What kind of weapon: The 1990 film Firebirdsstarring Nicholas Cage and Tommy Lee Jones may not have been a Top Gun-style blockbuster, but the U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache, a helicopter that has since become synonymous with American air power, was a successful staging.
How it came about: Developed from the lessons learned in the Vietnam War, the Apache was designed for close air support and anti-tank missions. Equipped with advanced systems and tremendous firepower, including Hellfire missiles and a 30mm autocannon, the AH-64 has proven its versatility and lethality in various conflicts.
Key point: Today it is a key instrument of U.S. and allied forces around the world.
In 1990, one of the best bad movies of its time was made. Firebirds Cast included a young Nicholas Cage (before his “Not the Bees!” days), a slightly younger Tommy Lee Jones and the actress from the original Ace Ventura Film.
What made this film, which has been described as completely “forgettable,” so great was its portrayal of the US Army’s then newest attack helicopter, the AH-64 Apache. The film followed the quest of the young helicopter pilot played by Cage to become a top-notch Apache pilot.
Firebirds was clearly an attempt to capture some of the soaring magic of the 1986 classic Super shooter, but it missed the target for several reasons (namely because the culture had developed only a few years after Super shooter was released). Nevertheless, the display of the radical new Army helicopter was worth seeing. In fact, the Apache has become the most popular – and deadliest – attack helicopter in the Army’s arsenal.
In fact, many consider the AH-64 Apache to be the deadliest attack helicopter of all time.
History of origin
The Army’s development of the AH-64 Apache has its roots in the various failures of U.S. systems in the Vietnam War. Around this time, the entire U.S. military was forced to start over from scratch. Strategically, the military was determined to avoid another Vietnam and so refocused on preparing for a great power conflict with the Soviet Union in Europe.
In the meantime, work began on adapting new technologies and platforms to fulfill both the new mission of preventing a Red Army attack on Europe via the Fulda Gap and to remedy the aforementioned failures of certain US systems in Vietnam.
They were fixated on close air support (CAS) capabilities and wanted to use those capabilities to destroy armored targets on the battlefield (again, the Red Army was in mind). The Air Force was working feverishly on its now legendary A-10 Warthog fighter plane. The Marines were building their new vertical takeoff and landing fighter plane, the Harrier Jumpjet. The Army, on the other hand, needed close air support capabilities but was not allowed to develop fixed-wing aircraft. So the Army relied on its experience with helicopters in Vietnam.
Specifically, the Army wanted to take the Cobra attack helicopter concept that had proven so successful in Vietnam and build a new attack helicopter with greater firepower, range, altitude and anti-tank capabilities. The AH-64 was born.
It was a shame for the Army (but great for humanity) that the great Battle of the Fulda Gap between the Red Army and NATO never happened. Instead, the Apache was used in post-Cold War conflicts. The helicopter was well suited to precisely the kind of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism warfare in the Middle East that Army planners wanted to avoid after the defeat in the Vietnam War.
Capabilities of the AH-64
The AH-64 should fly low to the ground and hide where possible to avoid detection by enemy radars. It should also evade heat-seeking missiles by reducing its infrared signature, or the amount of heat it gives off. Apaches are equipped with a powerful 30mm M230 autocannon that fires 625 rounds per minute. It can carry 16 Hellfire missiles and 76 Hydra missiles.
It is designed to withstand frontline conditions and be ready to operate at any hour and in any weather. With systems such as the target acquisition and target designation system, pilot night vision system, passive infrared countermeasures, GPS navigation capabilities and the integrated helmet and display sighting system, the AH-64 is a born killer, anywhere, anytime.
Boeing-built Apaches can fly up to 279 miles. They have a service ceiling of about 20,000 feet and a maximum operating weight of 23,000 pounds. Boeing’s website boasts that the Army Apache’s total flight hours (for all variants) are more than 5 million and total combat hours are more than 1.3 million. Between 1984 and 1997, Boeing produced 937 AH-64A Apache models, some of which are still in service today. The latest variant is the AH-64E.
The Apache is also one of America’s most popular military exports. The armies of Egypt, Greece, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom all use these systems. Its technological capabilities, versatility and survivability make it a very attractive product.
Author’s experience and expertise: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a national security analyst for the National Interest, is a former congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor to The Washington Times, The Asia Times, and The Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, will be published by Encounter Books on October 22. Weichert can be followed on Twitter. @WeTheBrandon.
All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.
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