control of the rocket was transferred to the ground operator, who provided laser illumination of the target.

On December 10, 1976, after analyzing the results of comparative tests, the army announced the Hughes YAH-64 helicopter as the winner of the AAH program. During the first stage of testing, this helicopter had various problems, even the main rotor had to be redone: the length of the main rotor shaft was increased, and the tips of the blades were made swept. The mass of the airframe of the experimental helicopter turned out to be overestimated, in order to reduce it, Hughes Helicopters changed the design of the tail and applied the lightweight Black Hole system to reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases.
In accordance with the contract for the second stage of testing, Hughes Helicopters was obliged to build three AN-64 helicopters and one GTV helicopter (meeting the serial standard) and complete the integration of the weapon system and sensors. The first flight of the AV-02 helicopter, modified into a serial version, took place on November 28, 1977. In April 1979, the launches of the Hellfire ATGM began. On experimental helicopters, two target designation and night vision systems TADS / PNVS (Target Acquisition and Designation Sight / Pilot's Night Vision Sensor) were tested. The AV-02 helicopter had a Martin-Marietta system, and the AV-03 machine had Northrop.

On March 16, 1980, the AV-06 helicopter took off, the last of the installation series of three machines provided for in the second stage of testing. This helicopter was the first to use a low-lying all-moving stabilizer and a tail rotor with an increased diameter.
In April 1980, an important moment came in the helicopter development program - Martin-Marietta won the competition for the TADS / PNVS system.
The year 1980 ended on a tragic note. On November 20, an AV-04 helicopter was flying to test the horizontal stabilizer angle control system. The helicopter was escorted by a T-28D with a cameraman in the cockpit. At one point, both aircraft approached a dangerous distance and collided. Only the pilot of the aircraft survived the crash.
In May 1981, the AV-02, 03 and 06 helicopters were handed over to the army for final evaluation tests at the training center at Fort Hunter Ligget. Everything went well. As a result of these tests, it was decided to install a new modification of the General Electric T700-GE-701 gas turbine engine with a capacity of 1690 hp each. With. Later that year, the helicopter was given the name "Apache".

On April 15, 1982, the long-awaited permission was received to begin full-scale serial production of Apache helicopters. The US Army announced that it would buy 536 helicopters, but then was forced to limit the purchase of 446 machines.
Based on this, Hughes Helicopters calculated that the production program would cost 5.994 billion dollars. The army has always understood that to meet the estimated price of one helicopter, equal to 1.6 million dollars (in 1972 prices), fail. Now, according to Hughes Helicopters, the price of one machine has jumped to $13 million (by the end of 1982 it had risen to $16.2 million). It is no coincidence that the AAN attack helicopter program has come under fire from the US government. But Apache had powerful friends. On July 22, 1982, General Bernard Rogers, Commander of NATO Armed Forces in Europe, sent a letter to senators opposed to the AA program. In this letter, he spoke about the threat posed to Western Europe by the troops of the Warsaw Pact, especially their tank armies. The general ended his message like this: “We urgently need AN-64 helicopters in Europe, we cannot afford their tanks to go like on a smooth board.”

On September 30, 1983, eight years after the first flight, the official presentation of the first production Apache helicopter took place at the Hughes Helicopters plant in Mesa (Arizona) for the US Army. The project manager, Brigadier General Charles Drenz, then announced that the initial price of one helicopter is $ 7.8 million (at the rate of 1984) or $ 9 million at the current rate. Taking into account R&D costs, this price reaches almost 14 million dollars. Hughes Helicopters planned to increase the mass production of helicopters to 12 units per month by 1986. Thus, in the budget of the US Department of Defense for 1985 f. the purchase of 144 helicopters was envisaged. In the next 1986 f. it was also planned to purchase 144 cars, and in 1987 f. city ​​- 56 in total.
The first truly serial helicopter AN-64 PV-01 performed on January 9, 1984 the first flight lasting 30 minutes.By this time, the prototypes had spent more than 4500 hours in the air. This event occurred after it became known on January 6 that Hughes Helicopters was becoming a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas Corporation.
The handover ceremony for the first AN-64A helicopter to the US Army took place on January 26, 1984. In fact, it was a formal procedure, since the first production PV-01 machine remained in the ownership of Hughes Helicopters / McDonnell Douglas. In fact, the first Apache helicopter that the army could consider its own was the car numbered PV-13. It was on this helicopter that army pilots flew to their base.
The first serial "Apache" first fell into training squadrons at the bases in Fort Eustis (Virginia), where the training center for maintenance and logistics specialists was located, and Fort Rucker (Alabama), where the flight crews were trained. The program for the purchase of Apache helicopters was announced: 138 - in 1985 f. city, 116 - in 1986 f. city, 101 - in 1987 f. g., 77-in 1988 f. g., 54 - in 1989 f. g., 154 - in 1990 f. g. and 10 more helicopters, but only in 1995 f. d. If we take into account the six experimental and pre-production helicopters, as well as 171 helicopters ordered in the first half of the 1980s, the total number of purchases has reached 827 units. The first full-time helicopter unit was the 7th battalion of the 17th cavalry brigade, in which in April 1986 a 90-day retraining began. The last, 821st production helicopter AN-64A "Apache" was put into service on April 30, 1996.

