Boeing expects to sign up a brand-new operator of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, with the company noting only that it is in “the Pacific region” of the world.
Boeing expects to add Morocco and one unidentified ‘Pacific’ customer to the international Apache user-group within the next 12 months, and has had high-level interest from 10 other nations. (Republic of China Army)
Speaking to Jane’s on 5 May, Terry Jamison, Director, Vertical Lift International Sales, said that the undisclosed Pacific customer is one of two new operators for the Apache that Boeing expects to have under contract within the next 12 months. The other, which has previously been disclosed, is Morocco.
“We expect the current 16 global operators of the Apache to go up to 18 in the next 12 months as we look to add two new users to the community that we like to call Team Apache. These two countries are totally new to the Apache – they are not existing customers looking to upgrade to the AH-64E,” Jamison said, adding that further to these two very near-term prospects, Boeing is currently fielding “high-level interest” from another 10 potential new customers for the platform. “I’m only speaking about those potential customers who already have Congressional notifications, or that are very near to getting them,” he noted.
For the potential new customer in the Pacific region, there have been no recent official State Department approvals for sales beyond those already disclosed. Australia is known to be considering the platform, as is Bangladesh (which, while not ‘Pacific’ can be categorised as ‘Asia-Pacific’). Jamison told Jane’s
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