Past Talks : January 2024

“Teaching the systems to fly and fight the Westland AH64D Apache Helicopter”, by Mike Morison

The title of this talk is simple and easy to understand. The aircraft itself is another matter. It looks aggressive, very purposeful and perhaps a little less simple and easy. Mike Morison is the perfect example of man taming machine, to master its complexities and pass on his vast knowledge to the aircrew taking the Apache into action, particularly in Afghanistan. Believe me it is complex, but very capable.

Mike Morison is a third generation aviator in his family and he started his RAF career in 1974. As the years went by, he flew the Chipmunk, Jet Provost, Gnat, Hunter, Jaguar, Hawk, Tornado and even the Hercules. Along the way he became a Tactics Instructor at RAF Brawdy, then a Qualified Weapons Instructor, which put him in prime position when the British Army bought the AH64 Apache attack helicopter. As you will have spotted, Mike is not a helicopter pilot, his later speciality was weapon systems. His students were all qualified helicopter pilots.

The Apache helicopter first flew almost 50 years ago in 1975, shortly after the time when Mike Morison first flew at the start of his RAF career. The United States Army put out a requirement for an anti-armour attack helicopter to succeed the AH-1 Cobra. It had to have improved firepower, performance and range over the Cobra, plus the manoeuvrability for terrain following radar.

Several companies bid and built prototypes to compete in trials, but the Hughes Tool Company won the contract. Amongst other things the Hughes offer was more damage tolerant with a four blade main rotor and the stability of its undercarriage. The wheeled undercarriage enabled rolling take-offs to be made with heavier loads than skids would allow.

The AH64 carries a crew of two in tandem configuration. Both crew members are qualified pilots, with the Captain sitting in the elevated rear seat and the Co-pilot/gunner (Mission Commander) in the front seat. Avionics are duplicated and carried in external bays each side of the aircraft, while 4 pylons mounted on the winglets carry missiles and rockets, leaving clear access for the chin-mounted 30mm chain-gun.

Hughes Helicopters (as it became) built the AH64 from 1975 to 1984, when the company was taken over by McDonnell Douglas, which in turn became part The Boeing Aircraft Company in 1997. Boeing continues to build the latest variant (AH64E) to this day.

Meanwhile, in September 1998 Westland Helicopters in Somerset, was contracted to build the AH64D variant for the British Army. This situation continued until 2004, when Boeing was again contracted to supply the updated AH64E model for the British Army. In the past the RAF Harrier carried-out these ground support tasks, but Army crews naturally had better knowledge of their own needs and the Apache has proven to be a valuable successor.

The Agusta Westland AH64D (following the Agusta-Westland merger in 2000) differed from the US manufactured versions in several respects, largely for compatibility and interaction with other equipment in British military service. The original two US manufactured General Electric T700C engines of 1890hp were replaced with two, more powerful, Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM 322 engines of 2100hp. The RR engines gave better ‘hot & high’ performance (very important in Afghanistan); folding rotor blades to stow the helicopters in confined spaces; plus several aspects of the avionics.

The WAH64D (Westland) Apache carried one tonne of fuel internally, providing around 2½ hours duration, plus the facility for external ferry tanks. Speed was in the order of 120kts, which Mike regarded as a fast taxi in his SEPECAT Jaguar days.

The Collective and Cyclic flying controls are HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) with several buttons and switches on each, easily operated by the pilot without having to remove his hands from the controls. Flying controls are fly-by-wire (electronic actuation) with a manual back-up system, just in case.

Both cockpits use Multi-Purpose Displays (MPD) with a bewildering array of function buttons around each edge of the console. Mike told us that even a digital fuel gauge is used – which he regarded as particularly nasty. The keyboard unit for some computing functions is alpha-numeric rather than the QWERTY that we are all used to on our computers. This caused frequent confusion for trainees initially.

Being military, you will have noted already that acronyms are in deep abundance, which will make ex-military readers feel at home and perhaps giggle at my mis-use of them.