DESIGN.

The helicopter is made according to a single-rotor scheme with a tail rotor. The fuselage is all-metal type semi-monocoque made of aluminum alloys.
The crew cabin is double, with a tandem arrangement of seats; the arrow's front seat is lowered 0.48 m relative to the pilot's rear seat. The armor that protects the crew cabin from below and from the sides, and the armored partition between the seats are made of boron-based materials and must withstand 23 mm projectiles. At the level of the shoulders of the pilot and gunner, there are also retractable armor shields. Cabin glazing panels are made flat to reduce glare. The vertical tail is swept, horizontal with a span of 3.4 m, straight, all-moving, lower. Tail boom folding and wing undocking are provided.
The wing is straight, with a span of 5.23 m, equipped with flaps that deviate down by 20 ° automatically, depending on the speed and altitude of the flight. During landing in autorotation mode, the flaps can deflect upwards by 45° to unload the wing. The wing is removable, the consoles are mounted on the sides of the cabin and have two pylons for attaching weapons or external tanks, SD can also be installed at the ends of the wing.
The main rotor is four-bladed, with hingeless blades. The blades are rectangular in plan, with swept tips. The bushing is made of aluminum alloy. The blades are fastened to the hub by means of torsion bars (packages of elastic plates) made of stainless steel. A feature of the installation of the main rotor is the use of a fixed hollow shaft attached to the fuselage, inside which the main rotor shaft passes.
The blade has five spars made of aluminum alloy, if one of them is damaged, the blade remains operational; the blade chord is 0.53 m, the HH-02 profile has a large curvature. Blade twist - 9 °, blade weight 77 kg.
The tail screw is four-bladed, mounted on the left side of the keel. It consists of two two-bladed propellers installed in an X-shaped pattern (the blades are located at an angle of 60° and 120° to each other). The blades are attached to the hub by means of torsion bars. The bushing uses elastomeric bearings.
The power plant consists of two gas turbine engines General Electric T700-GE-701 with a capacity of 1265 kW / 1695 hp. with., limited to ensure a reserve of power in combat conditions. If one gas turbine engine fails, the power of the second automatically increases to 1285/1723 hp. With. The engines have a modular design and are placed in nacelles on the sides of the fuselage. The motor reducer reduces the shaft rotation speed from 17,000-21,000 to 9800 rpm. Ring-type air intakes, with anti-icing system and centrifugal particulate filter. Nozzles with passive cooling "Black Hole" are installed to reduce thermal radiation. Dry engine weight 192 kg, dimensions 1.181 x 0.635 x 0.584 m.
The transmission consists of the main and intermediate gearboxes of the main and tail rotors, which reduce the rotation speed, respectively, from 9800 to 300 rpm, from 9800 to 3700 rpm and from 3700 to 1400 rpm. The tail rotor drive shaft is made of light alloys. All transmission clutches are oversized for increased survivability. Lubrication is carried out by an oil system, which includes two independent sets of oil tanks, pumps and oil lines. Critical areas are equipped with oil wicks, which continue to provide lubrication to these areas for 30 minutes of operation in case of failure of both oil systems.
Tricycle landing gear, with a non-retractable tail wheel.
The main mounts have linkage suspension with oil-air shock absorbers and can be folded back to reduce the size during transport. The landing gear is designed for a normal sink rate of 3.0 m/s and 12.8 m/s during an emergency landing.
The control system is booster, duplicated. The main rotor control system is mechanical, with hydraulic boosters, protected in critical places by additional armor. The backup control system of the main rotor is electro-remote. The tail rotor control system consists of two mechanical systems (with rigid cable wiring), separated from each other by the greatest possible distance. When the spare system is in operation, the helicopter can continue flying for 30 minutes.
The fuel system consists of two sealed fuel tanks with a total capacity of 1422 liters, one of which is located behind the pilot's seat, the second behind the main gearbox.
The hydraulic system is duplicated, with a working pressure of 20.6 MPa / 210 kg / cm2. The main and auxiliary systems are independent, they serve to control the main and tail rotors.
The auxiliary system also provides control of the rotor brake, weapons system, auxiliary power unit and flaps.
Electronic equipment includes ARC-164 and AN / ARC-186 radio stations operating in the HF and VHF bands, the ASN-128 Doppler navigation system, which provides automatic helicopter control over the target and flight in the terrain following mode, electro-optical, sighting night vision navigation system TADS / PNVS, which includes a laser range finder and target designator; FLIR night vision system; helmet-mounted display and aiming system IHADSS; Computer for fire control and stabilized aiming.
Passive protection means consist of a radar radiation detection receiver, IR and radar interference transmitters, chaff and IR decoys.
The armament consists of a single-barreled M250 E1 "Chain Gun" 30 mm gun mounted on a turret under the fuselage between the main landing gear, 1200 rounds of ammunition; rate of fire 625 rounds per minute. Under the wing on four pylons, 16 Hellfire ATGMs or 76 NARs with a caliber of 70 mm are suspended. At the ends of the wing can be installed SD "Stinger".

