Enhancing the AH-64 Apache for U.S. Army Aviators

For more than 40 years, Boeing has delivered the world’s most advanced attack helicopter capabilities to the U.S. Army. Through its own Research & Development (R&D) investments, Boeing is showing its commitment to maintain that reputation, support the Army’s 2040 plan and meet the Joint Force’s evolving mission requirements.

Two of the company’s latest developments – Launched Effects integration and Advanced Flight Controls – are intended to ease the workload on Apache aircrew while simultaneously maximizing the reach, lethality and survivability of the aircraft.

Launched Effects Integration Capability

• What’s new? As the U.S. Army works with industry to explore Launched Effects solutions for the future fight, Boeing has already demonstrated a crew interface to manage Launched Effects from an Apache.

• Why it matters: The Apache will serve the U.S. Army and its allies well into the 2060s. To stay ahead of the enduring, acute and pacing threats of today and tomorrow, the Apache continues to evolve with the latest technologies designed to keep Army aviators at the forefront of battlefield dominance. Combined with Launched Effects, the Apache will extend the eyes, ears and reach of pilots in complex environments, increasing the Army and Joint Force’s Global Strike capabilities.

• The bottom line: “We’re accelerating towards a future in which new capabilities will be integrated onto enduring platforms ‘under the glass’ on a software level versus being ‘bolted on’ in a federated manner,” said Jenny Walker, Business Development capture lead for Apache. “We’re showing how that can be done today on Apache Version 6 and beyond, starting with Launched Effects.”

• What’s next: Together with the Army, Boeing is continuing flight testing on the next Apache upgrade, Version 6.5, which will deliver numerous enhancements to the Army, provide a common software configuration throughout its entire fleet, and create a pathway for further modernization, including the integration of Launched Effects.

Advanced Flight Controls

• What’s new? To support the Army in achieving its goal to “fly, fight and win in all environments and conditions”, Boeing is developing Advanced Flight Controls to enable state-of-the-art capabilities on the Apache. The Adaptive Vehicle Management System (AVMS) is a collection of software technologies that maximize aircraft performance throughout all phases of flight and features haptic cueing to alert aircrew when aircraft limits are being approached. The Active Parallel Actuation System (APAS) built by our industry partner is the physical control system hardware that enables AVMS.
  
  Boeing continues to conduct development and testing activities using its Hardware-in-the-Loop System (HILS), showing how Army aviators would interact with these Advanced Flight Controls in a lab environment.

• Why it matters: AVMS, including APAS, is a key element of Advanced Flight Controls, intended to reduce the workload on Army aviators while enabling them to maximize the Apache’s safety, lethality and performance in all-environment operations. Advanced Flight Controls also prime the Apache for additional future growth, including advancements in autonomy and multi-ship operations.

• The bottom line: “By significantly reducing pilotage workload, crews can fly safely and confidently through the full flight envelope”, said Doug Sanders, Business Development capture lead for Apache Advanced Mission Systems and a former Apache pilot with more than 5,000 flight-hours and 2,000 combat hours. “Combine that with its payload, systems like MUM-T, and network capabilities, you have the most advanced and formidable attack helicopter the world has ever seen.”  
  

• What’s next: Building on its pioneering work integrating APAS on another Vertical Lift platform, the Boeing team continues to apply that expertise to development and testing efforts on the Apache, reducing both risk and cost.

Go deeper: To learn more about how Boeing is modernizing the Apache’s capabilities to support the Army’s future needs, click here.