Sep 03
ynaArmy, News ah-64 apache, ah-64d apache, AH-64D Apache Block III, apache, Apache AH-64D, apache helicopter model, Apache helicopters, army helicopter, Boeing, Boeing Apache, Boeing helicopter, helicopter models
The fleet of the AH-64 Apache helicopters of the U.S. Army has surpassed 3.5 million flight hours. Boeing and Apache suppliers all over the world are commending the impressive milestone.
The milestone is a proof of the endurance and reliability of the helicopter model. Apaches had been in service since 1984 and it had flown combat missions in Afganistan, involved in exercises in South Korea and trained alongside the new AH-64D Apache Block III.
“Achieving and surpassing 3.5 million flight hours is a very significant milestone for the Apache, and I am incredibly proud of the soldiers who fly and maintain this helicopter,” said Col. Jeff Hager, Apache project manager for the Army. “I am also pleased for the opportunity to work with dedicated and diligent men and women in government service and industry who design, build and continue to modernize an aircraft that delivers proven capabilities and cutting-edge technologies.”
Boeing is the manufacturer of the Apache helicopters in its Mesa facility. It had scheduled the first units of the helicopter two months advanced in 1983 and since then Apche have fulfilled the demands of battlefield commanders and soldiers effectively.
The newest variation of the Apache helicopter, AH-64D Apache Block III, has composite main rotor blades, a composite stabilator, 701D engines with an enhanced digital electronic control unit, and an improved drive system that enhances the rotorcraft’s performance.
Warplanes looks forward to the most advanced Apache helicopter to be part of our fleet of helicopter models. You can also order airplane models and aviation wall clocks from Warplanes.
News source: www.avionics-intelligence.com
Apr 17
NinaSale A-10 warthog, A-1H Skyraider USAF, A-4F Skyhawk Navy, A-6E Intruder, ah-64d apache, airplane models, av-8b harrier, B-17G Sentimental Journey, B-36J Peacemaker, desktop model planes, EA-6B Prowler, F-18E Super Hornet USN, model airplanes, model plane collection, new collectors series, warplanes
Warplanes produce wood airplane models that perfectly capture its fierceness and intensity. The New Collector Series are modeled using various high-quality grade materials by our master craftsmen. Express your admiration by displaying these desktop model planes in your home. Visit www.warplanes.com to see the entire model plane collection!
See more New Arrivals!
Jun 13
Jobelle ah-64d apache, AH-64D Apache Block III, AH-64D Apache Longbow, AH-64D Longbow, AH-64D Longbow Block III, apache, Apache AH-64D, Apache aircraft, Apache Block III, Boeing, Boeing Apache, Col Shane Openshaw, Longbow Block III, Taiwan, Taiwan Apache
The US Army has confirmed that Taiwan will be the first customer for the AH-64D Apache Block III.
The deal for 30 Apache aircraft, which was the number confirmed by Col Shane Openshaw, PM Apache, could be worth some $2.5 billion according to the DCSA. The aircraft would be a major enhancement to Taiwanese capabilities.
The AH-64D Apache Block III is the most advanced variant of the attack helicopter. It has updated avionics and an improved dynamic system giving the aircraft better performance and greater interoperability with unmanned air systems and troops on the ground.
Overall, AH-64D Longbow Block III improvements incorporate 25 technology insertions as part of the Army’s future force plan. On July 14/06, Boeing and U.S. Army officials signed a $619.3 million contract for Block III upgrades to the current and future Apache fleet, via a virtual signing ceremony held in Washington, DC; Huntsville, AL; and Mesa, AZ. Previously signed and executed contracts for risk reduction engineering work were collectively valued at another $66.1 million, and there had also been some advance ordering and development of components like radar units.
The Apache for Taiwan will be part of the low-rate initial production batch. The first new build Apache Block III will be one of the aircraft for Taiwan and will go on the line in Mesa, Arizona, in October this year.
Openshaw said he expected the Taiwanese aircraft to be delivered in the 2012-2013 timeframe.
Source: shephard.co.uk, defenseindustrydaily.com
Jan 04
JobelleNavy, News AH-1Z Super Cobra, ah-64d apache, F/A-18E/F, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin, MH-60R Seahawk, U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F
F/A-18E/F
Lockheed Martin has successfully completed a comprehensive series of tests to demonstrate the flight characteristics of the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F while carrying the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The flying qualities test series consisted of six flights from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, MD, between October 5 and November 2 with a total flying time of 11.2 hours.
The aircraft flew at altitudes ranging from 5,000 feet to 35,000 feet and at speeds approaching Mach 1.0. During each flight, the Super Hornet was refueled in the air by a support tanker to enable the aircraft to reach all the required speeds and altitudes at which JAGM had to be tested.
