The Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow is the U.S. Army’s primary attack helicopter, built around a radar dome that lets it find and prioritize dozens of targets before it ever comes into view. It is the aircraft that turned the original 1980s Apache into a networked, all-weather tank killer.
The “Longbow” name comes from the AN/APG-78 fire control radar mounted above the main rotor. That single addition, more than any other change, separates the AH-64D from the AH-64A it replaced.
What makes an Apache a Longbow?
Not every AH-64D carries the radar. “Longbow” specifically refers to aircraft fitted with the mast-mounted AN/APG-78, a millimeter-wave radar that scans the battlefield from above the rotor disc while the fuselage stays hidden behind terrain.
The Longbow radar can detect, classify, and prioritize up to 256 potential targets within about 31 miles (50 km) in seconds. It hands that data to the crew, or over a datalink to other Apaches, without the helicopter needing to expose itself to return fire.
Many U.S. Army AH-64Ds flew without the radar dome in Iraq and Afghanistan, where armored threats were rare. Export customers such as Egypt also received remanufactured AH-64Ds built without the Longbow radar at all.
From AH-64A to AH-64D: the upgrade program
The original AH-64A Apache entered service in 1984. Boeing began developing the D-model upgrade in 1990, and the first AH-64D prototype flew on April 15, 1992.
In August 1996, the Army signed a $1.9 billion, five-year contract to remanufacture 232 existing AH-64As into AH-64D standard. The first production aircraft was delivered on March 31, 1997.
Flight testing found the AH-64D delivered roughly seven times the survivability and four times the lethality of the AH-64A it replaced. The full modernization program cost about $11 billion through 2007, an investment that reshaped every type of military helicopter the Army has fielded since.
The AH-64D is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines producing nearly 2,000 shaft horsepower each. That gives the helicopter a top speed of 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h) and a normal cruise speed near 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h).
Service ceiling is 21,000 feet (6,400 m), and the aircraft can climb at up to 2,635 feet per minute (803 m/min) at sea level. Rotor diameter is 48 feet (14.63 m), and overall length with rotors turning is 58 feet (17.73 m).
Internal fuel tanks hold 376 gallons (1,423 liters), enough for roughly 249 miles (400 km) of range on internal fuel alone. Adding external tanks stretches that to a ferry range of about 1,180 miles (1,900 km).
Weight and armament
Empty, the AH-64D weighs about 11,387 pounds (5,165 kg). Its typical mission gross weight is around 16,027 pounds (7,270 kg), and maximum takeoff weight tops out near 23,000 pounds (10,432 kg).
The standard weapon is a 30 mm M230 chain gun with up to 1,200 rounds, firing at roughly 625 rounds per minute. The pilot or gunner can slave the gun to their helmet through the Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS), so it tracks wherever they look.
Four stub-wing pylons carry up to 16 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, Hydra-70 rockets, or a mix of both. On Longbow-equipped aircraft, the radar guides a fire-and-forget version of the Hellfire that can hit armor from several miles out without the Apache needing a clear line of sight.
Built to survive hits
The AH-64D carries roughly 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg) of armor and structural protection around the crew and critical systems. Fuel cells are self-sealing and built to withstand hits from 23 mm rounds, the caliber commonly used in Soviet-era anti-aircraft guns.
That combination of armor, redundant flight controls, and a tandem cockpit that separates the pilot and gunner is why the Apache has a reputation as one of the toughest attack helicopters ever built.
Operators and combat record
The U.S. Army has been the primary AH-64D operator since 1997, flying it extensively over Iraq and Afghanistan. Several allied air arms fly their own versions.
The United Kingdom built 67 helicopters as the WAH-64D, using Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines instead of the American GE turboshafts. The Netherlands received 30 AH-64Ds between 1998 and 2002, and Israel took delivery of its first AH-64D, locally named “Saraph,” in April 2005.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Egypt have also operated AH-64Ds, some built new and others remanufactured from older A-model airframes. Across the whole Apache family, Boeing has delivered close to 2,900 aircraft that have logged more than 5.3 million flight hours, over 1.3 million of them in combat.
What an Apache Longbow costs
Boeing has never published an official flyaway price for a new-build AH-64D. The clearest public figure comes from a 2019 Department of Defense Inspector General audit, which put the cost of remanufacturing an AH-64A into AH-64D standard at about $20.2 million per aircraft.
Full foreign military sales packages, which bundle in radar units, missiles, spare parts, and training, run far higher. Recent Apache-family export deals have priced complete packages well into the tens of millions of dollars per aircraft.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an Apache Longbow helicopter cost?
There is no official new-build flyaway price. A 2019 DoD Inspector General audit put the cost of remanufacturing an older AH-64A into AH-64D standard at about $20.2 million per aircraft, before weapons and support packages.
What makes an Apache a Longbow?
The mast-mounted AN/APG-78 radar. Only AH-64Ds fitted with this millimeter-wave radar dome above the rotor are properly called Longbows; some AH-64Ds, including many flown in Iraq and Afghanistan, carry no radar at all.
What do the Taliban call the Apache?
Intercepted radio chatter from Afghanistan showed Taliban fighters calling the Apache “the Monster,” a nickname that stuck after repeated encounters with the helicopter in combat.
What is the deadliest helicopter in the world?
The AH-64 Apache is widely regarded as the world’s most combat-proven attack helicopter, with more logged combat hours than any other rotorcraft and a weapons fit, in the Longbow variant, built specifically to find and destroy armor before it can return fire.
How fast is an Apache Longbow helicopter?
The AH-64D has a top speed of 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h) and typically cruises around 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h).