The avionics suite included TADS (Tactical Acquisition and Designation System), controlled by the front gunner/pilot and Longbow FCR (Fire Control Radar). TADS allows visibility 120º to the left and 120º to the right and will always track a target automatically. These systems can be linked together and even magnified by 120 times, which is truly handy. The systems are duplicated to the rear pilot/Captain. On top of this is the HMD (Helmet Mounted Display) which can be lowered in front of the right eye and can also be directly linked to the avionics. Unsurprisingly using your right eye for the HMD and your left eye for everything else outside of the helmet takes a bit of practice, but it is undeniably clever stuff and very practical. The Helmet Mounted Display incorporates Flight Weapon Symbology (FWS) which links it to track the chin mounted 30mm gun, for example, so that as the gunner moves his head, the gun automatically follows his gaze. Mike described just how unnerving this can be on the ground as you walk past an Apache and the gun follows your every step. Night vision goggles also form a part of the sights and sensors suite and they enable operations to be carried out in almost any weather conditions.

In passing I will mention the Air Data Computer and various probes which all play their part in contributing to instant decision-making and enabling air speed, for example, to be measured down to zero, whereas other aircraft require at least 40kts before speed registers.

Doppler radar automatically holds a hover and ground speed, and a radio altimeter provides very accurate low altitude readings. An Automatic Direction Finder provides the basic navigational aid.

Laser ranging is up to around 5km and target designation prioritises contacts, although it is not foolproof and practice is required to spot and ignore the combine harvesters that have been picked up more than once. Similarly, some targets can detect the Fire Control Radar signal, so care and skill are required to negate or at least minimise that risk. Nevertheless, all in all the pilots can take in all the data from the many displays just by looking in a direction and the systems are slaved to slew the sight to the source.

The radio fit is very comprehensive to say the least, enabling communication with a vast number of groups, plus civil and maritime agencies, all encrypted and frequency hopping (over 1,000 frequency changes per second). The Bowman system for communication with ground forces is also included of course.

The Longbow Fire Control Radar is fitted at the top of the rotorhead. The radar can locate up to 256 targets simultaneously at ranges up to 50km and it can identify and track 16 priority targets at one time. In operations a single Longbow Apache helicopter typically hides behind terrain with just the Longbow radar looking over the top. Supporting attack Apaches, usually operating in pairs, are directly linked to the Longbow target acquisition data, which enables them to coordinate their instantaneous follow up.

All of the preceding simply describes how you find targets. The next step is what are you going to do about it? Weapons fits can be a combination of up to 76 (19 x4) x 7” CRV (Canadian Rocket Vehicle) rockets in pods and/or up to 16 (4 x4) Hellfire laser-guided missiles with Shaped Charge Warheads designed to inject a slug of hot charge into the target. The Hellfire range is roughly from 500m up to around 8km. The 30mm Cannon carries 1,200 rounds, each weighing ½kg, which can be fired at a rate of over 600rpm (10 per second). The rounds are either High Explosive or Armour Piercing. The gun range is from 300m to 4.2km.

While all this is happening, the enemy is not expected to be passively spectating. The AH64 Apache is therefore equipped with HIDAS (Helicopter Integrated Defence Aids Suite) comprising a Radar Warning Receiver; Laser Warning Receiver; Missile Warning Receiver; Chaff Dispenser; Flare Dispenser, and just in case, armour protection all around the pilots’ cockpits.

Mike said that the Apache is a good aircraft to fly which helps to mitigate the workload. I have described only a broad view of what an Apache can do and even that clearly shows the workload to be jolly high. Weapons training at Middle Wallop is typically 4 months, much of which is on simulators. This is followed by a further 4 months of operations at RAF Wattisham.

There is a lot to take in and I bow my head to Mike, who spent many years teaching already clever people new tricks. Thank you Mike Morison for a genuinely absorbing evening.

For those of you that missed the talk, see you next month at the FAAM, Yeovilton, or ask us how to join in by clicking on Zoom from the comfort of your armchair at home. It is a real treat.