What’s the Future of the Apache?
.By Miguel Alejandro LabordeMarch 26, 2022
In September of 2020, a notable news alert hit the wires – an announcement from the U.S. Army’s Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal (ACC-RSA) that it was interested in seeing who in the private sector could dismantle hundreds of AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopters. Specifically, the announcement stated, “The USG seeks to identify potential sources that possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet the requirements necessary to depopulate the Apache AH-64D Attack Helicopter, sourced directly to the Government.”
According to sources reporting at the time, the work would entail the “depopulation” of approximately three to seven aircraft per month – and that the intended period of performance for the work would commence in January of 2022 and continue on for five years until the end of 2027.[ii]Several months later, in June of 2021, the future of the AH-64 Apache in service to both the active Army and the U.S. National Guard was addressed in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Given that it is now February of 2022, and there has been little word from the Army on what the status is on several aviation programs, the question remains: Does the Army still intend on “depopulating” – in other words, disassembling – several hundred D Model Apaches? This question is particularly timely given a number of issues that continue to mount in importance.
For one, the President’s budget – already late – is set to be released within a month and the expectations for the Army are expected to be grim (more broadly, our nation’s defense budget is already at a net decrease in buying power when coupled with 7.5% inflation). On another, the Pentagon is also expected to finalize its updated National Defense Strategy (NDS) soon, which in addition to other things, will outline our nation’s force structure across all services, including Army National Guard (ARNG) and Reserves. How the Army envisions the National Guard’s aviation role – for both reconnaissance and attack, missions fulfilled by the Apache – should be addressed to some degree in these two documents.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2022/03/26/whats_the_future_of_the_apache_823885.html
