Aircraft · Air
AH-64 Apache
Attack helicopter family whose current production variant is the AH-64E.
by Boeing
- Milestones3
- Operators1
- Components—
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney P. Nowland · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army) · Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop. AH-64-family photograph; the cost profile specifically covers AH-64E.
Timeline3
- MilestoneConfirmed
Earliest documented public appearance: published YAH-64 designation
Earliest supported public appearance found in the sources reviewed for this research; not a claim of the first-ever announcement or original unveiling. Earlier evidence may revise this date. Army Aviation’s August 1973 issue lists the Hughes YAH-64 among recently announced DOD designations. The date refers to the publication, not the undated earlier DOD announcement.
- First flightConfirmed
YAH-64 prototype first flight
- First deliveryConfirmed
First Apache delivery
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Operators1
- USUnited States
Cost to the Government
Helicopters · Boeing
AH-64E Apache Guardian
Attack helicopter acquired through both new production and remanufacture of existing Apaches, with materially different unit costs.
Remanufacture average procurement / aircraft
$20.445M
2019-12 SAR · Then-year USD
Converts existing aircraft; excludes the cost of originally acquiring the donor airframe.
Department of Defense ↗Remanufactured production aircraft delivered
317
2019-12 SAR · U.S. only
Historical remanufacture deliveries only; excludes new-build and development aircraft.
Department of Defense ↗Remanufacture procurement quantity
626
2019-12 SAR · U.S. only
Excludes five development aircraft and the separate new-build program.
Department of Defense ↗Remanufacture program R&D total
$1.538B
2019-12 SAR · Then-year USD
PB2021 funding total; shared development is not zero simply because the new-build SAR carries no R&D.
Department of Defense ↗Cost & funding breakdown
New-build average procurement / aircraft
$31.3M
2019-12 SAR · Then-year USD
Separate 79-aircraft production program; do not compare directly with donor-airframe remanufacture.
Department of Defense ↗New-build procurement program
79
2019-12 SAR · U.S. only
Separate from remanufacture quantities.
Department of Defense ↗New build versus remanufacture
Remanufacturing reuses an existing airframe, while new production buys a new aircraft. Both deliver an E-model capability, but their unit figures describe different government inputs and cannot be ranked as identical purchases.
Operations & sustainment
Reimbursement / flight hour
$6,481 / hr
FY2026 · Nominal USD; Other DoD Component
Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership.
DoD Comptroller ↗Cost over time · 5 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-12 baseline | Remanufacture average procurement / aircraft Historical program baseline. | $16.139M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| 2018-12 SAR | Remanufacture average procurement / aircraft Prior annual estimate. | $20.403M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| 2019-12 SAR | Remanufacture average procurement / aircraft Converts existing aircraft; excludes the cost of originally acquiring the donor airframe. | $20.445M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| FY2025 | Reimbursement / flight hour Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership. | $5,494 / hr | Nominal USD; Other DoD Component | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2026 | Reimbursement / flight hour Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership. | $6,481 / hr | Nominal USD; Other DoD Component | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2023-03-17 · Award; quantity includes options
U.S. Army and international customers → Boeing
$1.9B · 184 units in scope
115 U.S. remanufactures, 15 U.S. options and 54 foreign aircraft. Award increased funded contract value to $2.1B; potential future value exceeds $3.8B. These values are not additive.
Boeing ↗
International buyers
Australia · Quantity not verified · Included in multinational award · 2023-03-17
Boeing identifies Australia among recipients but does not allocate the 54 foreign aircraft by country in this release.
Boeing ↗
Coverage & open research
- Figures retain the date and scope of the original source. A historical count, cumulative delivery or procurement plan is not today’s mission-capable inventory.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.