Netherlands receives first upgraded Apache E model
Boeing received an FMS contract through the US DoD in 2019 to remanufacture 28 RNLAF AH-64D Apache helicopters to the upgraded E V6 model. (Photo: US DoD)
Upgrading the Royal Netherlands Air Force Apaches to the AH-64E V6 model will increase the fleet’s attack power, versatility and situational awareness.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has received the first AH-64E V6 Apache model with improved performance, sensors and software, Boeing announced on 25 October.
The company received an FMS contract through the US DoD in 2019 to remanufacture 28 RNLAF AH-64D Apache helicopters to the upgraded E V6 model.
The delivery target for the last aircraft is set for 2025.
‘By upgrading from the D-model to the E-model Apache, the Royal Netherlands Air Force will gain a significant increase in attack power, versatility and situational awareness for decades to come,’ Kathleen Jolivette, Boeing VP of attack helicopter programmes and senior Mesa site executive, noted in a statement.
Boeing unveiled the ‘Modernised Apache’ concept, an extensive upgrade package of the AH-64E V6 during AUSA 2022.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, AH-64E V6 enhancements comprise extended range for the Longbow Fire Control Radar; RF interferometer passive ranging; Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) integration; Modernized Day Sensor Assembly with colour displays; and a maritime targeting capability.
The new Apache model will be compatible with long-range precision munitions currently in development, and it will support a future directed energy weapon.
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