Exploding shells may turn the Apache helicopter into a drone hunter

NASHVILLE—The Army thinks its Apache helicopters, developed a half-century ago to kill Soviet tanks, might offer a solution to enemy drones two or three orders of magnitude smaller.

As the service races to mold a counter-drone strategy based on lessons from Ukraine and now Iran, it is testing AH-64s armed with rockets and proximity-fuzed shells against drones weighing over 50 pounds, officials said recently during the Army Aviation Warfighting Summit.

The idea came straight from the force, Maj. Gen. Clair Gill, who heads the Army Aviation Center of Excellence, said  April 15. He credited Daniel York, a recently retired chief warrant officer-5 and Apache training manager, with the idea to test out the Apache’s counter-unmanned prowess during Operation Flyswatter last year, using some air-to-ground missiles, Hellfires, and 30mm proximity rounds.

“Everybody here is familiar with the JIATF-401”—the Pentagon’s counterdrone task force—and how much energy the Department of War is putting against counter-unmanned aerial systems,” Gill told an audience. “We can be very valuable to that. And I’m proud to say…we’re giving that to our warfighters that are forward right now.”

That includes the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, which recently tested its Apaches in aerial counter-drone operations.

“The UAS threat has defined the conflict in Ukraine, and as we see, also back in the [U.S. Central Command area of operations],” said Lt. Gen. Hank Taylor, the U.S. military representative to NATO, said April 16. “This is not just about protecting our forces. It’s about enduring, and ensuring that we control the airspace, and that we can protect all of our forces.”

All of the services have been looking at more efficient ways to down drones, from jamming to lasers, beyond shooting missiles at quadcopters. The Army thinks Apache munitions are a good fit, especially for Group 3 UAS and above—that is, drones that weigh from about 55 pounds to more than 1,000.

“Engaging Group 3-5 UAS with an Apache using cost-effective munitions like 30mm or guided rockets preserves high-end, expensive ground interceptors for more complex threats,” Brig. Gen. David Phillips, the Army’s deputy Portfolio Acquisition Executive for air maneuver, told Defense One. 

The Apache’s ability to run down targets and fire smaller rounds make it an efficient and cost-effective counter-UAS system, Phillips said.

“An Apache can rapidly reposition to intercept incoming threats across a massive operational footprint, effectively adding to our ground-based air and missile defense umbrella,” he said. “Furthermore, the Apache is highly cost-efficient in this role. When our crews engage these larger UAS, they aren’t necessarily using high-end anti-armor missiles,” he said. “Using a relatively inexpensive rocket or a burst of 30mm to down a Group 3 or 4 drone is an incredibly favorable cost-exchange ratio.” 

To that end, Gill said, the Army has placed a big order for 30mm proximity-fuze ammunition with Northrop Grumman. 

“We had 600 rounds total,” he said. “They’ve produced 1,000 rounds already this month, and they’ll produce another 1,000, and they’re going to ramp their rate up probably five times that.”

The Apache’s prospective new mission comes as the Army is retiring its AH-64D models, moving them to other functions while continuing to buy AH-64Es.

“The Apache’s proven reliability as a c-UAS platform doesn’t change our entire procurement strategy, but it strongly validates the direction we are already heading with the AH-64E Version 6 and beyond,” Phillips said.

What will change, he added, is the way the Army prioritizes missions for its attack helicopters.

“From an employment perspective, we are no longer looking at Army aviation solely for close air support, reconnaissance, or anti-armor missions,” Phillips said. “We are now able to integrate attack aviation directly into the theater air defense design. The Apache is a flying sensor and shooter for the joint force.”