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The incident took place after the Apache suffered a malfunction during a live firing training exercise and was forced to land at Sculthorpe training range in Norfolk.

The British Army is investigating after an Apache attack helicopter mistakenly opened fire at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk on Nov. 4, 2020.

The incident took place after the Apache suffered a malfunction during a live firing training exercise and was forced to land at the Sculthorpe training range in Norfolk.

According to the Sun, the crew flew back to Wattisham where the helicopter was set to be repaired and the “negligent discharge” occurred.

The helicopter was being wheeled out of a hangar – where it had been kept overnight – when it let off a stray practice round, which is yet to be found.

“We are aware of an incident at Wattisham Flying Station which is being investigated,” a British Army told Sky News adding that there were no reports of any injuries or damage.

Designed to hunt and destroy tanks, the Apache attack helicopter has significantly improved the British Army’s operational capability.

The Apache can operate in all weathers, day or night, and detect, classify, and prioritize up to 256 potential targets in a matter of seconds. It carries a mix of weapons, including rockets, Hellfire missiles, and a 30mm chain gun, as well as a state-of-the-art, fully integrated defensive aid suite.

In addition to the distinctive Longbow radar located above the rotor blades, this aircraft is equipped with a day TV system, thermal imaging sight, and direct view optics.

In May, an Apache helicopter was involved in a near miss with an air ambulance as it took off from Wattisham.

The Apache reported that the air ambulance passed about 150ft (45m) above it, and the two aircraft were traveling at more than 100mph when the incident happened.

The collision risk was low “because each captain was visual with the other aircraft,” a report by the UK Airprox Board said.

Photo by Staff Sergeant Mike Harvey/MOD

On Oct. 12, 2020, with only about two-thirds prop torque and engine power, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant achieved 211 knots straight and level and 232 knots in descent. 

On Oct. 12, 2020, with only about two-thirds prop torque and engine power, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant achieved 211 knots straight and level and 232 knots in descent. 

​“The Sikorsky-Boeing team continues to make great progress as we advance Defiant’s rigorous flight test program. With every flight, as we continue to increase Defiant’s speed, angle of bank, and rate of climb, we are gathering important data, expanding our speed and maneuverability envelope, and validating our modeling and simulation tools. We recently flew the Sikorsky S-97 Raider and the Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant together in formation, demonstrating the transformational capability X2 Technology enables in support of the ground commander. On Oct. 12, with only about two-thirds prop torque and engine power, Defiant achieved 211 knots straight and level and 232 knots in a descent. We are excited about the results we are seeing and what the future holds for our ability to bring this capability to the warfighter,” reads a statement from the Sikorsky-Boeing Team. ​ ​

​Andy Adams, Vice President, of Sikorsky Future Vertical Lift, adds: “Together, Sikorsky and Boeing provide nearly 90% of the aircraft in the Army’s inventory today, and we understand how tomorrow’s multi-domain operations require aircraft that provide survivability, agility, and speed – where it matters. That’s why we’re planning ahead with continued flight testing, refining our designs to specifically match the Army’s requirements, and building a weapon system that will give the Army transformational capability with unsurpassed training and sustainment capabilities—giving our Soldiers what they need to achieve aviation overmatch for the next 40 years.”​

The following video gives an overview of the continued effort undertaken Sikorsky-Boeing Team to expand SB>1 Defiant’s flight envelope.

Photo by Sikorsky-Boeing

Stewart Smith had the opportunity to fly his brother Isaac Smith in the Apache, a two-seater aircraft.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Isaac Smith and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Stewart Smith are two identical twins, and both are flying helicopters for the US Army.

Originally raised on a dairy farm in southeastern Idaho, at 17 years old Isaac and Stewart joined the Army National Guard, and they served together in the Utah National Guard for four years before attending warrant officer candidate school and flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Isaac chose to go into active duty service while Stewart remained with the Utah National Guard.

However, as told by Sgt. David Dickson, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs, in the article Birds of a Feather: Twin pilots get Apache flight together, the brothers still ended up serving together.

Isaac, an HH-60M Blackhawk helicopter pilot and currently attached to the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment (TF Mustang), 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, was deployed with Task Force Mustang in support of Operation Resolute Support, Afghanistan, this summer. Stewart, an AH-64D Apache helicopter pilot assigned to the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, Utah National Guard, also deployed along with 4th CAB, 4th Inf. Div. While this is not the first time either has deployed, this is the first time the twins have deployed together.

What makes this deployment even more special is that Stewart had the opportunity to fly his brother in the Apache, a two-seater aircraft. The chance for most people to fly in an Apache other than Apache pilots is a very rare thing.

Both twins are standardization pilots for their aircraft, which means they mentor and coach other instructor pilots on how to train new pilots, manage flight records, and set and enforce the standards for their units.

“It was one of the few times an Apache pilot has hoped nothing exciting would happen because it was Isaac’s first time in this particular airframe,” said Stewart about the flight. “It was an awesome flight.”

Isaac said he was left with a greater appreciation of the Apache and the pilots who fly them.

“I got to cross off two major bucket list items,” Isaac said of the Aug. 31st flight. “One: I got to fly in an Apache. Two: I got to fly with my brother as the pilot for the first time.”

After this deployment, Isaac said he plans to retire from the military and return home to his wife and six children. He would like to pursue another career as an EMS pilot. Stewart will return to Utah to his wife and four kids, resuming his job with the Federal Aviation Administration and continuing his service within the Utah Army National Guard.

Photo by courtesy CW4 Isaac and Stewart Smith / U.S. Army

The three weapons tested were: the GAU-2, a 7.62mm Gatling gun, the GAU-18, a .50 caliber legacy machine gun, and the GAU-21, a .50 caliber newly-designed machine gun.

