IT has to be the coolest menu choice ever: “Would you like to use the 30mm cannon, the rockets or the Hellfire missiles today, sir?”
“I’ll take the rockets, thanks.”
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Welcome to Putin’s worst nightmare — the British Army’s new multimillion Apache gunship.
Cheap drones and shoulder-launched missiles have caused havoc for Russia on the battlefields of Ukraine and called into question the traditional role of attack helicopters.
But our stalwart Apache has received a massive upgrade to face these new threats head on.
And The Sun witnessed its awesome capabilities from the gunner’s seat.
Each new AH-64E model has been completely overhauled for conflict in the 21st century.
Now a squadron of them will soon be joining 90,000 Nato troops for Operation Steadfast Defender 24, the biggest show of force against a resurgent Russia in decades.
With a suite of upgraded weapons systems and new engines, the 50 new E variants are designed to be more survivable, more powerful and more lethal than ever before.
And for the first time, artificial intelligence is set to play a major role in helping pilots stay ahead of the enemy on the battlefield.
The new aircraft are based at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk, home to 3 Regi- ment Army Air Corps, part of the 1 Aviation Brigade Combat Team within the Joint Helicopter Command.
Major Paul Whatnell, Regimental Qualified Helicopter Instructor 3 AAC, said: “It’s like comparing the original Nokia with snake versus your brand new iPhone. They’re both decent phones but the software in this new one is unbelievable.
“We train people to think and they’ve got that immediate situational awareness around them. But now, with more automation, they can think about other threats, and it speeds up our reaction times. That means we can get inside of the enemy’s decision-making timings — and that’s the game changer.”
The sensors on the Apache are so detailed they can monitor more than 250 targets simultaneously before prioritising the 16 most dangerous threats for elimination in seconds.
New nose-mounted weapons cameras can see in full colour for the first time and have enhanced night vision.
But it is the way the Apaches can now share this data while harnessing live updates from other choppers, soldiers, aircraft and satellites that has been hailed as revolutionary.
They can even operate two drones remotely from up to 75 miles away.
We were the first civilians in Britain to get into the cockpit of the nine-ton monster, which is capable of flying at day or night in all weather conditions at up to 186mph.
And that is just as well, as rain and high winds lashed the runway at Wattisham when we arrived.
First we were kitted out with flame-proof clothing and proper Army boots. Tom Cruise can keep his Top Gun onesies.
A gunslinger
Fast jet pilots may be able to break the sound barrier. But this is the Yorkie Bar of combat aviation. It is up close and personal.
The pilots fly so low they could pick daisies on stealth missions.
We were then given a tactical vest, which can hold an armoured plate, medical kit and other survival essentials. It is strapped on tight, too.
Because if you are in trouble, that is how they will be pulling you out.
Next came the helmet fitting. You do not want to drop one of these. Kitted out with sensors that track the movement of your head, helmets cost £80,000.
A reusable insert is heated up and mashed on to your scalp so each one fits perfectly.
You have to sit motionless as they apply pressure while it sets. It makes for a remarkably soothing pre-flight head massage.
Then it is on to the runway apron with our pilot, Maj Whatnell, to see Demon 1, the call sign of our aircraft for the next 45 minutes.
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The new Apache is every bit as intimidating as you would expect.
There are four weapons pylons, which hang from wings each side, giving it the silhouette of a bulbous-nosed gunslinger toting Hellfire missiles.
It is a 50ft-long, lantern-jawed thug of the skies, all sharp angles and rivets. Who needs radar-evading curves when you are flying below the treetops?
After clambering inside, the roar builds as we are finally cleared for take-off. The first test was within the margins of the airbase.
As we headed towards the perimeter we immediately pulled into a steep climb and rollercoaster turn, enough to send your lunch flying.
The manoeuvrability is off the charts. It is like pulling handbrake turns in 3D. It can go from 150mph to a dead stop in a matter of yards.
