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