With the arrival of Australia's first Apaches just over 12 months away, five Army pilots are getting a head start on flying the attack platform.
The aviators, former ARH Tiger pilots from the 1st Aviation Regiment, are embedded with the US Army where they are in full flight gaining experience on the aircraft, having completed their type-conversion course at the US Army Aviation Centre of Excellence (USAACE) in Fort Novosel, Alabama, last year.
One pilot flew almost 1000 hours on the ARH Tiger before transitioning to Apache. He knew flying an Apache would be completely different as soon as he saw it.
While the Tiger is lighter, nimble in the air and more forgiving to fly, according to the pilot, the Apache is packed with armour, sensors and enough power to carry 16 hellfire missiles - compared to the Tiger's eight.
"Apache has a max all-up weight of about 10 tonnes, so you need to be a little bit more accurate with your flying," he said.
"There's more armaments and armour on board, so there's more momentum that you're dealing with."
Following their initial training, the pilots were posted to all corners of the US Army's combat aviation organisation - from the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade in Hawaii, to 16 Combat Aviation Brigade in Washington and the 101st Airborne Division in Kentucky. Two remain at Fort Novosel in instructional roles.
All pilots fly the AH-64E Apache, the most advanced model, and the aircraft type Australia will receive. Their experience gained at the controls, and their understanding of how allies employ weapons and tactics will support the development of Australia's own Apache doctrine.
The US Army E model has recently integrated the Spike missile to complement extant joint air-to-ground missiles - featuring laser and radar seekers - that will eventually replace their Hellfire missile.
'Everyone's focused on accuracy to make sure we're doing it effectively to achieve the mission.'
It can acquire targets at more than double a Tiger's range, assisted by colour TV screen, infrared sensors and a Longbow fire-control radar mounted above the rotors.
Link 16 and other data links enable sharing of information with other Apaches and ground HQ elements.
Exact sensor range is classified, but Apaches can see and detect at ranges further than they can shoot.
The large amount of information coming into each cockpit means the US takes a formation approach to receiving and using data. This typically means a troop of four Apaches with mixed configurations of longbow radars and upper-receivers.
"Longbow radar aircraft can share their targets, then the troop leader can assign them between the flight to attack," the pilot said.
"It's an adrenalin rush to be in a four-ship formation with four aircraft firing simultaneously.
"Everyone's focused on accuracy to make sure we're doing it effectively to achieve the mission."
Similar to a tank squadron, US Army attack battalions can conduct deep strike to support division manoeuvre - including deliberate attacks, attack out of contact and movement to contact missions.
"It's not typically in close proximity to ground forces; more forward of their forward line of own troops to hit strategic targets in depth," the pilot said.
The pilots, who are due home late next year when the first of Australia's 29 Apaches are scheduled to arrive, are confident Australia can maximise the Apache's performance for the local environment.
"The new Apache brings the ability to see and detect more, share that information more rapidly and apply more weaponry. It's a fantastic machine," the pilot said.
"The aircrew flying the Tiger are still doing a great job; it will be able to do what the Army needs until Apache is ready to take over."