Exhaust gas temperature reduction system "Black Hole"
A combat helicopter is at risk from being hit by man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems with a thermal homing head, such as Russian Strela or Igla missiles. When developing the Apache helicopter, taking into account the peculiarities of its combat use, the task was to make its thermal visibility as small as possible. To this end, Hughes Helicopters designed the original Black Hole exhaust gas temperature reduction system, which is a large box-shaped fairings around the engines. The Black Hole system draws in outside air, which cools the exhaust gases and, using special heat-absorbing materials, reduces the exhaust temperature.

ATGM "Hellfire"
The Rocwell AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missile is the main weapon of the AN-64A Apache helicopter. It combines the high accuracy of a laser guidance system, a long flight range (the highest of all existing ATGMs) and a powerful warhead capable of destroying any tank in one hit. The exact range of the Hellfire missile is being kept under wraps, but it is certainly in excess of 5 miles. Now the US Army is adopting a new modification of the AGM-114K Hellfire II, which appeared as a result of the experience of the Persian Gulf War in 1991. The Hellfire II missile has an improved laser head, a new autopilot and an upgraded warhead. For previous Hellfire ATGMs, the warhead consists of a formed explosive charge (EC), inside of which there is a copper core. When a missile hits a target (for example, a tank), then with the help of an EO the core pierces the armor, a jet of molten metal bursts into the hole formed, destroying everything in its path.
The Hellfire II rocket uses a cumulative tandem warhead, and the copper core is replaced with a steel one.

Tail propeller
The tail rotor of the Apache helicopter has an unusual X-shape, its blades are installed asymmetrically at an angle of 60 and 120 ° relative to each other. This configuration reduces the noise level of the tail rotor, which makes a major contribution to the acoustic performance of any helicopter. The new shape of the tail rotor makes it possible to load the AN-64A helicopter into the cargo compartment of a military transport aircraft without removing the propeller.

Armament under the wing
The usual armament of the helicopter includes a combination of AGM-114 "Hellfire" ATGMs and containers with PCs, which improves the operational flexibility of the machine, allowing it to hit various targets. The maximum helicopter can take 16 ATGMs. In this case, it is purely anti-tank. PCs in 70mm caliber are used to engage targets at close range.

Defense systems
The helicopter is equipped with the AN/APR-39(V)1 Radar Warning System, the antennas of which are located in various places on the fuselage from nose to tail. The AN / ALQ-136 electronic countermeasure system can be used. Toward the end of the tail boom, systems for firing heat traps and chaff M130 can be placed, designed for 30 shots and protecting the helicopter from anti-aircraft missiles with thermal or radar guidance. Under the main rotor is the AN / ALQ 144 (V) "Disco Light" system to suppress the operation of enemy thermal imaging equipment.

