The United States Army is rapidly transforming its combat-proven AH-64E Apache attack helicopter into one of the world’s most versatile counter-drone platforms, following the success of a rare and highly specialized live-fire exercise known as Operation Flyswatter.
Conducted at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, North Carolina, the U.S. Army’s AH-64E demonstrated its ability to detect, track, and destroy a wide spectrum of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The results were disclosed in an official Army statement published on November 18.
According to the release, Operation Flyswatter was led by the Army’s Apache Project Management Office (PM Apache) and involved a wide array of participants, including the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and several industry partners. The primary objective was to assess and validate the Apache’s latest Version 6 (V6) software and weapons suite—currently the most advanced configuration of the AH-64E—as a counter-UAS tool in increasingly complex battlespace environments.
The Army did not specify the exact date of the exercise but emphasized its strategic relevance, citing the exponential rise of low-cost drones on modern battlefields.
Mission profiles were executed by South Carolina Army National Guard (SCARNG) pilots, who engaged multiple drone types using radar, electro-optical, and infrared sensors paired with a diverse range of munitions.
“We successfully achieved 13 kills out of 14 engagements, proving the Apache—using its current software and systems—is a lethal and adaptable solution to the drone threat,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Daniel York, PM Apache New Equipment Training (NET) Team Manager.
York noted that the exercise demonstrated the helicopter’s ability to engage both small and larger UAS targets, reinforcing the flexibility of Apache crews to counter a rapidly evolving airborne threat landscape.
The AH-64Es involved in the test employed an extensive array of weapons, including:
Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) cued by the Longbow Fire Control Radar
RF and Semi-Active Laser (SAL) Hellfire missiles using both radar and laser designation
Hydra-70 rockets fitted with APKWS precision-guidance kits, reportedly scoring three hits out of four UAS engagements
30mm M789 high-explosive dual-purpose rounds, achieving close-range kills at distances under 300 meters
Together, these munitions displayed a high hit-probability rate, validating the Apache’s ability to conduct drone engagements across multiple ranges.
One of the exercise’s most consequential findings was the effectiveness of the Apache’s Link 16 tactical data link when combined with radar cueing. The integration dramatically shortened sensor-to-shooter timelines, enabling crews to receive real-time target data from other aircraft, ground radars, and command networks.
According to the Army, this ability allows the Apache to function not just as a strike platform but as a “mobile air defense node”—a crucial capability as drones increasingly saturate frontlines.
CW5 Joel Gooch, State Standardization Pilot, emphasized that the AH-64E’s mixed-sensor fusion—combining electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) and radar—made it uniquely capable of engaging drones under conditions where other platforms may struggle.
“The Apache proved it can counter UAS with radar and laser-guided missiles, laser-guided rockets, and the 30mm—while leveraging both EO/IR and radar sensors,” Gooch said. “With Link 16 integration, it demonstrated it can operate as a true mobile air defense platform, filling a gap that ground systems alone can’t cover.”
He added that the results will directly influence new tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) across Army Aviation, with counter-UAS operations expected to become a core skill set for Apache crews in the near future.
The Apache, originally designed in the 1970s as the United States’ premier anti-armor attack helicopter, has undergone extensive modernization to remain relevant in today’s multi-domain warfare environment.
The rise of inexpensive commercial drones on battlefields—highlighted extensively in conflicts such as Ukraine—has forced militaries worldwide to reassess the vulnerability of traditional high-value assets. Low-cost UAS have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to destroy tanks, artillery, and even helicopters, making counter-drone capabilities essential.
Militaries have increasingly turned to attack helicopters as agile, flexible platforms for air-to-air drone engagements. The U.S. AH-64D Longbow took part in Red Sands 2024 exercises with Saudi Arabia, where it successfully shot down drones using AGM-114 Hellfire missiles — one of the earliest publicized Apache drone kills.
Across other theatres, helicopters have also proven effective in real combat:
March 2024: A French Navy helicopter—likely a Eurocopter AS565 Panther—shot down a Houthi drone over the Red Sea
August 2024: An Israeli AH-64 Apache intercepted a Hezbollah attack drone near northern Israel
August 2024: A Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter downed a Russian Shahed-136 kamikaze drone
October 2024: A Russian Ka-52 destroyed a Ukrainian drone using a Vikhr-1 ATGM
These incidents highlight a broader doctrinal evolution: helicopters are no longer just ground-attack or reconnaissance platforms—they are now critical components of aerial counter-drone defenses.
The Apache AH-64E boasts one of the most advanced avionics and sensor suites of any attack helicopter in service.
At its core is the Lockheed Martin Arrowhead 3rd-generation FLIR, providing high-resolution imaging and target tracking. Complementing this is the AN/APG-78 Longbow millimeter-wave radar, which can detect, classify, and track low-flying drones up to 8 km away—even in heavy clutter, poor weather, or degraded environments.
The Longbow radar can identify and prioritize 128 targets in less than 60 seconds, automatically cueing weapons and reducing pilot workload. Combined with data-linking capabilities through Link 16, the Apache becomes a “flying command node” capable of relaying real-time intelligence to ground forces, jets, and other helicopters.
These advancements place the Apache at the forefront of multi-domain operations (MDO), where speed of information, joint integration, and rapid kill-chains are decisive.
The Apache’s demonstrated anti-drone capabilities carry significant implications for international operators, particularly India, which fields AH-64E Apaches to counter China and Pakistan in high-altitude border regions.
India is awaiting delivery of the final batch of its ordered Apaches. Notably, Boeing attempted to deliver the helicopters earlier, but Turkey unexpectedly denied air clearance to the cargo aircraft transporting them—temporarily halting the delivery.
For India, where drone threats across the Line of Control and Line of Actual Control are rapidly increasing, the Apache’s emerging C-UAS role could substantially improve its layered air defense posture.
The AH-64E has long been considered the world’s premier attack helicopter—a twin-engine, tandem-seat, all-weather platform capable of precision strikes, close air support, armed reconnaissance, and anti-armor missions.
But its ongoing evolution into a highly effective counter-drone asset could redefine its utility for decades to come.
Operation Flyswatter has confirmed that with Version 6 upgrades, multi-sensor capabilities, and networked weapon systems, the Apache is now positioned to become a central player in the fight against the rapidly accelerating drone threat.
As unmanned systems proliferate across every modern battlefield, the U.S. Army is making clear that the Apache will not just adapt—but dominate.
