The U.S. Army used Apache helicopters to shoot down drones in air-to-air combat in Europe for the first time during an exercise in Germany this week.
During Operation Skyfall held at Grafenwoehr Training Area, soldiers of the 2-159th Attack Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, used the Boeing AH-64E Apache to pursue and attack Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
It is not the first time that the Army has ever practiced using Apaches against drones. In December, the service held an air-to-air combat training exercise in Yuma, Arizona, that saw the Apaches destroy a a variety of drones in flight using a 30mm fragmentation round called the APEX.
The exercise in Germany, however, marks the first time that the U.S. Army has wielded Apaches for this purpose in Europe. It is a significant move due to the relevance of anti-drone training for NATO allies.
Soldiers of the 12th CAB train regularly alongside British, Dutch and Polish NATO forces. They remain in Germany as “a tactical necessity,” the service said in a statement last month.
Operation Skyfall is aimed to advance NATO’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, or EFDI, to protect countries in Eastern Europe from incursions.
The Apache has proved well-suited to chasing and killing drones as it can fly at speeds of over 180 miles per hour and is more nimble at maneuvering than many larger fixed-wing aircraft.
Many pilots within the 12th CAB’s attack unit, known as the “Gunslingers Battalion,” had never previously used Apache helicopters in this manner.
“Most pilots in our unit and across the Army have never engaged in air-to-air with the Apache, so this is a new engagement profile for us that we have to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for,” said Maj. Daniel Murphy, operations officer for the battalion, in a statement.
“We’re looking forward to sharing what we learn so we can continue developing the EFDI alongside our NATO allies.”
The new training will provide “a blueprint for Allied aviation units“ across Europe, the Army has stated.
The service also noted that this training is “more critical than ever as Poland prepares to become the second-largest operator of Apaches in the world.”
Last November, Boeing announced that 96 Apaches would be produced for the Polish Armed Forces under a $4.7 billion U.S. Army Foreign Military Sales contract, with deliveries expected to start in 2028.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
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