Air-to-air missiles
In the 1980s, tests were carried out in the United States on the use of air-to-air guided missiles on Apache helicopters. These tests used AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and an aircraft version of the Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile. However, tests of the English Starstreak missile (in the helicopter version of the Helistrek showed that it is superior in accuracy to the American ones. It is possible that the WAH-64 helicopters (in service with the British army) will be the first in the Apache family of helicopters equipped with missiles of the class air - air.Perhaps, then the US Army will become interested in such missiles.

crew cabin
The experience of the Vietnam War made army specialists think. When designing the Apache helicopter, crew protection was a fundamental requirement. The cockpit is heavily armored, the pilot's and gunner's seats are individually armored, and the seats are not destroyed when a helicopter crashes. The Apache chassis is capable of withstanding the roughest landings. The convex glazing of the cockpit, which was previously used on helicopters, contributed to the detection of the machine by solar glare at a very long distance.
On the Apache helicopter, the flight deck glass panels are flat to minimize glare. Currently, the possibility of using air inflatable safety bags in the cockpit, which should further secure the pilots, is being studied.

Sensor systems
An important element of the Apache helicopter avionics complex is the TADS / PNVS (Target Acquisition and Designation / Pilot's Night Vision System) sighting system, combined with night vision equipment. Without such a system, the helicopter is not able to perform its tasks. AAQ-11 night vision system is a FUR heat direction finder mounted on a turret above the forward fuselage and used by the pilot during night flights or in poor visibility.The AN/ASQ-170 sighting system consists of two independent turrets located in the forward fuselage. a heat direction finder, largely identical to the heat direction finder of the PNVS system, but used by the shooter to determine the location of targets.On the right side of the other turret are an optical telescopic system and a laser designator that provide guidance for the Hellfire ATGM.

Armament
Currently, the AGM-114 Hellfire ATGM, combined with the TADS / PNVS system, makes the Apache helicopter the most effective combat rifle-winged vehicle in the world. When the AN-640 Apache Longbow helicopter was put into service, a modification of the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missile was used on it. This missile is controlled by a millimeter-wave Longbow over-the-hustle radar, which allows the helicopter to launch missiles while hiding among trees or hills. Conventional ATGM "Hellfire" during the entire flight to the target must constantly track the laser illumination of the target from the helicopter.

Power point
The AN-64A Apache helicopter is equipped with two General Electric T700-GE-701 gas turbine engines with a capacity of 1695 hp each. With. Starting with the 604th serial helicopter, T700-GE-701C engines with an HP 1890 power were installed. With. All AN-64A helicopters being upgraded to the AH-64D variant on the instructions of the US Army will also receive the 701C engine, and the Boeing-Westland WAH-64D helicopters for the British Army will have a Rolls-Royce / Turbomeca RTM322 gas turbine engine with a capacity of 2210 hp each. With.

Cannon М230Е1 "Chain Gun"
The 30mm M230E1 "Chain Gun" (Chain Gun) is a unique weapon. Its developer is Hughes Helicopters. The name of the gun was given by the mechanism for feeding shells, consisting of a linkless metal chain (chain - in English "chain"). The shell box usually contains almost 1100 shells, another 100 are located directly in the belt. The cannon is linked to the pilot's IHADSS helmet-mounted sight. It can deviate in elevation from +11° to -60° and turn in azimuth at an angle of ±100°.

Pylons for suspension of weapons
The underwing pylons on the Apache helicopter can be deflected in the vertical plane to provide the required elevation angle during rocket firing or to achieve the required aerodynamic characteristics in flight.
When the helicopter lands, the pylons automatically move to the "on the ground" position, i.e. parallel to the earth's surface.

Audible warning system
During critical situations (when there is a threat of defeat, failure of any on-board system, etc.), in addition to visual alarm, an audible one is switched on in the headphones of the crew members. Pilots can also receive tone signaling, which indicates that they are conducting radio communications in a closed mode for eavesdropping.

Main landing gear
The main landing gear has shock absorbers. Before transportation in the cargo compartment of the aircraft, the supports are bent, reducing the height of the helicopter. The shock absorbers are capable of absorbing shock overloads during an emergency landing, protecting the crew. But they can do this only once, after such a landing they must be changed.

