Boeing touts Apache pooling for Nordic countries

With none of the nordic countries fielding an attack helicopter type, Boeing sees an opportunity for a pooled capability utilising its AH-64E Apache Guardian. (Crown Copyright)

The Nordic countries could field a pooled attack helicopter capability based on the AH-64E Apache Guardian, Boeing told Janes on 20 June.

Terry Jamison, director Vertical Lift international sales, said that informal discussions on the subject had been held between Boeing and the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

“I can tell you there have been discussions with every [Nordic country] you mentioned... I see a lot of potential there for a consortium to pull resources together to get this capability,” he said, adding that these discussions had so far been informal, with no letters of request (LORs) yet received.

With none of the Nordic countries currently fielding an attack helicopter capability, Jamison said they would be fielding a bespoke beyond-line-of-sight anti-armour capability that has been honed over decades by the US Army.

“This was a purpose-built attack helicopter designed to fight on the plains of Europe against a peer adversary. The [AH-64A] model of the 1980s was a game changing aircraft, but it's nothing like what we have today [with the AH-64E]. When a customer buys this aircraft, they're really investing into a US Army modernisation programme that has taken this from the AH-64A model to the AH-64D model into the AH-64E model.