The JAGM test articles were six instrumented measurement vehicles (IMVs) equivalent in weight, size and dimensions to tactical JAGM rounds and outfitted with resistive temperature devices, acoustic sensors and accelerometers to measure the flight environments experienced by the launchers and the missiles.
Three IMVs were loaded onto each of two new Navy fixed-wing triple-rail launchers designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Marvin Engineering to carry JAGM on the F/A-18E/F. Fully outfitted, the Super Hornet could be configured to carry 18 JAGMs, as opposed to just four of the Maverick air-to-ground missiles that JAGM will replace.
“The F/A-18E/F presents some of the most challenging environments for JAGM,” said Hady Mourad, JAGM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
Threshold aviation platforms include the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, the Army’s Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) Sky Warrior unmanned aerial system, the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Super Cobra attack helicopter, the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk armed reconnaissance helicopter and the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter.
The tri-service Joint Strike Fighter also is under consideration as an objective platform.
The initial operational capability of JAGM on the AH-64D, AH-1Z and F/A-18E/F is scheduled for 2016, and the IOC for the MH-60R and ERMP is 2017.
- Lockheed Martin -
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Dec 28
JobelleAir Force, News AH-64 plane, ah-64d apache, apache, India Apache, India arm sale
AH-64D
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on December 22 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India of various engines, equipment, weapons, training, parts and logistical support for a possible Direct Commercial Sale of 22 AH-64D Block III Apache helicopters.
The complete package is worth approximately $1.4 billion.
The Government of India has requested proposals from several foreign suppliers, including the United States, to provide the next generation attack helicopter for the Indian Air Force. In this competition, the Government of India has yet to select the Boeing-United States Army proposal.
The proposed sale in support of AH-64D helicopters is to improve India’s capability to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats. This support for the AH-64D will provide an incremental increase in India’s defensive capability to counter ground-armored threats and modernize its armed forces.
There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of one U.S. Government and seven contractor representatives to India for one week to conduct a detailed discussion of the various aspects of the hybrid program with Government of India representatives.
- Department of Defense -
Oct 21
JobelleNews ah-64d apache, apache, Saudi Arabia, U.S. Congress, UH-60 Blackhawk
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress yesterday of a possible Foreign Military Sale of 72 UH-60 Blackhawk, 70 AH-64D Apache and 36 AH-6i to the Government of Saudi Arabia.
Also included are trainers, simulators, generators, munitions, design and construction, transportation, wheeled vehicles and organization equipment, tools and test equipment, communication equipment, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems, GPS/INS, spare and repair parts, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S.
U.S. President Obama and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Arabian National Guard will use the AH-64D for its national security and protecting its borders and oil infrastructure. The proposed sale will provide for the defense of vital installations and will provide close air support for the Saudi military ground forces.
This sale also will increase the Saudi National Guard’s APACHE sustainability and interoperability with the U.S. Army, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and other coalition forces. Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing these helicopters into its armed forces.
The prime contractors will be Boeing, LockheedMartin , Sikorsky Aircraft and General Electric Company among others.
There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
This program will require multiple trips to Saudi Arabia involving U.S. government and contractor personnel to participate in annual, technical reviews, training, and one-week Program Reviews in Saudi Arabia.
- www.dsca.mil
Sep 21
JobelleBlog Articles, Promos ah-64d apache, F-15 Strike Eagle, f16 falcon
“Blog, Grab and Brag”
Warplanes.com’s Win a Model Airplane Contest
Calling all collectors, veterans, historians and aviation aficionado! Warplanes is throwing away an early Christmas gift just for you! Three lucky bloggers will have the chance to own one of our awesome model planes. The contest is pretty simple: just write (or blog) about: why you should be given a beautifully hand-crafted model plane?
So go write that blog entry and post that article now! The contest starts September 23 and ends on October 22, 2010. For your entry to count, you need to post a link to your article on Warplane’s Fan Page.
Here are the contest mechanics in detail:
- To join, you have to write a blog entry or an article telling us why you should win. If you don’t have your own website or blog site, no worries! You can ask a friend, a relative or a co-worker to post your blog on their site. Each entry must have a link to the Warplane’s website and the Warplanes Facebook Fan Page.
- Let us know about your entry by posting a link on Warplanes’ wall. The link should direct us to your write-up. Once acknowledged, you entry is counted and your in!
- Warplanes’ panel of judges will read all the entries and the person whose entry we find most compelling owns a model airplane of his/her choice.
