A US Army Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopter arrives at the Avalon 2025 international airshow on 25 March. Australian Army AH-64E v6 helicopters on contract are nearly identical to US Army AH-64Es, BDA has previously said. (LAC Campbell Latch/Commonwealth of Australia)
The first of 29 Boeing Apache AH-64E v6 helicopters on contract for the Australian Army has entered final assembly, Boeing has announced.
Designated as AT001, the first Apache “will undergo structural, electrical wiring, major subassembly, and mechanical installation in final assembly before entering flight-testing mid-year”, Boeing said at the Avalon 2025 international airshow on 25 March.
Speaking at Avalon 2025, Brigadier Steven Cleggett, director general of Army Aviation Systems, reiterated that the four Apaches will be delivered to Australia in 2025. “We will then have arrivals progressively all the way through to 2028, when we will have 29 aircraft,” he said.
According to Brigadier Andy Thomas, deputy commander of Australian Army Aviation Command, the Australian Army will commence flying the Apaches soon after arrival at the end of the year. “We expect to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) by 2028,” he said.
Brig Thomas confirmed that Australia will be acquiring manned-unmanned teaming-extended (MUMT-X) modules that sit atop the mast of AH-64Es to allow the army to integrate air launched effects (LEs) with the helicopters. “We expect to develop that [MUMT-X] capability as we introduce it into service, and that is going to be a key part of our tactics, techniques, and procedures,” he said.
However, Brig Thomas did not specify which unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) will be integrated with the Apaches going forward.
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