British Army's new Apache model spearheads largest Nato exercise since Cold War
A fleet of British Army and Royal Air Force helicopters, including the new upgraded Apache model, will be taking on an important role in the next step of Nato's largest exercise since the Cold War.
Nine new Apache AH-64E attack helicopters will be making their first appearance on a Nato exercise in Finland and Estonia for Exercise Arrow and Exercise Swift Response respectively.
"It really is about trying to scale up, to show what we're capable of projecting and delivering into Eastern Europe as part of what we offer to defence," said 4 Regiment Army Air Corps Battlegroup Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Lambert.
Lt Col Lambert said: "Five years ago, I was part of the Apache's first Eastern European deployment and we took a squadron of five aircraft out.
"What we're now seeing is we're scaling up to having a full aviation battle group, operating under command of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team for a period of time.
"[This] is over 530 people, 16 aircraft, and 110 to 120 ground effects vehicles."
All the activity comes under the umbrella of Exercise Steadfast Defender 24, which is testing and refining Nato's plans for reinforcing European defences against a "near-peer adversary".
Nearly 20,000 British personnel will be involved in the exercise, among 90,000 troops from all 32 members of the Nato alliance.
This deployment is particularly important as the British Aviation Battlegroup is led by the Army Air Corps' new Apache AH-64 E.
The new Apache's Senior Operator, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Hillman, said: "It looks to the layman almost exactly the same. From range you can't really tell the difference.
"What it's brought though is increases in survivability, which is a primary reason you get to stay on the battlefield for longer.
"Its lethality has increased with some really exciting new weapon systems being fitted to it. And of course, its speed and range are also increased."
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