Overview In May 2005, the first Apache-equipped regiment achieved operational status. The Westland Apache replaced the
Westland Lynx AH7 as the British Army's tactical attack helicopter. The Apache was operated by two regiments of the
Army Air Corps (3 Regt AAC and 4 Regt AAC) as part of
1st Aviation Brigade. The Apache was intended to operate in the armed reconnaissance and attack roles, similar to the US usage of Apaches during the 1991 Gulf War. Unlike US versions, the Westland Apache had been partially navalised and for a time served aboard
Royal Navy ships in addition to its land-based role. They first appeared in combat as part of
Operation Herrick in Afghanistan in May 2006. On 11 November 2007, it was reported that half of the Apache gunships in British service had been grounded as they had fallen below the level considered "fit for purpose", along with several other British Helicopters such as the
Chinook and
Merlin HC3. By November 2008, the situation had further declined, out of 67 aircraft only 20 were available for combat operations. In 2009, AgustaWestland was awarded a contract for support services for the Apache and many components such as the Longbow radar; in the following months senior officers noted that the support change had resulted in higher availability. In June 2011, civilian maintainers of the Apache at Wattisham Airfield threatened
industrial action over a pay dispute. In October 2008 it was announced that
Prince Harry had begun the process of qualifying to become an Apache pilot. In May 2010, the terrorist organisation
Al Qaeda threatened to abduct the prince if he piloted an Apache in Afghanistan. In April 2011, Prince Harry was promoted to captain following his completion of Apache conversion training. In June 2011, sections of the media reported that Prince Harry was to deploy to Afghanistan as an Apache pilot in 2012. He subsequently deployed to Afghanistan as part of
662 Squadron in September 2012. Three Apaches were deployed to
Bardufoss Air Station in Norway in January 2019. The deployment, known as
Exercise Clockwork, represented the aircraft's first cold weather training within the
Arctic Circle.
Afghanistan The Apache's first operational tour was as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan; there were eight Apache AH1s deployed in Afghanistan in February 2007. These were drawn from
No. 656 Squadron and
No. 664 Squadron of
9 Regiment AAC, based at
Dishforth Airfield. Unlike their American counterparts in Afghanistan, the Apache AH1 is deployed with its Longbow Fire Control Radar to enable the pilot to better manage traffic in their airspace. Initially pilots had to often fly for 16–18 hours at a time due to the low number of Apaches in the theatre; typically each Apache would be stationed in Afghanistan for eight weeks before returning to Britain for roughly eight weeks of maintenance. On 22 May 2006, a UK Apache operating in Afghanistan's
Helmand province used a
Hellfire missile to destroy an abandoned French vehicle to protect sensitive equipment. The Apache quickly became a highly valued tool against insurgents, able to rapidly respond to Taliban forces on the ground. Major Huw Williams, second in command of
3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, stated that: "We're really impressed [with the Apache]. It's a very effective beast." After several hours of intense fighting, the Marines regrouped and it was discovered that
Lance Corporal Mathew Ford of
45 Commando Royal Marines was missing. A rescue mission was launched using four volunteers, Royal Marines and a Royal Engineer, strapped to the stub-wings of two Apaches. None of the rescuers were injured in the recovery mission and they were later hailed for their bravery. In May and June 2008, British and
Afghan National Army forces conducted
Operation Eagle's Eye, aimed at disrupting Taliban activities to the south of
Musa Qaleh; a key portion of which was a major night-time helicopter raid, rapidly deploying members of
2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment into the town. In June 2008, a British Apache fired a
thermobaric Hellfire missile; the controversial usage of such weapons was approved after extensive legal and ethical evaluations within the MoD. In June 2008, a Taliban leader and several cell members were killed in Helmand Province by a Hellfire missile launched by an Apache of the 664 Army Air Corps. There was a
friendly fire incident in July 2008, in which an Apache fired upon a position thought to be held by enemy forces, but instead hit members of a British patrol; this was the first time that a British aircraft had been involved in a
blue-on-blue incident in Afghanistan. In September 2008, an Apache was seriously damaged by a crash shortly after takeoff in Helmand province; no loss of life occurred but the airframe was written off. During the summer of 2009, British Apaches were an integral component of
Operation Panther's Claw, which was aimed at pushing insurgents out of civilian areas in the runup to the
2009 Afghan Elections. During the Summer 2009 operations, a senior Taliban leader, Mullah Mansur, and several accomplices were killed in a precision strike launched by an Apache. On 25 July 2011, the MoD announced that during a combat operation in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province, several Afghan children had been injured from crossfire by an Apache; they were flown to Camp Bastion for medical treatment. From 2006 to April 2014, British Apache helicopters flew 50,000 hours in Afghanistan, representing one-third of all UK Apache flying. The UK ended combat operations in Afghanistan in October 2014.
Naval operations and Libya {{External media at sea on
HMS Ocean in November 2014 In May 2011, the MoD announced that the Apache fleet had reached 100,000 hours flying time, and describing it as a "vital battlefield tool in Afghanistan". The Apache was also recognised as having established a "limited maritime strike capability" and were deploying on vessels such as HMS
Ocean. On 27 May 2011, military officials announced that Apaches would be deployed as part of
Operation Ellamy, the ongoing
military intervention in Libya. The helicopters operated from the flight deck of HMS
Ocean in conjunction with French
Eurocopter Tiger helicopters over
Misrata. The Apaches were also to assist in
Operation Unified Protector, the enforcement of an embargo and no-fly zone upon Libya. On 14 June 2011, reports of British preparation to evacuate
Yemen emerged, involving Apache and
Merlin helicopters operating from
Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels off the coast. On 4 June 2011, Apaches struck targets within Libya for the first time, destroying a radar site and an armed checkpoint near the town of
Brega. Further precision strikes were launched by Apaches, typical targets were mobile air defenses, and were occasionally engaged by
AK-47 fire from ground troops. In early June, Apaches conducted attacks on Gaddafi loyalists assaulting the town of
Misrata. On 13 June, British Apaches destroyed several inflatable boats with 30 mm cannon fire, believed to be Libyan Special Forces, before engaging and destroying multiple vehicles along the coastline, including an anti-aircraft system. On 25 June, in coordination with RAF
Tornado strikes, Apaches attacked loyalist infantry and vehicles around
Brega and its airfield. On 1 July, British Apaches were reportedly involved in a 'fierce' battle at the town of
Khoms. On 2 July, Apaches destroyed several tanks and a bunker at a military camp near
Zawiya. On 5 August, Apaches participated in the rebel push for the town of
Zliten was reported. By 21 June 2011, the Libyan government had dubiously claimed to have successfully shot down dozens of aircraft, including five Apaches; NATO denied these claims and no Apache losses have been acknowledged to date. On 8 July 2011, the MoD released information on the first month of Apache combat operations over Libya; noting that Apaches had engaged targets within Libya on 39 occasions. Apache operations over Libya have been heavily influenced and supported by NATO reconnaissance flights and intelligence missions; information is continually relayed to update target information, assess the threat of Surface to Air missiles (SAM), and the presence of civilians, enabling real time changes to mission profiles. On 6 August, Apaches struck a military communications facility and troops at Al Watiyah. Both the Apache and the
Typhoon were withdrawn from Libyan operations in September 2011 as operational demands decreased. ==Former operators==