AH-64 APACHE (Apache “percussion helicopter needs an air-earth rocket Long Range Precision MUNITION (LRPM), which will allow it to hit the enemy’s goals, without entering the zone of action of enemy air defense systems (Air Defense), writes Popular Mechanics magazine.
According to the US publication, the potential opponents of the United States like Russia and China are armed with more and more dangerous air defense systems, which requires an increase in fire power AH-64 Apache. Examples of such complexes are called the Russian “Thor” (with a range of a magazine, up to 15 kilometers) and “shell” (almost 20 kilometers).
“Rocket will allow Apache to hit targets at large distances and use drones to detect enemy purposes, allowing helicopters to hold onto a safe distance from the electronic air defense tools,” assures the publication.
It is expected that the development of LRPM will be completed in 2028. The publication reminds that the US Army is currently using the AH-64 Apache Israeli Rockets of about 32 kilometers and American AGM-114 HellFire (almost seven kilometers).
In March 2020, Vertical magazine reported that the US Army chose Bell (subsidiary Textron) and Sikorsky (bought Lockheed Martin) to create a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (Fara) Replacement Replacements for almost 200 Multipurpose helicopters Bell OH-58D Kiowa And half of the Army McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache Park.