An AH-64E Apache helicopter fires an AGM-114 Hellfire missile at Yakima Training Center, Wash., in 2023. The U.S. Army said an AH-64E successfully defeated various drones during a drill in North Carolina on Aug. 29, 2025. (Kyle Abraham/U.S. Army)
The U.S. Army says its premier attack helicopter successfully defeated various drones during a recent trial aimed at demonstrating the aircraft’s viability on modern battlefields, where unmanned weapons pose new threats to old systems.
The drill in North Carolina showcased the ability of AH-64E Apache helicopters to detect, track and destroy drones with a range of munitions, the Army’s office on missiles and space said in a statement Friday.
“These results confirmed that Apache can deliver persistent, flexible and cost-effective options to defeat UAS threats,” the statement said.
The Army demonstration comes amid a broad evaluation of weapons systems across the military. The emergence of cheap drones on the battlefield in Ukraine has prompted military commanders around the world to rethink old assumptions about warfighting and weapons systems.
For example, South Korea in June canceled plans to purchase 36 new Apache attack helicopters as it shifts funds toward cheaper unmanned systems. The move was related to concerns about the survivability of expensive legacy systems such as the Apache helicopter, given the proliferation of drone technology, the Korea Times reported at the time.
An AH-64Ev6 Apache from the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade fires the SPIKE NLOS missile for the first time in Europe, in Ustka, Poland, on Aug. 27, 2025. The U.S. Army said an AH-64E successfully defeated various drones during a drill in North Carolina on Aug. 29, 2025. (Spc. Grant Hockley)
The Army, however, says the Apache still has a big role to play.
“Existing (counter drone) systems are predominantly ground-based and limited in number, creating gaps that adversaries can exploit,” the Army statement said. “By leveraging Apache helicopters, commanders gain a mobile platform able to deploy rapidly into threatened areas to detect targets.”
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Daniel York, who was involved in the demonstration on Friday, said the exercise showed the Apache “continues to be relevant and effective in the face of evolving UAS threats.”
U.S.-made Apaches have been a big seller abroad. Poland, now NATO’s biggest defense spender per capita, has made the helicopter a central part of efforts to modernize its Army.
Warsaw last year signed a procurement deal for 96 Apaches, which are expected to arrive in 2028. U.S. Army aviators have been training with their Polish counterparts in anticipation of the attack helicopter’s arrival.
Last week, the Apache also was part of a show of force drill on the coast of the Baltic Sea, where American and Polish troops fired a new long-range missile launched from Apache helicopters that hit targets some 16 miles out at sea.
