RI military delegation visits Boeing production center in Arizona
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National |







A delegation of top Indonesian Defense Ministry and Army officers visited the Boeing rotorcraft facility in Mesa, Arizona, recently to view the AH-64E Apache combat helicopter.

Several of the visitors, including Lt. Gen. Budiman, the secretary general for the Defense Ministry, and Gen. Moeldoko, chief of the Indonesian Army, flew the newest version of the Apache, which is in production at the Arizona rotorcraft facility. About 14 Indonesian Army officers were present.

Indonesia has expressed interest in buying at least eight AH-64E Apaches from the U.S. Army through a Foreign Military Sales agreement. Indonesia has submitted a Letter of Acceptance Request and has received approval from the U.S. government to purchase the AH-64E.

“The Apache is expected to be a key part of Indonesia’s continuing efforts to improve its strategic defense capabilities,” a Boeing business development manager, Dave Brostrom, said in an official release.

“Boeing is honored to be considered as part of Indonesia’s defense modernization efforts.”

The delegation was hosted by senior Boeing Apache leaders, including Dave Koopersmith, vice president of Attack Helicopter Programs; Dave Palm, director of Business Development for Vertical Lift and Mike Burke, director of Business Development for Attack Helicopters. The group toured the Apache production line and met with U.S. Army program officials.

Brostrom noted that the Indonesians also have expressed interest in the CH-47F Chinook, which is produced in Ridley Township, Pa.

The timeframe for a decision on the Apache request has not been announced.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft.

Based in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a US$33 billion business with 59,000 employees worldwide.

RI military delegation visits Boeing production center in Arizona | The Jakarta Post

Spesifikasi AH 64

About AH-64

The AH-64A/D Apache and AH-64E Block III Apache Longbow are four-blade twin-engine attack helicopters manufactured by Boeing. The Apache was originally developed by Hughes Helicopters in the 1970s (first flight on September 30, 1975), however, the company was acquired by McDonnell Douglas in 1984. In 1997, McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing.

The latest variant, the AH-64E Apache Longbow Block III (aka Guardian) helicopter (originally designated AH-64D Block III), is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines with 1,994 shp each. The AH-64D/E models are based on the original AH-64A, which was deployed in 1984 and first used in combat in 1989 in the U.S. military operation in Panama. Between 1984 and 1997, Boeing produced 937 AH-64As for the U.S. Army, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The combat-proven AH-64A is still in service.

The first Apache Longbow was delivered to the U.S. Army in April 1997. The first AH-64D sold to a foreign nation was delivered in May 1998. International customers include Egypt, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. The U.S. Army has ordered more than 600 AH-64D/E helicopters. South Korea said on April 17, 2013 that it would buy AH-64E attack helicopters worth $1.6 billion from Boeing to improve its ability to respond to threats from North Korea (according to a government official, the order will be for 36 helos). The AH-64E was selected over the AH-1Z Viper from Bell Helicopter (Textron) and the T-129 from Turkish Aerospace Industries.

Key AH-64E Apache Longbow sensors include the Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman (Longbow LLC) AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radar, which has a very low probability of intercept. The radar automatically searches, detects, locates, classifies, and prioritizes fixed and moving targets on land, see and in the air in all weather environments and battlefield conditions. To date nearly 400 radars have been sold. Also, the AH-64E is equipped with M-TADS/PNVS (Lockheed Martin Arrowhead package), which is an advanced electro-optical fire control and sensor system. Pilots use the system for target acquisition and situational awareness. According to Lockheed Martin, M-TADS/PNVS improves system performance by over 150%, reliability increases more than 150% while maintenance actions are reduced by 60% (compared to the older TADS/PNVS system). Other sensors used on the AH-64E are the AN/APR-39 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) from Northrop Grumman, the BAE Systems AN/APX-123(V)5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder, the AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI) from Lockheed Martin, and the AN/AVR-2B(V) Laser Warning System (LWS) from Goodrich (AH-64E Block III only - AH-64A/D use the AN/AVR-2A).

Countermeasures on the AH-64E include the ITT Exelis AN/ALQ-211(V)1 countermeasures set and the the ITT Exelis AN/ALQ-136(V)2 radar pulse jammer.

As of 2011, U.S. Army Apache Longbow helicopters have accumulated 800,000 combat hours in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The entire Apache fleet has accumulated more than 3 million flight operating hours since the first prototype helicopter flew in 1975.


AH-64E Longbow Remanufacture Effort:

The AH-64E Longbow remanufacture effort upgrades existing AH-64 Apaches to the AH-64E Apache Longbow Block III configuration. The effort incorporates the AN/APG-78 millimeter wave fire control radar (FCR), radar frequency interferometer (RFI), fire-and-forget radar-guided Hellfire missile capability and cockpit management and digitization enhancements. The combination of the FCR, RFI, and the advanced navigation and avionics suite provides increased situational awareness, lethality and survivability. This program also provides for the installation of the Lockheed Martin Apache Arrowhead Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight (M-TADS) and Pilot Night Vision Sensors (PNVS).

The AH-64E Remanufacture Program calls for a total of 634 helicopters to be rebuilt between FYs 2010 and 2026.


Armament/Weapons:

The Apache Longbow is equipped with an Alliant Techsystems M230 30mm single-barrel automatic cannon, which fires 625 high-explosive dual-purpose rounds a minute and has a capacity of 1,200 rounds in total. The gun is located under the fuselage. The AH-64 has four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons and can be equipped with a combination of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra-70 rockets. Typical configurations include 16 Hellfire missiles for anti-armor missions (4x four-rail launchers) or 8 Hellfire missiles (2x four-rail launchers) and two M261 rocket pods with 19 Hydra-70 rockets each. For more detail, see specifications below.


Price/Unit Cost:

In 2012, the unit cost of a new-build AH-64D Block III is $32.28 million (flyaway cost) of which the two T700-GE-701D engines make up $1.61 million ($805,000 each).


Mission/Role:

The AH–64 provides a fire-and-forget Hellfire air-to-ground missile capability, modernized target acquisition and night vision capabilities. Conducts rear, close, and shaping missions including deep precision strike. Conducts distributed operations, precision strikes against relocatable targets and provides armed reconnaissance.


Sources Used: U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Alliant Techsystems,
The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman, ITT Exelis,
and General Electric Co.