More powerful engines have upgraded transmission, which means they can use all 4,000 horsepower for the first time. The stronger composite rotor blades can now survive impact from 25mm anti-aircraft guns.
And all the systems have built-in redundancy and duplication, so if one area of the aircraft is damaged its sister half can take over. It can fly happily on one engine.
We train people to think. But now, with more automation, they can think about other threats, and it speeds up our reaction times. That means we can get inside of the enemy’s decision-making timings — and that’s the game changer
Major Paul Whatnell
We then undertook a training combat mission.
Maj Whatnell hovered at 100ft, with the aircraft able to automatically maintain its position to the millimetre.
We locked on to a target he had noted earlier — all with just his eyesight.
This is thanks to the magical monocle in the integrated helmet sighting system.
It is the ultimate heads-up display and makes Apple Vision Pro headsets look 20 years late to the party.
Our target was a water tower on the distant horizon, a landmark I had seen all my life. But never from this angle.
It turns out there is a small building on top.
And the helicopter’s cameras were so good I could see individual window panes from three miles away — through the pouring rain. I selected the rockets from the onboard computer and the weapons system automatically locked on.
Guns primed
Flipping the trigger guard on my joystick, with one click the tower would have been history.
The new AI system even rings an area that could be affected by collateral damage, to help prevent friendly casualties.
It is an example of the new built-in AI that is baked into the Apache’s operating systems.
Lt Col Rich Simcock, Commanding Officer 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, is in charge of the Apache rollout.
He said: “This is the first time these helicopters are using a form of AI to help you make decisions. It is analysing everything that is going on with the aircraft and the mission profile you’ve asked it to deliver.
“And it is constantly giving you options about where to fly, how to manoeuvre around threats.
“This integrated operating concept links all of those land, aviation, maritime and cyber assets all together to generate a hugely capable war-fighting capability.”
The new software means the two-man crew can focus on taking out the most important targets.
The targeting systems are so intuitive you can see where your co-pilot is looking.
If the pilot spots a threat below, he can spin the 30mm cannon to engage simply by looking at the target.
The crosshairs of the gun are linked to his eyesight.
And you do not want to be in those crosshairs. Each 30mm round is armour-piercing and high explosive.
Oh, and the cannon can fire more than 600 rounds a minute — that is more than ten every second.
But it is Maj Whatnell’s final handbrake turn that is still my favourite manoeuvre.
A simulated baddie popped out of the Suffolk treeline below and decided to take a pot shot.
Like hitting an invisible bungee cord, the pilot sent the nose of the aircraft vertical as he pitched into a gut wrenching U-turn.
Before there was time to blink, we had turned 180 degrees and were bearing down on the target, guns primed, at 140mph.
The ground crew and support teams at Wattisham Flying Station, which include 3 AAC, 4 AAC and 7 Aviation Support Battalion REME, are in a constant state of readiness.
They can be deployed in 48 hours to anywhere in the world.
One engagement already on the books is this summer when crews from 663 squadron will be taking part in the biggest Nato war game in Europe in decades.
Some 90,000 troops from 31 Nato Allies, including 16,000 British soldiers, sailors and air crew, will spend six months on exercises spanning from Greece to Norway.
This is exactly where the new Apache shines — as part of a wider global combat team. It is a vital jigsaw piece in a modern Army.
Lt Col Simcock added: “When it’s employed as part of an integrated force, it’s a really powerful component that gives a ground force commander a mix of information, surveillance and reconnaissance gathering coupled with the ability to employ lethal effects.
“That gives you the flexibility to re-attack and to move around the battlefield at a rate of your choosing that is unimpeded by geography.
An AI-assisted lantern-jawed thug of the skies. The upgrade is like switching from an old Nokia to the latest iPhone7
Major Paul Whatnell
“There’s a place for it, coupled with all the other sensors and shooters on a modern battlefield.
“I don’t see yet a binary decision between helicopters or drones. I see an evolution where those things can work together, symbiotically.”
So whoever said the combat helicopter is dead needs to think again.
This party is not over. It has just begun.
