The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kuwait Air Force of AH-64E Apache Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $4.0 billion. The proposed sale of the AH-64E Apache helicopters will supplement and improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing Kuwait’s close air support, armed reconnaissance, and antitank warfare mission capabilities. Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing these helicopters into its armed forces. The principal contractors associated with this sale will be The Boeing Company, Mesa, AZ; Lockheed Martin Corporation, Orlando, FL; General Electric, Cincinnati, OH; Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, Owego, NY; Longbow Limited Liability Corporation, Orlando, FL; and Raytheon Corporation, Tucson, AZ. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the temporary assignment of approximately three U.S. Government personnel and five contractor representatives to Kuwait to support delivery of the helicopters and provide support and equipment familiarization. In addition, Kuwait has expressed an interest in a Technical Assistance Fielding Team (TAFT) to provide in-country pilot and maintenance training. Execution of a TAFT will require a team of twelve additional personnel (one military and eleven contractors) to be deployed to Kuwait for the period of approximately three years.
The Government of Kuwait has requested to buy eight (8) AH-64E Apache Longbow Attack Helicopters and remanufacture sixteen (16) of their AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopters to the AH-64E configuration consisting of: eight (8) AH-64E Apache Helicopters (new procurement); sixteen (16) AH-64E Apache Helicopters (remanufacture); twenty-two (22) T700-GE 701D engines; thirty-six (36) remanufactured T700-GE 701D engines; twenty-seven (27) AN/AAR-57 Counter Missile Warning Systems (CMWS); eighteen (18) Embedded Global Position Systems with Inertial Navigation (EGI) with Multi-Mode Receiver (MMR); thirty-six (36) remanufactured EGIs with MMR; eight (8) AN/ASQ-170(V) Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/AN/AAQ-11 Pilot Night Vision Sensor (MTADS/PNVS); seventeen (17) AN/APG-78 Longbow Fire Control Radars (FCR) with Radar Electronics Units (REU); seventeen (17) APR-48B Modernized Radar Frequency Interferometers (M-RFI); eighteen (18) M299 AGM-114 Hellfire Missile Launchers; four (4) remanufactured M299 AGM-114 Hellfire Missile Launchers; eighteen (18) Hydra 70 (70mm) 2.75 Inch Rocket M260 Rocket Launchers; four (4) remanufactured Hydra 70 (70mm) 2.75 Inch Rocket M260 Rocket Launchers; nine (9) M230El 30mm Chain Gun M139 Area Weapons System (AWS) Guns; two (2) remanufactured M230El 30mm Chain Gun M139 AWS Guns; one (1) Longbow Crew Trainers (LCT); and one (1) remanufactured LCT.
Also included are fifty-four (54) AN/ARC‑201 non-COMSEC Very-High Frequency/Frequency Modulation (VHF/FM) radios; fifty-four (54) Ultra‑High Frequency (UHF) radios (AN/ARC‑231 or MXF 4027); twenty-eight (28) Identify Friend or Foe Transponders (APX 123 or APX 119); twenty-seven (27) IDM 401 (Improved Data Modem); twenty-seven (27) Link 16 Datalinks; twenty-seven (27) AN/APR-39D (V)2 Radar Warning Receivers; twenty-seven (27) AN/AVR-2 Laser Warning Receivers; twenty-seven (27) Infrared Countermeasures Dispensers (2 flares, 1 chaff); nine (9) ASN-157 Doppler Radar Velocity Sensors; nine (9) AN/ARN-149 (V)3 Automatic Direction Finders (ADF); sixteen (16) remanufactured AN/ARN-149 (V)3 ADFs; nine (9) AN/APN-209 Radar Altimeters; twenty-seven (27) AN/ARN-153 Tactical Airborne Navigation (TACAN) systems; sixteen (16) Manned-Unmanned Teaming International (MUM-Ti) (UPR) Air to Air to Ground Data Link Systems; twenty-four (24) MUM-Ti (Ground) Air to Air to Ground Data Link Systems; twenty-four (24) 100 gallon Internal Auxiliary Fuel Systems (IAFS); twenty-four (24) 125 gallon Reduced Capacity Crashworthy External Fuel Systems (RCEFS); two (2) IAFS Spares; two (2) IAFS Publications; six (6) IAFS Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Apache Magazine and Auxiliary Tank Transfer Systems (AMATTS); five (5) IDM Software Loader Verifiers (SLV); training devices; helmets; simulators; generators; transportation; wheeled vehicles and organizational equipment; spare and other related elements of logistics support.
Formerly known as AH-64D Block III, in 2012, it was redesignated as AH-64E Guardian to represent its increased capabilities. The AH-64E features improved digital connectivity, the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System, more powerful T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded face gear transmission to accommodate more power, capability to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), full IFR capability, and improved landing gear. New composite rotor blades, which successfully completed testing in 2004, increase cruise speed, climb rate, and payload capacity.[313] Deliveries began in November 2011.[314] Full-rate production was approved on 24 October 2012,[315] with 634 AH-64Ds to be upgraded to AH-64E standard and production of 56 new-build AH-64Es to start in 2019/20. The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 chain gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft’s forward fuselage, and four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons for carrying armament and stores, typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has significant systems redundancy to improve combat survivability.
