Ultimate Form of Respect: U.S. Army Apache Program Update, The

Army, Jan 2006 by Gourley, Scott R

"Fear is probably the ultimate form of respect," observed Col. Derek Paquette, U.S. Army project manager (PM) for the Apache helicopter. "And if you don't think the enemy fears the Apache then you don't read their web sites and their little blurbs. When an Apache goes down for whatever reason-they have not shot down many and they have not shot down any in a long time-look at the volume and the claims that the enemy will make for that. It is a huge victory if they can claim that they shot down an Apache."

Paquette's observations were included in an Apache program update presented during the October 2005 AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Paquette, who assumed the project manager position in early September, characterized Apache performance in two words: lethal and survivable.

"In the current fight, the Apache is doing a great job in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a significant player in ongoing operations, ensuring the survivability of our soldiers. It's the most lethal and survivable helicopter anywhere," he said.

Reflecting on Apache program milestones over the past year, the Army PM pointed to the June 2005 signing of the nonrecurring engineering contract for the Block III aircraft configuration. The Block III configuration, which represents the next generation of the Apache, includes 25 technological insertions. The configuration will be developed over the next four years with the first aircraft available in approximately 2010.

"The main purpose of Block III is to fully integrate the Longbow Apache into the Future Force," Paquette said. "It is the Future Force attack helicopter. The Apache is going to be around for a long time."

Just one month after that contract signing, the program marked the first unit equipped (FUE) with the modernized TADS/PNVS at Fort Hood, Texas. Current schedules project that every Apache in the fleet will have the modernized TADS/PNVS by 2011.

September marked another significant program event, with a contract award to Boeing for 13 new build AH-64D Apache Longbow multirole combat helicopters.

The new Apache Longbows, to be built in the current. Block II configuration, are in addition to 96 AH-64A Apaches being remanufactured to AH-64D Apache Longbows under a multiyear contract with the Army. Production on the new aircraft will begin in early 2006 and will be performed at the Boeing facility in Mesa, Ariz., where Apaches have been manufactured since the program started.

Referring to the remanufacturing program, Paquette noted, "We're taking some of the A models out of the inventory, bringing them in, and they will be bridging the gap between the 13 new build aircraft and the start of Block III in 2010."

"Our first priority right now is supporting the warfighter: from spares, quick mods to the airplane, and so on," added Al Winn, vice president, Boeing Apache Programs.

Expanding on his industry perspective, Winn said, "We are moving forward building the Block II Apaches today. We will complete that contract about the middle of next year, and that's when we move on to start building the first new build D models the Army has ever bought. Those will start mid-next year."

Winn pointed to a number of recent noteworthy events in the Apache program, including the program's recent receipt of the Shingo Prize. Called "the Nobel Prize of manufacturing" by Business Week magazine, the Shingo Prize is recognized as one of the premier manufacturing awards and recognition programs in North America.

"It's like a Malcolm Baldrige [National Quality] Award for lean manufacturing," Winn explained. "The Apache program has been the best in Boeing for a number of years. Now we're recognized as the best in industry. In fact, we're the first DoD production line to ever win that prize. We're very proud of that."

"It always comes back to the customer, though," he added. "The better we are at producing, the better product the customer gets."

Winn also highlighted several ongoing activities that are laying the foundation for tomorrow's Block III aircraft.

"We recently completed a 200-hour bench qualification on our prototype transmission-a slit torque face gear transmission that's going into the Block III airplane," he said. "It exceeded all expectations. It's probably the first time I've ever been involved in a transmission development qualification where it completed that first 200-hour bench test without failure. This one did, so we're very high on that. It's a major milestone for the Block III program going forward."

Boeing engineers are also continuing the testing of the manned/unmanned common architecture program (MCAP) mission processor (MP), which represents the baseline technology for the Block III open systems architecture MP.

Although testing of the system has been ground-based to date, the company has received the airworthiness release from the Army for the first flight test of the MCAP MP, with anticipation that the flight testing will begin about the time these pages go to print.

"That will be another major milestone in risk reduction for the Block III airplane," Winn observed.