Boeing has been awarded a contract for producing and delivering 184 AH-64E Apache helicopters to US Army and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.
Valued at approximately $1.9 billion, this is the third production contract for the Apache to be awarded to Boeing.
The initial AH-64E contract was awarded to Boeing in 2017, followed by the second multi-year award in 2019. The third multi-year contract now brings the total value to $2.1 billion.
Under the latest contract, a total of 115 remanufactured helicopters will be delivered to the US Army, while the remaining 54 units will go to allies and partner nations, including Australia and Egypt, which have acquired Apaches as part of FMS deals.
It is the first time that Australia will receive AH-64E helicopters for its armed forces.
Christina Upah, Boeing Mesa Senior Executive and Vice President of Attack Helicopter Programs, stated, “We are enhancing the US Army’s attack fleet while supporting more partner nations and welcoming our newest customer of Apache, the Australian Army’.
The new contract also includes an additional option to supply 15 more Apaches to US forces. The contract’s potential value may exceed $3.8 billion if future options are exercised.
According to an announcement from the US Department of Defense, the new full production contract will be completed in the fiscal year 2027.
The associated work will be carried out at Boeing’s Mesa, Arizona (USA) facilities.
US Army Apache Project Manager, Colonel John Maher, stated, “This multi-year contract is critical to the entire Apache team and demonstrates the Army’s commitment to continue to put unmatched capability in the hands of our nation’s best while providing stability and predictability to exceptional citizens and businesses who pour their talents into producing the world’s best attack helicopter.”
Boeing Global Services will continue to provide optimal combatant readiness, including training devices, spare supplies, test equipment kits and support, depot support, field engineering, and technical manuals. Major advantages in the technical publishing area allow for a streamlined process approach to data reuse that reduces operational and maintenance costs.
There are over 1,275 Apaches currently in operation around the world.
