Israel Is About To Double Its Fleet Of Apache Helicopters, But Why?

Illustrative image. (Israeli Defense Forces)

Israel is planning to nearly double the size of its fleet of American-made AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, which raises questions about the country’s military plans for the future. 

The plan was revealed by a Reuters report published on September 19. According to the report, the administration of President Donald Trump has told Congress it plans to sell the helicopters and other weapons to Israel in a package worth more than $6 billion.

The planned package includes a $3.8 billion sale for 30 AH-64 Apache helicopters, in addition to a $1.9 billion sale for up to 3,200 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, a United States official and another person familiar with the proposal told the news agency.

Another $750 million worth of support parts for armored personnel carriers and power supplies is also working its way through the sale process, one of the sources said.

The weapons would not be delivered for at least two to three years and would be a part of a 10-year agreement between the U.S. and Israel that is nearing its end, pre Reuters.

Since 1990, the Israeli Air Force has received a total of 26 AH-64A Apache helicopters and 22 of the more modern AH-64D version which is equipped with the AN/APG-78 Longbow millimeter-wave fire-control radar. The air force upgraded its Paches in various ways, the most notable of which was the integration of the Spike NLOS, a stand-off, electro-optical-guided, anti- tank missile with a range of up to 50 kilometers.

All of the IAF AH-64A, locally codenamed “Peten,” are currently in service with its 190 “Magic Touch” Squadron, while all the AH-64D, locally codenamed “Saraph,” are in service with the 113 “Hornet” Squadron. Both formations are based at Ramon Airbase in southern Israel.

Israeli Apache helicopters have been extremely active since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip nearly two years ago, mainly providing close air support to troops conducting raids in the Palestinian enclave, Lebanon and Syria, carrying out targeted strikes, or frankly speaking assassinations, there and more importantly intercepting drones attempting to infiltrate the country’s airspace.

The IAF pioneered the use of the Apache as a drone hunter when it deployed one such helicopter to shoot down an Iranian drone that approached the country’s northern border from Syria in 2018. The helicopter’s 30 mm M230 Chain Gun and nose-mounted electro-optical targeting system made it suitable for this role.

Even as early as this month, multiple drones launched from Yemen by the Houthis were intercepted by Apache helicopters over southern Israel.

Israel’s plan to enlarge its Apache fleet suggests that its military establishments believes that the threat posed by drones will not be going anywhere. That’s despite the country’s repeated vows to completely defeat its rivals, from Hamas in Gaza, to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

In reality, the upcoming deal with the U.S. suggests that the IAF is preparing for the worst, that’s not just militarily but also politically.

In 2009, the sale of six AH-64Ds was reportedly blocked by the administration of President Barack Obama, pending interagency review, over concerns they may pose a threat to civilian Palestinians in Gaza. With Israel now fearing increasing international pressure, including calls for sanctions, over war crimes in Gaza and elsewhere, it is logical that it will attempt to secure as much weapons as possible from the U.S. while Trump is still in power.

The Israeli fear in this regard is very real. Just earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during an economic press conference that Israel must develop its defense industry to be self-sufficient to ensure its security, warning that efforts to halt military imports to Israel are caused by political, not economic, considerations.

Netanyahu, in fact, went as far as saying that Israel will need to become a “super Sparta,” although he later clarified that he was only talking about the defense industry.

All in all, while Israel performed very well against its enemies for nearly two years, the Apache deal may be a sign of deep concerns within its military establishment of what the future holds. One thing is sure, the change taking shape in the Middle East is not guaranteed to end up in favor of the country.

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