The AH-64E attack helicopter is the latest version of the AH-64, used by the US Army. It is also known as Apache Guardian. Until 2012 it was designated as AH-64D Block III. It has a number of improvements and upgrades, including more powerful engines, upgraded transmission and other improvements. This gunship might be also fitted with updated Longbow fire control radar. The US Army plan to upgrade a total of 634 AH-64D helicopters to AH-64E standard. It is planned that another 56 helicopters will be newly built. Deliveries to the US Army began in 2011. This attack helicopter has been approved for export. Export operators are Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. This helicopter has been ordered by other countries. India ordered 22 of these gunships, Indonesia 8, Qatar 24, South Korea 36, and the United Arab Emirates 30. In 2014 Iraq ordered 24 of these helicopters, but later cancelled this order. In 2015 the United Kingdom has requested to remanufacture 50 of its WAH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters of this latest AH-64E standard.

This helicopter is fitted with more powerful General Electric T700-GE-701D engines, developing 1 994 shp instead on the 1 800 shp on the previous versions. Also it has upgraded transmission to coupe with extra power. The AH-64E has new composite rotor blades. These are designed to withstand hits from 23 mm anti-aircraft guns. Maximum speed of this helicopter is up to 300 km/h.

This gunship comes with new sensors, avionics and has improved night operation capabilities. Furthermore the AH-64E helicopter can control a couple of UAVs.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a ROC (Taiwanese) AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 8-3/4-inches
Rotor Span: 7-1/4-inches

Release Date: September 2019

Historical Account: "A New Letter Grade" - The "Guardian" Apache was approved in 2012, fifteen years after the preceding AH-64D "Longbow" upgrade, which mounted an APG-78 radar above the rotor that allowed the Apache to detect and fire at ground targets outside of the line of sight. However, this increased the Apach''s unloaded weight by 15 percent, to 11,800 pounds, without increasing the engine power to compensate.

The new AH-64E addresses this by installing a trifecta of new systems: more powerful T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines, a modern face gear transmission system, and new composite rotor blades -- increasing the AH-64E's speed from 140 to 180 miles per hour. The Guardian Apache can thus arrive on the battlefield faster and loiter overhead for longer -- 57 percent longer, according to one field commander. New hydraulic "shock strut" landing gear also improve the Guardian's crash resistance.

Another upgrade is a Manned-Unmanned Team (MUM-T) drone controller datalink enabling the Guardian's copilot to remotely control and receive data from an orbiting Army MQ-1C Grey Eagle drone. This allows the Apache crew to observe the battlefield before they've arrived -- and even to hover behind cover, waiting for a target to be identified by drone so it can make a devastating pop-up attack. The Apache crew can even assume manual control of the drones to paint targets with a laser or launch the drone's Hellfire missiles.

The latest Lot 6 batch of Guardians includes updated fire-control systems that can identify and target ships at sea, presumably to rain Hellfire missiles upon them. Clearly, this is aimed at making the Apache more relevant to any possible conflict in the Pacific -- as well as possible skirmishes in the Persian Gulf. Although plans to make a naval version of the Apache died off long ago, U.S. Army Apache units have been practicing deploying on ships at sea anyway. British Apaches have already operated successfully from the HMS Ocean amphibious assault ship during the 2011 intervention in Libya.