Australian Apaches conduct first live-fire exercise

An Australian AH-64E Apache from the 1st Aviation Regiment conducts gunnery activities during Exercise ‘Possum Guns' at Townsville Field Training Area in July 2026. (Commonwealth of Australia/Sgt Samuel Miller)

Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters operated by the Australian Army have conducted their first in-country live-firing, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said on 17 July.

During Exercise ‘Possum Guns' in Townsville, the Apaches conducted “missions that demonstrated the aircraft's various weapon systems against simulated targets, including the 30 mm gun, rockets and Hellfire missiles”, the DoD said.

Commander Australian Army Aviation, Major General David Hafner, described the live-fire event as “a step in the maturation of Army's attack helicopter capability”.

“Live-fire training is a vital part of preparing our aviation crews for operations. Conducting it regularly in Australia helps maintain the high level of proficiency needed to operate effectively,” he said.

“Our aircrew, maintainers and support personnel will now conduct routine live-fire training and continue to integrate the Apache's advanced capabilities into joint force operations,” Maj Gen Hafner added.

The DoD said the exercise “enabled aircrew, maintainers and support personnel to develop and test the procedures required to safely train, sustain, and employ” the Apache fleet.

Lieutenant Colonel Jason Perrins, commander of the 1st Aviation Regiment, said the Apache “is a step up from what the army has had in the past, because it allows us to identify targets further out with the sensor sweep, [with] the range of weapons employment also further out”.

In June, he said that the Apache enabled crews to provide more “situational awareness to the integrated force that was not feasible with the Tiger ARH,” it is replacing.