The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Poland of AH-64E Apache Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $12.0 billion. The Government of Poland has requested to buy 96 AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters; 210 T700-GE 701D engines (192 installed, 18 spares); 97 AN/ASQ-170 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/AN/AAR-11 Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors (M-TADS/PNVS); 37 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars (FCR) Mast Mounted Assembly (MMA); 37 Longbow Fire Control Radar (FCR) Radar Electronic Units (REU); 96 AN/APR-48B Modernized Radar Frequency Interferometers (MRFI); 102 AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS); 204 AN/ARC-231A, with RT-1987 Receiver Transmitters, Very High Frequency/Ultra High Frequency (VHF/UHF) radio; 1,844 AGM-114R2 Hellfire Missiles; 96 M36E8 Hellfire Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM); 460 AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM); 508 Stinger 92K Block I Missiles; and 7,650 WGU-59/B Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS-II) Guidance Sections (GS).
Also included are Radar Signal Detecting Sets; Laser Detecting Sets; Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponders; Improved Data Modems; Small Tactical Terminals; Improved Countermeasure Dispensing Systems (ICMD); Automatic Direction Finders; Doppler Radar Velocity Sensors; Radar Altimeter Common Cores (RACC); Tactical Air Navigation Set (TACAN); Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers; Simple Key Loader; Advanced Weapon System Automatic Machine Guns; rocket launchers; missile launchers; rockets; ammunition; Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUMT) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Receiver; MUMT Air-Air-Ground kits; training devices; communication systems; helmets; simulators; generators; aircrew survivability equipment; transportation and organization equipment; spare and repair parts; support equipment; tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance; technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of program and logistical support.
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. The Apache began as the Model 77 developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra. After acquiring Hughes Helicopters in 1984, McDonnell Douglas continued AH-64 production and development. 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. Production has been continued by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, with over 2,400 AH-64s being produced by 2020.
Poland choose the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian to fulfil the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) Kruk (Raven) requirement to replace the army’s ageing Mil Mi-24 ‘Hind’ attack helicopters. Poland is in the midst of a helicopter recapitalisation effort to replace its Warsaw Pact-era inventory, with the recent emphasis having been on acquiring the Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk as a new special forces type to replace its ageing Mil Mi-8/17 ‘Hip’ platforms, as well as Leonardo AW101 Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopters to replace the Mil Mi-14 ‘Haze. Poland was interested in 96 helicopters — six squadrons worth. It is believed all of Poland’s Apaches will be newly manufactured, because there is no Apache in the boneyard, and in Mesa Boeing produce 80-100 aircraft per year.The only potential problem could be only global supply chain moving forward.