Protection against high voltage wires
Under the nose of the fuselage in front of the gun, above the cockpit in front of the main rotor, in front of the turret of the TADS / PNVS system and on the main landing gear, sawtooth knives are installed for cutting high-voltage wires. Such knives are especially important when flying in urban areas.

Shooting system for heat traps and chaff
On the sides of the tail boom, 30-round M130 blocks for firing heat traps and chaff are installed. The M1 chaff protects the helicopter from radar-guided anti-aircraft missiles.

Operation of AN-64 helicopters

For the first time, the combat capabilities of the AN-64 Apache helicopters were demonstrated to the world during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. After that, McDonnell-Douglas began to receive offers from various countries to purchase Apache helicopters in order to increase the strike capabilities of the armed forces . According to experts, such helicopters can be successfully used in local armed conflicts.

Constant territorial disputes between Greece and Turkey forced the first to modernize the fleet of combat helicopters. On December 24, 1991, the Greek Army Aviation Command signed a contract for the supply of 12 AN-64A Apache helicopters and reserved an order for another 8 machines.
At the same time, it was agreed that the number of reserved orders could be increased to 12. In June 1996, the first ordered Apache helicopters were delivered aboard sea transport. Greece currently has 20 vehicles in service. They are all part of the 1st Attack Helicopter Battalion based in Stefanovikion. According to some sources in the US, the possibility of buying another 24 helicopters is being discussed.
In the Netherlands, requirements were formulated for a multi-purpose armed helicopter, which must perform reconnaissance, escort transport helicopters and close support of ground forces. Under these requirements, Apache-type helicopters were best suited. Despite the objections of some economists, on May 24, 1995, the leadership of the Netherlands decided to buy AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters for its Air Force. Thus, this country became the first exporter of AH-64D helicopters. During 1998, it was planned to receive 30 cars. A feature of the Dutch AH-64D helicopters was the absence of the Longbow overhead radar. Helicopters formed the core of the Netherlands' newly established rapid reaction force.
After the end of the Gulf War in 1991, many Arab countries also began to buy AN-64 helicopters. For the UAE, which has huge oil reserves, the problem of the cost of a helicopter was not so acute. The Air Force of this country received the first Apache combat helicopter at an official ceremony on October 3, 1993 in Abu Dhabi. During 1993, deliveries continued, with all 20 vehicles based in Al Dhafra. It remains to receive 10 more helicopters.
In 1993, Saudi Arabia received 12 AN-64A helicopters. All of them are located at the army aviation base King Khalid. These helicopters perform tasks as part of the so-called "hunting groups", which include light reconnaissance and combat helicopters Bell 406CS "Combat Scout". It is not yet clear whether Saudi Arabia has received AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for the AN-64A helicopters.
In March 1995, Egypt received a large shipment of weapons from the United States worth $318 million. It included 36 AN-64A helicopters, four spare sets of Hellfire ATGMs, 34 PC containers and six spare T700 engines, as well as spare parts for laser and optical aiming systems. Egypt also asked the Americans to sell 12 more helicopters. All delivered helicopters met American standards, they were equipped with GPS satellite navigation equipment. Only the radio equipment was tuned to the appropriate frequencies.
On September 12, 1990, the 113th squadron of the Israeli Air Force became the first to adopt Apache helicopters. In August - September 1993, Israel received another 24 AN-64A helicopters (together with two Sikorsky UH-6A multi-purpose machines). These helicopters were stored by the American army in warehouses in Europe and handed over to Israel as a token of gratitude for the support of the United States during Operation Desert Storm. Helicopters were delivered aboard Lokheed C-5 Galaxy military transport aircraft from the US air base in Ramstein (Germany). The second squadron was formed from the newly arrived helicopters in the Israeli Air Force.
In November 1991, Israel, the first foreign buyer of Apache helicopters, used them in combat. Then, in the territory of southern Lebanon, various bases of Hezbollah militants were attacked.
Among the potential buyers of Apache helicopters is Kuwait, where the search for a new combat helicopter is underway. However, the contract for their supply will hardly be signed. The fact is that Kuwait has already bought a batch of Sikorsky UH-60L multi-purpose helicopters armed with Hellfire ATGMs. Bahrain and South Korea are showing great interest in the Apache helicopter. Negotiations with these countries have yet to be completed.

