Kacey Roberts
Boeing’s AH-64 Apache attack aircraft has reached the mark of five million flight hours since the helicopter was fielded in 1984.
The company said Thursday 1.3 million hours were achieved during combat and the milestone equates to flying nonstop for more than 208,333 days or 570 years and nine months.
Apache was built in Mesa, Arizona, and supports 19 defense forces globally including the U.S. Army, which has so far operated the A, D and E aircraft variants.
The Modernized Apache or the AH-64E Version 6 was revealed in October last year. Boeing is currently working on upgrading the E-model’s software and turbine engine for the development of the next Version 6.5.
Army Apache Project Manager John Maher commented, “[The] milestone is a testament to the reliability and availability of the Apache in some of the world’s most demanding conditions.”
