U.S. Army Awards Boeing $2.7B Apache Attack Helicopter Support Contract.

On December 31, 2025, the U.S Army awarded Boeing a $2.7 billion firm fixed price contract for post production support services for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fleet, aimed at sustaining readiness through the end of the decade. The award underscores a Pentagon priority on sustainment, availability, and combat reliability as demands on Army aviation rise globally.

On December 31, 2025, the U.S Department of Defense announced that the U.S Army had awarded Boeing a $2.7 billion firm fixed price contract to provide comprehensive post-production support services for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fleet. According to the Pentagon, the effort will ensure long-term readiness of one of the Army’s most critical combat aviation assets through 2030, aligning with a broader strategy to prioritize sustainment and operational availability as global operational demands on Army aviation continue to increase.
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The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine, four-blade attack helicopter designed from the outset for high-intensity combat operations (Picture source: US DoD)

The contract, officially valued at $2,728,234,918, was awarded by Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with Boeing selected as the sole bidder following an online solicitation. Work scope, funding, and performance locations will be determined through individual task orders, allowing sustainment efforts to adapt to operational tempo, deployment cycles, and evolving technical requirements. The projected completion date of December 31, 2030, aligns with the Army’s long-term aviation sustainment and modernization planning.

The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine, four-blade attack helicopter designed from the outset for high-intensity combat operations. Powered by two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines, currently in the T700-GE-701C and later configurations, the helicopter reaches a maximum speed of approximately 293 km/h and is optimized for survivability in contested environments. Its tandem cockpit layout places the pilot above and behind the copilot gunner, both of whom can independently fly the aircraft and conduct weapon engagements, a design feature that enhances redundancy and combat resilience.

A defining feature of the Apache fleet sustained under this contract is its advanced sensor and avionics architecture. The AH-64D and later variants are equipped with the AN/APG-78 Longbow millimeter wave fire control radar mounted above the main rotor, enabling target detection, classification, and engagement in all weather and obscured conditions. Integrated systems such as the IHADSS helmet-mounted display allow crew members to cue weapons simply by head movement, slaving the 30 mm M230 chain gun directly to the gunner’s line of sight. These capabilities are supported by a comprehensive electronic warfare suite including radar warning receivers, laser warning systems, infrared countermeasures, and radar jammers.

Post production support funded under the new contract is expected to cover depot level maintenance, repair and overhaul of airframes, transmissions, and rotor systems, along with avionics sustainment, spares management, and technical engineering support. This is particularly significant for the latest Apache configurations, which incorporate composite main rotor blades, enhanced transmissions using split torque face gears, improved digital connectivity, and manned-unmanned teaming capabilities that allow the helicopter to control and exploit data from unmanned aerial systems.

The award follows a separate Apache-related contract announced in November 2025, when the Army awarded Boeing a nearly $4.7 billion agreement for new build AH-64E attack helicopters, Longbow crew trainers, and associated equipment for foreign military customers, including Poland. Together, the two contracts confirm that both production and sustainment of the Apache remain high priorities for the U.S. Army and its allies.

The Apache’s continued relevance is closely tied to its firepower and adaptability. The helicopter carries a 30 mm M230 chain gun with a rate of fire of 625 rounds per minute and can be armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles with engagement ranges of up to 12 kilometers, as well as 70 mm rockets, including precision guided APKWS variants and air-to-air missiles for self defense. In August 2025, live fire exercises in South Carolina demonstrated the AH-64E’s ability to counter unmanned aerial systems using proximity-fused 30 mm ammunition, highlighting how legacy platforms are being adapted to emerging drone threats.

With more than 5.3 million flight hours accumulated, including over 1.3 million in combat, and a global fleet exceeding 1,300 aircraft operated by the United States and allied nations, the Apache remains the backbone of Western attack helicopter forces. Sustainment contracts of this scale are increasingly viewed as critical force multipliers, ensuring that complex, heavily armed platforms retain their technological edge and battlefield availability well into the 2030s and beyond.