Immediately after the end of Operation Desert Shield, the Apache helicopters of the American army participating in it were involved in the UN peacekeeping operation in northern Iraq. Helicopters directly participated in Operation Provide Comfort, the purpose of which was to protect the Kurdish population from the troops of Saddam Hussein. The AN-64A helicopters were assigned to the battalion 6/6 CAV "Sixshooters". On April 24, 1991, these helicopters were deployed on military transport aircraft from the air base in Illesheim (Germany) to Turkey. The entire journey took 23 hours. During the peacekeeping operation, combat helicopters provided escort for UN transport helicopters delivering food and medicine to Kurdish refugee camps in the mountains of northern Iraq. Apaches were also used to track the nighttime movements of Iraqi troops.

When the US Army launched a campaign in the Balkans in December 1995, in the process of redeploying parts of the 1st Armored Division from Germany, air protection was provided by AN-64A helicopters from battalions 2-227 and 3-227, usually based in the German city of Hanau . Apache helicopters took off before the arrival of the main forces.
First they reached the Hungarian Tashar, where American troops were gathering. Then they flew to the base in Zupanje (Croatia) to ensure the safety of the construction of a pontoon bridge across the Sava River. Only after completing this task did the helicopters finally reach their base in Tuzla.
Units of the 1st Armored Division of the US Army, as part of the peacekeeping force (IFOR), were engaged in the separation of the warring parties in Bosnia. Apache helicopters patrolled the dividing line in order to prevent any violation of it, and also escorted transport helicopters and automobile convoys. They were attracted to ensure the security of various events, including visits of high-ranking officials. At the end of 1996, after the stabilization of the situation in Bosnia, the Apache helicopters returned to Germany.

When NATO troops launched Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia on March 24, 1999, there were no official plans to deploy Apache helicopters there. However, on April 4, the Pentagon decided to send combat helicopters there anyway. This decision was made with great fanfare, since many military and politicians believed that Apache helicopters should be used from the very first days of hostilities. However, the deployment of the Hawke battle group (this is the name given to the helicopter unit) was more like a failed "PR" action. In Illesheim, the 2/6 CAV and 6/6 CAV battalions of the 11th Aviation Regiment had 24 AN-64A helicopters.
They were supported by 26 UH-60L "Black Hawk" and CH-47D "Chinook" helicopters, the latter serving as forward refueling points. On the ground, the helicopters were defended by powerful forces of infantry and armored vehicles. According to experts, the transfer of the Hawk battle group to the base in Rinas (Albania) will require 115 sorties of strategic Boeing C-17 aircraft.
The helicopter delivery operation began on April 14, 1999. For some time, "Apache" had to stay at the base in Pisa (Italy), before they reached Tirana on April 21. Finally, on April 26, all Apache helicopters ended up in Albania. And from that day on, trouble began with them. During a training flight on the afternoon of April 26, one helicopter crashed into trees and crashed.
On May 4, but already at night, the second helicopter was lost.Both airmen were killed, NATO officials presented them as the first victims of Operation Allied Force. Nevertheless, training flights continued, and on June 9 the operation was completed. This is how the highly publicized battle group Hawke never participated in it and did not fire a single shot.
However, the next day, i.e. June 10, a dozen AN-64A Apache helicopters from the 6/6 CAV battalion were transferred to the forward 12th battle group at the Able Sentry camp in Petrovice (Macedonia). There, preparations began for Operation Joint Guard, the purpose of which was the occupation of Kosovo after the withdrawal of the Serbs. On June 12, Apache helicopters became the first NATO forces to cross the border into Kosovo. Their task was to escort the British Puma and Chinook helicopters that delivered the landing units. "Apache" performed the escort and the role of "air" police throughout the operation in Kosovo.

