The 50th AH-64E Apache has been secured for the British Army, completing the new fleet of the world’s most advanced attack helicopter.

The final Apache was handed over to DE&S at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Arizona, USA. The UK’s operational fleet is now fully established at the Army’s Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk, while the training fleet is complete at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire.

As well as providing a superior capability for operations, the Apache programme supports the UK Government’s growth agenda by supporting more than 300 jobs at Boeing Defence UK. The global market for Apache also benefits 75 UK companies including 33 small-to-medium enterprises.

Mark Langrill, DE&S Director Rotary Wing and Uncrewed Air Systems, was in the US to accept the final helicopter along with members of DE&S’ Apache Delivery Team and the British Army.

Mark also paid tribute to the Boeing workforce, both in the US and the UK, for their support and commitment to the capability over the last 24 years since the platform first entered service with the British Army, serving in all major conflicts including Iraq, Libya and synonymously in Afghanistan.

Mark said: “We are incredibly proud to accept such a cutting-edge capability, and to receive the final airframe of the British Army fleet. The Apache programme is being delivered by a team drawn from across DE&S, industry and our British Army colleagues, all of whom share a common goal to bring the most up-to-date version of this battle-winning aircraft into service while creating and supporting jobs and skills in the UK.”

Procured by DE&S through a £1.7 billion Foreign Military Sale with the US Government, the AH-64E combines parts from the Mk1 (D-model) Apache, which served the British Army for more than two decades, with a new fuselage and updated technology. It is designed to accomplish operations at day or night, in a range of weather conditions and environments.

With a top speed of over 300kph, its modernised engines, sensors, radar, and optical and thermal sights enable the aircraft to fly faster and strike targets at greater ranges. The AH-64E also benefits from reduced sensor-to-shooter time and increased tactical agility. Its radar can passively geolocate threats without giving away the aircraft’s position, detecting more than 1,000 targets, classifying 256 and prioritising the top 16 in seconds.

The aircraft can destroy land, maritime and air targets using 30mm automatic cannon rounds, wing-mounted 70mm Hydra or Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets, and Hellfire and Joint Air to Ground Missiles.

The new fleet became operationally ready for the Army in 2023 and has already proven itself during exercises and operations around the globe. From the Arctic tundra to the deserts of Jordan, it has played a vital role in NATO operations, including Exercises Swift Response and Steadfast Defender in 2024.

Colonel David Amlôt MBE, from British Army’s Combat Aviation Programme, said: “Battle-tested and modernised, AH-64E Apache is a fully integrated weapon system designed to fight multi-domain operations in highly contested, complex battlespaces, and in the harshest environments from the desert to the Arctic.

“Through this procurement, we will see an increased interoperability with our NATO and allied partners, with an expected 19 nations operating the Apache by the end of the decade, further strengthening our collective deterrence.”

BDUK is providing the long-term training and support service for the new AH-64E fleet. The 20-year agreement with DE&S has created around 315 jobs at Middle Wallop and Wattisham, including apprentices.

Maria Laine, President of Boeing UK, Ireland and the Nordics, said: “Delivering the 50th E-model Apache to the British Army marks a significant achievement in Boeing’s enduring alliance with the UK, a relationship that spans more than 80 years. I am immensely proud of our global team for their dedication in delivering and supporting this advanced Apache fleet, a vital capability that will bolster UK national security for decades to come.”

The 50^th Apache will remain in the US for software testing to enable advanced teaming with uncrewed air systems before being delivered to the UK in 2026.