First two Boeing AH-64E Guardian delivered to Wattisham

[Raven2008]

Good News according to local spotters and now official press release, yesterda the first 2 new Boeing AH-64E Guardians been delivered to Wattisham.

Apache AH-64E heralds new era in modern British military aviation

The first two new Apache Attack Helicopters (AH-64E variant) have been delivered to the British Army from the US Government. They arrived at Wattisham Flying Station on 26 Nov 20 with Aviation Technicians from 7 Aviation Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (7 Avn Spt Bn...

www.army.mod.uk

Flown from Mesa Arizona to Brize then trucked across to here.

cheers

 

[Cold_Collation]

Wonderful news.

 

[Wooden Wonder]

That has to go into the ‘Ugly Aircraft’ thread.

 

[AsterixTG]

Guardian, eh...

Probably only goes left.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

That has to go into the ‘Ugly Aircraft’ thread.

Say it to its face!

 

[Cyberhacker]

Flown from Mesa Arizona to Brize then trucked across to here.

Why not just drop them direct into Watta-shame... shirley the runway is C17 capable, or have they buggered it up?

 

[PhotEx]

And each cost half what the crooks at Wastelands tried to stiff HMG for tarting up the old ones.

 

[Cold_Collation]

And each cost half what the crooks at Wastelands tried to stiff HMG for tarting up the old ones.

Or economies of scale kicked in.

You're a cheerful soul.

 

[br9mp812]

Why not just drop them direct into Watta-shame... shirley the runway is C17 capable, or have they buggered it up?

capita run the fire station now dare say they wanted to charge extra to up cat the airfield.

 

[Lindermyer]

Or economies of scale kicked in.

You're a cheerful soul.

Sssh the UK 'D' was a massively over priced piece of crap
There was never any issue arising from having an all D rather than C / D mix - nor did the UK specific mods produce any advantages over the basic US model.

It was all just a big rip off work generating scheme.

 

[964ST]

Sssh the UK 'D' was a massively over priced piece of crap
There was never any issue arising from having an all D rather than C / D mix - nor did the UK specific mods produce any advantages over the basic US model.

It was all just a big rip off work generating scheme.

Like building the hangars in Watashame with all the facilities „plug and play“ and they did not realize that someone had changed the initial order (a tad) and they did not fit in!

 

[maguire]

That has to go into the ‘Ugly Aircraft’ thread.

pffft. form follows function.

 

[Dan Gleebles]

Wonderful news.

Because RAF fast jet pilots need heroes too?

 

[QRK2]

Because RAF fast jet pilots need heroes too?

 

[PhotEx]

Or economies of scale kicked in.

You're a cheerful soul.

nope, the pikies at Wasteland got caught red handed price gouging what they regarded as a captive cash cow customer when Boeing threw its bid on the table and HMG could do a line by line price comparison.

 

[FEASG]

That has to go into the ‘Ugly Aircraft’ thread.

well that was their C/S on HERRICK

 

[CrashTestDummy]

On the plus side, they only need one toolbox now

 

[Infiltrator]

That has to go into the ‘Ugly Aircraft’ thread.

Whilst in Djibouti a few years ago, there was a huge poster of the Apache in the Chow Hall.

It was of an Apache head on in the hover. Top of the poster said, "BOEING APACHE". At the bottom it said "We build it beautiful because for some people it's the last thing they'll ever see!"

I quite liked that.

 

[Resasi]

The AH64 attack helicopter, originally intended as a tank-killer has seen combat service around the world starting with a dramatic debut on the first night of the air war in Iraq taking out the air defences for the 'shock and awe’ opening of the first Gulf War. Progress from the A to the D has now arrived at the latest AH-64E. Already an extremely potent weapon the E is now very much more capable.

The E model progress includes better flight performance, the wiring harnesses has dropped two miles of wiring compared to the D model and incorporates quick-change connectors to speed up the repair of battle damage, along with other major digital upgrades. This includes full IFR capability, as well as Link 16 giving the crew the ability to remotely control two-types of UAVs in manned/unmanned teaming known as (MUM-T).

This new concept been proving itself in US combat operations in Afghanistan by allowing crews to sit in their aircraft on a FARP while controlling a Grey Eagle UAV some 50-60miles away. They can survey an area of operations, noting activity, familiarise themselves with the situation and terrain, then adjust fuel and weapon load-out before taking off. They then arrive on station fasted than before due to the uprated T-700-GE-701D engines, composite rotor blades and new drive train.

The US E's are now improving this with an update, MUM-TX, which will expand control of the US Army's Shadow and Grey Eagle UAVs and allow Apaches to 'possess' any US unmanned asset on the battlefield and control it.

Boeing's 'Big E' Apache adds new strings to bow - Royal Aeronautical Society

www.aerosociety.com

 

[CrashTestDummy]

The US E's are now improving this with an update, MUM-TX, which will expand control of the US Army's Shadow and Grey Eagle UAVs and allow Apaches to 'possess' any US unmanned asset on the battlefield and control it.

Very interesting. Now, are the British Army getting Shadow and Grey Eagle UAVs?