Attack helicopters "Apache" were among the main "actors" in other operations. For example, with their help, the activities of Albanian terrorists were suppressed. In December 1999, the 12th Battle Group was deployed to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo. By this time, helicopters from the 6/6 CAV battalion had been replaced by eight vehicles from squadron B Co.1/1 AVN Wolfpack and six from the 69th Aviation Group of the UAE Air Force.
At the end of 2000, Apache helicopters took part in another peacekeeping operation, in which for the first time AN-64D Apache Longbow helicopters were involved, as well as Dutch Air Force vehicles. Four helicopters from the Dutch air base in Gilze-Rijen arrived in the French colony of Djibouti to assist UN forces in ending the armed conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Operations "Resolute Freedom" (Afghanistan) and "Iraqi Freedom" (Iraq) have shown that Apache helicopters, capable of destroying tanks from a safe distance, are in some cases vulnerable to conventional small arms.
In Afghanistan, almost 80% of the Apaches operating there were heavily damaged by small arms fire, and during the Iraq campaign, helicopters suffered greatly from automatic fire while flying over urban areas.
Apache helicopters were used much more actively by the Israeli armed forces, where they were called "Peten" ("Cobra").They were first recognized in 1996 during Operation Grapes of Wrath against militants in South Lebanon. Helicopters with precise strikes destroyed Hezbollah headquarters in the southern quarters of Beirut and suppressed enemy manpower with fire.
In early 2000, the smoldering Israeli-Lebanese conflict escalated into a real war, after which Israel was forced to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Apache found work again, attacking Hezbollah forces that fired rockets into Israel's border areas and provided support for the Israeli troops leaving. On May 24, 2000, the last Israeli soldier left Lebanese territory. At the end of 2006, Hezbollah units again began rocket attacks on the northern territory of Israel, which forced Apache helicopters to be used again.
During 2001, Apache helicopters retaliated against Palestinian guerrilla bases on the West Bank of the Jordan in the Gaza Strip. Their targets were police posts in the Palestinian Authority, as well as some city blocks where groups of terrorists were hiding.

The main modifications of the helicopter AN-64 "Apache":
AN-64A- original basic modification; It was mass-produced for the US Army and National Guard in 1979-1994. Since 1990, they began to be exported to Israel, which ordered 20 helicopters, Saudi Arabia (12), Egypt (24), Greece (20) and the United Arab Emirates (30);
"Sea Apache"- deck version, developed since 1985 for the Marine Corps and the US Navy for anti-submarine defense, escort, reconnaissance and detection of over-the-horizon targets;
"Advance Apache"- a combat helicopter with an improved electric remote control system, two gas turbine engines with a capacity of 1491 kW / 2000 hp each. With. with a digital control system, an AAWWS Longbow all-weather weapon control system with a millimeter-wave radar above the main rotor hub and a Hellfire missile defense system with a fire-and-forget homing system, a Stinger air-to-air missile with a helmet-mounted sight , TV system for viewing the rear hemisphere and a gun with an increased barrel length and a digital control system; developed since 1985.
In 1988, the MSIP program for the improvement of AN-64 helicopters was launched, which provides for the redesign of the cockpit, improved visibility, increased control automation, and reduced infrared radiation. The proposed improvements were used for the AN-64V, C and D helicopters;
AN-64V- a version of the AN-64 helicopter, improved in 1991 using the experience of combat use in military operations in the Persian Gulf. It was supposed to upgrade 254 AN-64A helicopters into AN-64V; development was terminated in 1992;
AN-64S- modernized AN-64A helicopter with improved equipment and weapons; was developed under the army modernization program; It was planned to upgrade 308 AN-64A helicopters into AN-64S under a program with a total cost of $2,490 million and a cost of upgrading one helicopter of $8 million. In 1992, two experimental helicopters were upgraded. In 1993, the development of the program was discontinued;
AH-64D "Apache Longbow"- an improved combat helicopter with a Longbow radar of a millimeter dipaozone above the main rotor hub, more powerful gas turbine engines, with 70 kVA generators, improved Hellfire ATGMs, a Doppler navigation system and a processor. Tests of the modernized helicopter began in August 1990, with the Longbow system - in March 1991; the first launch of the Hellfire ATGM was made in May 1995. Initially, it was planned to upgrade 218 AN-64A helicopters into AH-64D under a program worth $3,196 million, with the cost of upgrading one helicopter being $14.1 million. The possibility of upgrading 540 helicopters was considered;
GAH-64A- AN-64A helicopters converted into ground simulators; converted 17 helicopters.

