Lockheed Martin has received a contract worth $102 million to upgrade 25 Egyptian Boeing AH-64D aircraft to the newer AH-64E Guardian.
The work will include an upgrade of the Gen III Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (Gen III TADS/PNVS) and the Gen III Day Sensor Assembly (Gen III DSA).
The upgraded Gen III TADS/PNVS increases the the high-resolution, high-definition, near-infrared and colour imagery on cockpit displays while the Gen III DSA increases the systems’ designation and ranging capabilities. A new laser pointer market and multi-mode laser are also included.
The Egyptian government initially ordered 36 Apache AH-64As in 1995, although these were remanufactured in the early 2000s to the AH-64D standard (but without the Longbow radar). In 2012 the Egyptian Air Force were able to order a further 12 AH-64Ds at a cost of $820 million, this time with the Longbow radar.
The upgrade is part of a wider Foreign Military Sales (FMS) package intended to upgrade 43 of the Egyptian Air Force’s AH-64 Apaches.
Boeing’s Apache Helicopter Plant in Mesa, Arizona, will complete the upgrades which are scheduled to be completed by July 2024.
by Andrew Drwiega
