Boeing AH-64 Apache

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine attack helicopter developed by Hughes Helicopters and produced by Boeing. It is designed for close air support and anti-armor missions.

M230 chain gun: A 30 mm electrically driven chain gun mounted beneath the Apache’s nose. It provides the helicopter’s built-in weapon for engaging ground targets.
Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne: A high-speed attack helicopter developed for the U.S. Army and canceled before entering service. Its cancellation helped create the opening for a new dedicated attack helicopter program.
Close air support: Air action against hostile forces near friendly forces, coordinated with those forces. Supporting ground troops is one of the Apache’s stated mission roles.
Mil Mi-24: A Soviet-designed attack helicopter that also carries troops in a limited transport role. Unlike the Apache, the Mi-24 combines attack capability with an enclosed troop cabin.
Attack helicopter: A helicopter designed primarily to engage ground targets with guns, rockets, or guided missiles. The Apache became one of the defining aircraft of this class.
AGM-114 Hellfire: An air-to-surface missile family developed for precision attacks on armored and other targets. Hellfire missiles give the Apache its principal long-range anti-armor weapon.
Advanced Attack Helicopter program: A U.S. Army competition launched in 1972 to develop a new attack helicopter. Hughes designed the AH-64 in response to this program’s requirements.
Anti-tank warfare: Military operations intended to destroy or disable enemy tanks and other armored vehicles. The Apache was designed around attacking armored formations with guided weapons.
Eurocopter Tiger: A European attack helicopter developed through a multinational program led by France and Germany. The Tiger is a later European design with different national requirements and systems.
AH-64D Apache Longbow: An Apache variant with upgraded avionics and provisions for the Longbow fire-control radar. This major modernization expanded target detection and engagement capabilities.

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Military helicopterBroader topic: The Apache exemplifies a dedicated platform for armed reconnaissance and attack.