Apache today

Although today the AH-64A Apache is in the shadow of the AH-64D Apache Longbow, this machine continues to be the main army aviation helicopter in many countries.
Many Middle Eastern countries at one time ordered the AN-64A, and today this modification continues to be popular.
Egypt, which bought 36 Apaches in 1995, began upgrading them to the AH-64D standard in 2001. By 2005, all Egyptian Apaches had been upgraded in the US and Egypt was reported to have continued to operate 35 machines in 2010 (the lowest accident rate).
Meanwhile, Israel is using 37 of the 42 AN-64As received. Two helicopters were lost in 2006 after a mid-air collision. In 2000, Israel signed
an agreement with Boeing to convert 12 of their Petens into AH-64Ds. Israel actively tried to acquire additional Longbows, but political reasons prevented it from replenishing the AH-64D fleet. It is believed that if the United States continues to refuse to sell the Longbow (for fear that they will be used against the Palestinians), Israel will have to deal with the modernization of its own fleet of AN-64As as a necessary measure.

mixed park
The UAE, which received the last of its 30 AH-64As in 2005, now operates a mixed fleet of 12 Type A and 14 Type D aircraft. The Saudi Air Force operates 12 Apaches. Like several other operators of these machines, they do not plan to upgrade their AN-64As, but wish to purchase new Longbow Apaches to create a mixed fleet.
By 2006, the US Army AN-64A had flown over 1.6 million hours, and today these helicopters continue to be used in many hot spots around the world. In September 2000, Boeing received a contract to upgrade an additional 269 AH-64As to the Apache Longbow until 2006. Thus, in 2010, the US Army fleet consisted of 241 Apaches (and 500 AN-64s). Japan, which began purchasing 50 upgraded AH-64DJP Longbows in 2005, has only two AH-64As left. Meanwhile, Greece, which bought 12 AH-64DHA Longbows in 2007, has retained its 19 AN-64As, using them along with new machines.
Over the eight years that have passed since the invasion of Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) at the end of 2001, the AN-64s have become regular participants in hostilities in hot spots.
After the start of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein continued to ignore numerous UN resolutions and demands from military inspectors.
It was clear that US President George W. Bush was determined to invade Iraq. When this finally happened in March 2003, the Apache found itself in the middle of a hostilities involving a mixed force of AN-64A and AH-64D Longbow Apache.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Apache operated from forward sites (FARP - Forward Arming and Refueling Points) created by the US Army outside major cities and combat areas. The invasion itself lasted only a week, during which the Apache initially acted against their traditional targets, such as armored vehicles, infantry and stationary enemy fortifications. The resistance of the Iraqi Republican Guard was quickly crushed, Iraq was "liberated", but the created power vacuum was quickly filled by the rebels. It was these elusive forces that became the main opponents of the Apache throughout the conflict.
Helicopter crews had to adapt to the new threat by taking on less fuel and weapons (often only two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and a full load of 30mm rounds) to make their aircraft lighter and more agile. This made it possible to reduce the likelihood of being hit by fire from RPGs, MANPADS and small-caliber weapons, which had become a real threat by the time Enduring Freedom was completed. 12 Apaches and Apache Longbows became victims of sudden attacks, and often their crews had little time to respond to a sudden threat.

Assassin and spy
While the AN-64s were present on the battlefield, the infantrymen felt confident on the ground. But Apache's ability to operate at night also proved to be an important advantage.
So the AN-64s provided support to the US special forces that found and detained Saddam Hussein.
Israeli Apaches also allowed the armed forces to neutralize the enemy in cramped urban environments. The much-criticized tactic of destroying key targets in Palestine with laser-guided AGM-114L Hellfire missiles proved very effective. In addition, the AN-64's PNVS and TADS systems proved to be excellent, albeit unconventional, reconnaissance and surveillance tools that allow Israel to track the actions of its adversaries.
Israeli Apaches acted in many operations as reconnaissance and as a weapon of retaliation. And during the war in Lebanon in 2006 and the conflict in Gaza in 2008-2009, Apache tracked the movement of the enemy and preparations for the launch of makeshift missiles, which made it possible to obtain a more accurate picture and launch preemptive strikes.
During the war in Lebanon, two AN-64As collided in the air. The pilot of one of the vehicles was killed, and the other three crew members were seriously injured.

Sources

• World Aviation №111
• Jackson R. Helicopters. Illustrated encyclopedia. / Per. from English / - M .: "Omega", 2007
• Ruzhitsky E.I. Helicopters, - M. Victoria, ACT, 1997 book 2nd