AH-64D Procedures

The following sections describe standard operating procedures and recommendations that are valid only for AH-64D.

Considerations

RW attack assets provide the ability to maneuver and reposition firepower in response to changing situations. They carry a wide variety of forward firing munitions, are equipped with advanced sensors, have excellent response and loiter times, can conduct low altitude or nap of the earth ingress, attacks, and egress, and have an excellent capability to conduct CAS in diverse terrain and when accompanying other transport or rescue assets.

Consider combining FW and RW platform capabilities in an urban environment. FW can often target/designate within urban areas more easily due to the ability to loiter high above many threat envelopes. Once the FW aircraft has identified and confirmed the target it can designate the target with a LASER to guide precise, low-yield PGMs fired from a RW attack asset holding in a relatively safe BP.

Operating Altitudes

The following are altitude ranges for RW aircraft:

• High - Above 3,000 ft. AGL.
• Medium - 500 to 3,000 ft. AGL.
• Low - Below 500 ft. AGL.

Threat

In an environment where small arms and RPGs are the predominant threat, attack helicopter aircrews will normally elevate in order to stay out of the effective range of the weapons systems, usually operating at medium altitude. Specific altitudes selected will depend on the mission en route. For example, if the mission en route is to conduct visual reconnaissance, the helicopters will select the lowest altitude that will allow them to effectively use their sensors while avoiding the heart of the small-arms threat envelope.

When transiting urban areas attack helicopters may elect to transit at roof top level to minimize exposure time. In general, attack helicopters will avoid urban areas unless they are conducting an attack.

Day versus Night

Altitudes will normally vary for the same area of operations from day to nighttime, and will depend heavily on threat, weather, and terrain. In open desert, helicopters will normally decrease their altitude as lighting conditions decay in order to maintain visual reference with the ground. Over urban areas, attack helicopters can often operate more safely than during the daytime but will elevate high enough to avoid being belly-lit by cultural lighting, usually operating in the 1,500-3,000 ft. AGL block .

Capabilities

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Tactics and Techniques

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Procedures

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