An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down near Iran. Take a closer look at its weapons and capabilities.
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US Army National Guard photo by Edwin L. Wriston
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- An Apache attack helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday local time amid the US war with Iran.
- AH-64 Apaches, produced by Boeing, are among the most advanced attack helicopters in the world.
- They can shoot Hellfire missiles, Hydra 70 rockets, and 30 mm chain gun rounds.
The AH-64 Apache is one of the most advanced attack helicopters in the world, but even this battle-tested gunship is vulnerable to the growing airborne threats to combat aircraft.
On Tuesday, the US military revealed that an AH-64 Apache helicopter went down off the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters amid the US war with Iran. Later reports indicated that it was brought down by an Iranian drone.
The helicopter's two crew members were rescued safely. A new naval drone, a Saronic Corsair, was deployed to rescue them, marking an operational first for the military. US forces responded to the downing of the Apache with retaliatory strikes against Iran.
Here's a closer look at the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, a versatile combat platform that the US Army has been using to patrol the seas and target Iranian ships near the Strait of Hormuz.
The AH-64 Apache is one of the world's most advanced attack helicopters.U.S. Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (Attack), 12th Combat Aviation Brigade operate an AH-64E Apache helicopter in order to engage unmanned aerial systems during Operation Skyfall at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, March 18, 2026. Operation Skyfall is a critical training exercise conducted by 12th CAB to advance the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative concept through the demonstration of Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems capabilities. Focused on operational readiness, modernization, and experimentation, the exercise showcases the brigade's ability to adapt to evolving threats and secure regional stability. As the premier combat aviation unit in Europe, 12th CAB remains committed to enhancing its capabilities and supporting U.S. Army objectives to deter aggression and protect allied interests. (U.S. Army photo by Markus Rauchenberger) Read lessUS Army photo by Markus Rauchenberger
The first AH-64A Apache was produced in 1984. The current model, the AH-64E, entered service in 2012.
Apaches are primarily used by the US Army, though there are over 1,300 in use across 19 countries, including Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Singapore, according to Boeing, the helicopter's manufacturer.
The Apache can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles, 76 Hydra 70 rockets, and 1,200 rounds for its 30 mm chain gun.Soldiers assigned to 1-229 Attack Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade fire an AGM-114 Hellfire missile from their AH-64E Apache helicopter at Yakima Training Center, Wash. on Jan. 24, 2023.US Army photo by Capt. Kyle Abraham, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade
Hellfire missiles are primarily air-to-ground weapons, but they can also be used against some slow-moving aircraft.
The Apache's Hydra 70 rockets have a maximum firing range of around 34,448 feet, and its chain gun can fire 600 to 650 rounds per minute, with a maximum firing range of 13,123 feet.
The Apache's job in combat is to find, track, and destroy enemy forces, particularly armored vehicles but also personnel and materiel targets, to support troops on the ground. It carries highly capable sensors for targeting and engaging the enemy at night and in obscured battlefield conditions.
AH-64E Apaches are equipped with Link 16, a secure tactical communications system.Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thomas Simmons, A Troop 1-17 Air Cav, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, uses an End-User Device to dynamically control a Launched Effect (LE) surrogate in his AH-64E Apache during Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC C5) at the National Training Center (NTC), in March 2025.US Army photo by Nelson Ballew
The helicopters can also team with certain drones, extending what crews can see and target from the air.
They can reach speeds of up to 182 miles per hour.A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter banks sharply during a low-level flight maneuver against a partly cloudy sky. The twin-seat, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter, armed with stub-wing hardpoints, is seen in a dynamic banking attitude near what appears to be a desert terrain berm or earthwork in the lower right of the frame. The Apache, the Army's primary attack helicopter, is equipped with a nose-mounted sensor suite and weapons systems visible in the image.Keith Garner/Utah National Guard Public Affairs
The helicopter can climb up to 2,800 feet per minute. Its radar system helps it fly at low altitudes and in severe weather.
It takes two crew members to operate the Apache.Sgt. Kolin Schurter, a Soldier assigned to Delta Company, 1-229th Attack Bn., 16th Combat Aviation Brigade sits in the front seat of an AH-64E Apache helicopter as it taxis at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. on Apr. 20, 2022. The Apache does not have enlisted crew members that accompany the aircraft during flight, making this reward for for high-performing Soldiers a special and uncommon event. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Kyle Abraham, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade) Read lessUS Army photo by Capt. Kyle Abraham, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade
The pilot sits in the rear seat, and the co-pilot/gunner, or CPG, sits in the front seat. Both seats have a full set of controls.
Crew members' helmets let them aim weapons by looking at a target.A U.S. Army AH-64E Apache helicopter pilot assigned to Task Force Tigershark, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, 7th Infantry Division prepares to depart for a mission at Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, April 25, 2017. TF Tigershark is supporting Train, Advise and Assist Command - East and U.S. Forces Afghanistan as part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.Maj. Brian Harris/16th Combat Aviation Brigade
The Apache's Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System, or IHADSS, tracks where a crew member is looking and, via a monocular digital display, projects flight and targeting information into their line of sight.
The main rotor can be folded for transport in military cargo aircraft.Airmen and soldiers load a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter aboard a U.S. Air Force C-5B Galaxy at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Aug. 31, 2012. The C-5 has a greater capacity than any other USAF airlifter and can simultaneously carry three dozen pallets and more than 80 people. The aircraft's capacity is large enough to carry any of the Army's air-transportable combat equipment.Lt. Col. Raymond Geoffroy/455th Air Expeditionary Wing
Six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters can fit into the Air Force's largest airlifter, the C-5M Super Galaxy.
The helicopter that went down this week marks the first Apache loss of the Iran war.A US Apache operates in the Middle East in May.US Marine Corps photo
A US Central Command statement released Tuesday on the loss of the Apache helicopter said the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation. Later in the day, Trump wrote on social media that the aircraft had been "shot down" by Iran.
The Apache is a formidable aircraft, but not invincible. These helicopters often fly low and close to enemy forces in contested airspace, exposing them to a range of threats, such as air defenses, drones, and even small-arms fire.
The exact situation that unfolded this week near Iran is unclear; however, the president told Fox News on Wednesday that the Apache crew crash-landed a burning helicopter with an unexploded drone lodged in the cockpit.
Axios, citing an unnamed US official, reported that the Army helicopter crashed after it was hit by an Iranian drone, but said it was unclear if the collision with the helicopter was intentional.
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