- One winner will be selected by fans, based on the number of “likes” to the link. The entry that gets the most “likes” on our page automatically gets one awesome model airplane! (tip: once posted, spread the news and tell all your friends to like your wall post!
- One lucky customer will be chosen at random by the organizers and gets his/her desired model plane just like that!
- Warplanes administrator will notify the winners as soon as they are determined.
Warplanes is giving you this rare opportunity of owning one of our best products for free! An advance Christmas gift it is, and our way of saying how much we appreciate your continued support.
F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon or an Apache Longbow AH-64D model plane – whether you are planning to give it to your dad, grandpa or just for yourself, you know you just can’t resist masterpieces like these!
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Good luck everyone!
Sep 13
JobelleArmy, News ah-64d apache, apache, OH-58, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, RAH-66 Comanche
The U.S. Army will create an experimental air cavalry squadron composed of 21 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters and eight RQ-7 Shadow UAVs, some time next year.
The Army hopes that this new arrangement will allow the service to meet the exponentially increased demand for aerial reconnaissance with fewer forces over larger areas more efficiently.
Ellis Golson, director of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence’s Capability Development and Integration Directorate expressed that, “Unmanned aircraft have endurance and range, whereas manned aircraft have the ability to react to contacts and have better situational awareness.”
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
The Army has been experimenting with manned-unmanned teaming as far back as 2002 under the now-canceled RAH-66 Comanche scout helicopter program. But technological advances and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have thrown the effort into fast forward.
The concept of operations for the new hybrid squadron has been developed from feedback from deployed aviation soldiers flying Kiowas and Shadows in Iraq and Afghanistan, Golson said.
Now the Army is working to institutionalize the lessons of the wars, where the persistent ground surveillance provided by unmanned aircraft teamed with the Kiowa Warrior has proven instrumental, said Col. Jessie Farrington, assistant G-3 for operations and aviation at Army Forces Command.
Key to the effort is equipping the Kiowas with the gear to stream live video from the Shadow UAV to the helicopter’s cockpit, which the Army will begin to do around November. The new suite is similar to the video from Unmanned Aerial Systems for Interoperability Teaming Level 2 found on the Block II version of the AH-64D Apache.
RQ-7 Shadow UAV
For now, the Army is focused on creating the first prototype hybrid air cavalry squadron, Golson said. Once the unit is selected, trained and reorganized for its new role, the squadron will deploy to Afghanistan in fiscal 2012, which begins Oct. 1, 2011. The forthcoming operational deployment will highlight “what works and what doesn’t,” he said.
If that is realized, Farrington said, the Army plans to convert three units per year to the new configuration until the entire force is standardized.
Both Golson and Farrington, however, said the Army would try to minimize buying any extra Shadows by carefully managing the existing inventory between deployed forces and those at their home stations. The Army does not provide numbers on how many Shadows are deployed overseas.
“It’s all on the table. We’re anxious to see where we go from here.”
- DefenseNews
Aug 18
TynibelleArmy, Blog Articles, News ah-64 apache, ah-64d, ah-64d apache, ah64d, apache
AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopter
A $260 million follow-on production contract for the combat-proven Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS), also known as Arrowhead, for the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter has been awarded to Lockheed Martin by the U.S. Army.
Included in the Lot 7 contract are M-TADS/PNVS systems as well as Arrowhead kits, plus spares, for delivery to U.S. Army and several international customers. More than 1,000 kits will be delivered with the completion of the Lot 7 contract, which extends production through April 2013.
According to U.S. Army Apache Sensors Product Manager Lt. Col. John Vannoy “Demand by commanders for the Arrowhead-equipped LONGBOW Apache to support current operations remains high,” adding “LONGBOW Apaches are deployed everywhere our ground forces are to ensure they remain safe and decisive in combat 24/7, worldwide.” The Arrowhead kit modernizes the U.S. Army’s TADS/PNVS, known as the “eyes of the Apache,” by upgrading the infrared sensors and associated electronics. Arrowhead provides Apache pilots the most advanced long-range, electro-optical precision engagement and pilotage capabilities, ensuring safe flight during day, night and adverse-weather missions.
Bob Gunning, Vice President of Apache Fire Control at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said “Field Commanders describe Arrowhead as a game-changing system in combat,” adding “Maintenance time is down and operational time is up; reports from users are that performance has been terrific. We have a great team working the program for us as the Army prepares to modernize the remaining legacy components of the original TADS/PNVS system.”
The AH-64D Apache is an upgraded and remanufactured version of the AH-64A Apache helicopter.
-defenseworld.net
-aviationtoday.com
- globalsecurity.org
-wikipedia.org
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