Could use a loadout update too with what we have already;
sidewinders or air to air missiles from say the f-18 or f-16 for the defense and guided missiles from the f-18 for air to ground
Armament and configurations
Mission[42] Hellfire 30 mm
rounds Hydra 70 Maximum
speed
(knots) Rate of
climb
(feet/min) Endurance
(hours)
Anti-Armor 16 1,200 0 148 990 2.5
Covering Force 8 1,200 38 150 860 2.5
Escort 0 1,200 76 153 800 2.5
The AH-64 is adaptable to numerous different roles within its context as Close Combat Attack (CCA).[42] In addition to the 30 mm M230E1 Chain Gun, the Apache carries a range of external stores and weapons on its stub-wing pylons, typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, and Hydra 70 general-purpose unguided 70 mm (2.756 in) rockets.[67] An 18-aircraft Apache battalion can carry 288 Hellfire missiles, each capable of destroying a tank.[62] Since 2005, the Hellfire missile is sometimes outfitted with a thermobaric warhead; designated AGM-114N, it is intended for use against ground forces and urban warfare operations.[68] The use of thermobaric "enhanced blast" weapons, such as the AGM-114N, has been a point of controversy.[69] In October 2015, the U.S. Army ordered its first batch of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guided 70 mm rockets for the Apache.[70]
Starting in the 1980s, the Stinger and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radiation missile were evaluated for use upon the AH-64.[71][72] The Stinger was initially selected; the U.S. Army was also considering the Starstreak air-to-air missile.[71][73] External fuel tanks can also be carried on the stub wings to increase range and mission time.[42] The stub-wing pylons have mounting points for maintenance access; these mountings can also be used to secure personnel externally for emergency transport.[74] Stinger missiles are often used on non-U.S. Apaches, as foreign forces do not have as many air superiority aircraft to control the skies.[75] The AH-64E initially lacked the ability to use the Stinger to make room for self-defense equipment, but the capability was added back following a South Korean demand.[76]
AH-64 Apache weapon loadout
The AH-64E is able to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), used by the U.S. Army to perform aerial scouting missions previously performed by the OH-58 Kiowa. Apaches can request to take control of an RQ-7 Shadow or MQ-1C Grey Eagle from ground control stations to safely scout via datalink communications. There are four levels of UAV interoperability (LOI): LOI 1 indirectly receives payload data; LOI 2 receives payload data through direct communication; LOI 3 deploys the UAV's armaments; and LOI 4 takes over flight control. UAVs can search for enemies and, if equipped with a laser designator, target them for the Apache or other friendly aircraft.[77][78]
Boeing has suggested that the AH-64 could be fitted with a directed energy weapon. The company has developed a small laser weapon, initially designed to engage small UAVs, that uses a high-resolution telescope to direct a 2–10 kW beam with the diameter of a penny out to a range of 5.4 nmi (10.0 km; 6.2 mi). On the Apache, the laser could be used to destroy enemy communications or radio equipment.[79] On 26 June 2017, the Army and Raytheon announced they had successfully completed the first-ever helicopter-based flight demonstration of a high energy laser system from an AH-64.[80]
On 14 July 2016, it was reported that the AH-64 had successfully completed testing of the MBDA Brimstone anti-armor missile.[81] In January 2020, the U.S. Army announced it was fielding the Spike NLOS missile on AH-64E Apaches as an interim solution to acquire new munitions that provide greater stand-off capabilities.
Author
Topic: Enhancements to the BAT AH-64 (Read 1182 times)
