AH-64 Longbow

Dose any one think that it is time for a new attack helicopter? I know the 64 worked great in the Gulf war but it is outdated. I mean it was first made like 30 years ago and it was made to be an anti soviet tank copter and was ment to fly through eastern Europe not for desert combat. So dose any one think they should start looking for a new attack helicopter?

The last contract to upgrade the remaining AH-64A models to the AH-64D standard was just signed. As far as being old, the AH-64D is one of the best attack helicopters in the world.

The AH-64D Longbow is fitted with the Longbow millimetre wave fire control radar and the Longbow Hellfire missile. 500 AH-64Ds have been delivered and 380 are in service with the US Army out of a total of 501 procured - 232 new build and 269 US Army AH-64A Apaches being upgraded to AH-64D standard. Deliveries are to complete in 2006. The Longbow has also been ordered by the Netherlands (30, deliveries complete), Singapore (20, first delivered in May 2002), Israel (designated "Seraph", nine new, nine remanufactured, first delivered April 2005) and Egypt (35). A number of AH-64A helicopters have been upgraded to AH-64D standard for South Korea. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested the upgrade of 30 Apaches to AH-64D longbow standard.

Source: www.army-technology.com...

Keep in mind the countries who use and are updating their AH-64s are the US Army, Britain, Egypt, Greece, Holland, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, and the UAE. Considering these are some of the most modern militaries in the world, maybe the AH-64D isn't past its prime quite yet.

Why build a new helicopter when the one in service is one of the best in the world? My answer would be "no" it is not time to start looking for a new attack helicopter.

As far as what it was designed to do, attack helicopters have proven they are very rebust platforms able to perform a variety of missions, including the missions they may not have been originally designed to do.

I doubt the Russian Hind was intended to be used as a search and destroy airship in Afgahnistan, but it certainly performed that role rather well in the 1980s.

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[edit on 19-4-2006 by UK Wizard]

Even though the AH-64 is an old design the Longbow isnt outdated far from it, the helicopter your reffering to is the AH-64D Longbow, its the upgraded version of the AH-64A Which was the models used in the gulf. Really right now the AH-64D is probably the most advanced combat proven helicopter in the United States military.

We are also developing a new generation of attack helicopters, the RAH-66(Recon attack helicopter)Commanche, it's a stealth helicopter, however I have heard that the Commanche project has been delayed or maybe even cancelled, but I dont see why because we have been researching it for over 20 years.

Aside from the Longbow I believe the next best combat proven attack helicopter would be the russian MI-28 Havok.

I am sorry for any mix up i was really talking about the Ah-64A and thanks for responding.

I am sorry for any mix up i was really talking about the Ah-64A and thanks for responding.

Man I could never figure out why they canned the commanche! They had a full sized mock up at an air display I went to in Germany in 2002, and it was bloody beautiful helicopter...pity the powers that be binned it...But hey thats life, just like they chose the F-22 over the F-23...sad but true.

Man I could never figure out why they canned the commanche!

Its called a UAV, its cheaper, unmanned, stealthier, more capable, and its dispensable. Personally I would have cancelled the program a long time ago, we could have saved some money. Thanks Rummy for having common sense. Personally I believe the Apache will be the last US manned attack helicopter. It’s role will be replaced by UAV’s in the future, and that is not a bad thing at all.

Originally posted by Frost2k6
Aside from the Longbow I believe the next best combat proven attack helicopter would be the russian MI-28 Havok.

I personally like the Mi-24 Hind better than the Havok.

Originally posted by Frost2k6
We are also developing a new generation of attack helicopters, the RAH-66(Recon attack helicopter)Commanche, it's a stealth helicopter, however I have heard that the Commanche project has been delayed or maybe even cancelled, but I dont see why because we have been researching it for over 20 years.

Aside from the Longbow I believe the next best combat proven attack helicopter would be the russian MI-28 Havok.

The RAH-66 project was scrapped 2 years ago after a decade of going absolutely no where, they were pretty helicopters, but the job could be done easier and more efficiently by UAVs.

I would prefer the European Tiger. The Mi-24 is a nice combat helicopter, but I would put it along side an AH-60 Attack Blackhawk. Both are gunships.

The Ka-50 Black Shark is nice too.

Shattered OUT...

Originally posted by ShatteredSkies
The Mi-24 is a nice combat helicopter, but I would put it along side an AH-60 Attack Blackhawk. Both are gunships.

Actually the Apache is also considered a gunship.

I realize the AH-64 is also considered a gunship...

Fine I just wanted to change subjects to attack helicopters. Is it so bad that I want the spotlight to be on the Ka-50?

Shattered OUT...

The KA-50 is a beauty! Now thats what the west needs - a fast, agile, heavily armed and armoured helicopter with a turn of speed - The apache is OK, and I'm sure glad we have some for the UK, but for the price im sure the Russians would of fell over themselves to supply maybe 50 % more helicopters for the given money!

Originally posted by MadGreebo
The KA-50 is a beauty! Now thats what the west needs - a fast, agile, heavily armed and armoured helicopter with a turn of speed - The apache is OK, and I'm sure glad we have some for the UK, but for the price im sure the Russians would of fell over themselves to supply maybe 50 % more helicopters for the given money!

Its not quantity, its quality man. I'm sure the Ka-50 is nice and all, but why replace a great combat prooven helicopter when it isnt necessary? I'll take the Apache Longbow any day of the week over any attack helo in the world, and thats a fact. I'm sure the UK is more than pleased to be piloting the most advanced attack chopper in the world.

I too was a bit upset to hear when they canned the Commanche. However, There is very little it could've been expected to do that the Apache doesn't do already. There are simply better places to spend that (believe it or not) limited amount of money. Like buying more or better body armor for soldiers, because anything gets expensive when you have to buy it in the thousands! Better armored vehicles, like the Stryker. Upgrade kits to turn M1A1s into M1A2s. Perhaps even some dedicated armored cars, so we'll have something much better than armored Humvees to cruise potentially hostile streets with.

I too was a bit upset to hear when they canned the Commanche. However, There is very little it could've been expected to do that the Apache doesn't do already.

Well, the Commanche was a good looking chopper and its main advantage over existing choppers was its stealth signature. When in development advanced simulations showed that it could get up to three times as close to an enemy without being in immediate danger than the Apache could. However such an advantage is somewhat negated by new more precise longer range missiles and new UAV’s.

agreed westy, but after seeing some of the small arms fire that brought down the apaches, I'd rather roll round in an armoured KA-50 and survive than have a pretty copit!

If they could build an attack helicopter the way they built the A-10 Thunderbolt II that would be awesome. Heavy fire power, heavy armor, redundancy out the wazzoo, and still simple. The main problem with the Apache is that it just has way too many things that can go wrong. The more parts you have the more things you have that can break. I understand that in Iraq they were always undergoing heavy maintenance (mainly due to the sand).