Deep within Eglin’s range, rapid, powerful gunfire reverberated across the expanse beginning Aug. 17, 2020.  Live fire testing began for the HH-60W Jolly Green II’s three primary weapons.

As reported by Samuel King Jr. in the article HH-60W Jolly Green II begins live-fire testing, the goal of the ground testing was to verify the weapons systems’ functionality, and accuracy, and to demonstrate the guns are safe to employ operationally.  The 413th Flight Test Squadron testers and their partners performed the testing over three weeks.

The three weapons tested were: the GAU-2, a 7.62mm Gatling gun with a 3,000 rounds per minute fire rate, the GAU-18, a .50 caliber legacy machine gun with a 650-800 round fire rate, and the GAU-21, a .50 caliber newly-designed machine gun with a 950-1100 round fire rate.

“It was great to see all the team’s planning and hard work finally pay off to get us to execution and gather this initial live-fire data,” said Maj. Christopher Hull, 413th FLTS chief test engineer.

The first HH-60W built, commonly referred to as Whiskey 1 within the unit, was used for ground testing.  Whiskey 1 contains specialized test instrumentation that allows, aircraft manufacturer, Sikorsky, to monitor hundreds of parameters during the flights and envelope expansion testing.  That specialized instrumentation allowed the testers to record the stress and strains in the aircraft caused by firing the weapons.

The helicopter’s guns can rotate independently, providing an almost 360-degree firing arc.  This created a unique challenge for the squadron’s engineers to develop test and safety plans not typically encountered with fixed-wing aircraft.  Details such as blade rotation, human factors, and instrumentation were examined and controlled for before the actual testing could begin according to Hull.

The Jolly Green’s aircrew not only operated the weapons, but they were also part of the evaluation as well.  The crew wore special instrumentation that measured the weapon’s blast effects on their bodies.  That data is part of a larger DOD study to better understand the effects of weapon blasts on the human body, specifically as it relates to traumatic brain injury.  The goal is to reduce injuries to service members who operate such weapons. 

The ground testing phase is just the first step in the evaluation of the weapons.  Data from the tests will be evaluated by the Air Force’s Non-Nuclear Munitions Safety Board, who will then clear the HH-60W for live fire flight testing.  That testing is currently scheduled for later in 2020.  

Photo by Tech. Sgt. John Raven / U.S. Air Force

Although the pilot (as well as the whole crew) showed impressive skill in flying his Sea Knight helicopter, we can’t imagine how many red warning lights and buzzers were going off in the cockpit!

The cool, famed video in this post features a Swedish pilot doing crazy things with his CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter (not a Chinook, as the video title says) during an air show.

Although the pilot (as well as the whole crew) showed impressive skill in flying his helicopter, we can’t imagine how many red warning lights and buzzers were going off in the cockpit!

The twin-turbine tandem-rotor CH-46A Sea Knight won a design competition for a medium assault transport helicopter for the Marine Corps in 1961 and made its first flight in August 1962.

The first U.S. Marine Corps Sea Knight was delivered in 1964 and began military service during the Vietnam War a year later, carrying troops and cargo to and from Navy ships in the China Sea.

Between 1964 and 1990, Boeing Vertol delivered more than 600 Sea Knights. During the 1980s and 1990s, Boeing developed modification kits and upgrades to modernize the Sea Knights.

The Sea Knight, affectionately known as the “Phrog,” was replaced by the V-22 Osprey. In October 2014, the Marines flew the last service flight of the CH-46.

In 1963, Sweden procured ten UH-46Bs from the US as a transport and anti-submarine helicopter for the Swedish armed forces, designated Hkp 4A. In 1973, a further eight Kawasaki-built KV-107s, which were accordingly designated Hkp 4B, were acquired to replace the older Piasecki H-21. During the Cold War, the fleet’s primary missions were anti-submarine warfare and troop transportation, they were also frequently employed in the search and rescue role. In the 1980s, the Hkp 4A was phased out, having been replaced by the Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma; the later Kawasaki-built Sea Knights continued in operational service until 2011, when they were replaced by the UH-60 Black Hawk & NH90.

When coupled with the Apache’s unique system of sensors approach, Longbow Fire Control Radar gives aircrews the capability to scan large areas at long ranges to identify threats and targets for prosecution with a low probability of being detected.

The US Army recently awarded LONGBOW Limited Liability Company (LBL), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corporation, four Foreign Military Sales contracts to provide the AH-64E Apache helicopter AN/APG-78 LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) to Morocco, Netherlands, UAE, and India Army.

“The LBL team is excited to bring Morocco, Netherlands, and India Army into the LONGBOW FCR user community, and to update UAE with new capabilities, as the ever-evolving missions of our U.S. allies will benefit from our precision engagement capabilities,” said Jim Messina, LBL president, and Lockheed Martin program director, in the company news release. “The LONGBOW radar remains a relevant and important system for the missions Apache aircrews fly.”

The addition of Morocco, the Netherlands, and the Indian Army expands the LONGBOW customer base to include 16 foreign militaries and 14 nations. UAE is updating from the AH-64D to the AH-64E aircraft. These contracts are a direct result of the five-year production requirements contract the US Department of Defense awarded to LBL in 2016.

“As LONGBOW Joint Venture marks 35 years of successful partnership, the addition of these customers is a testament to the deep experience and dedication the team brings to advance the FCR system to support our customer’s missions,” said Shalini Gupta, LBL vice president, and Northrop Grumman director for LONGBOW programs.

When coupled with the Apache’s unique system of sensors approach, LONGBOW FCR gives aircrews the capability to scan large areas at long ranges to identify threats and targets for prosecution with a low probability of being detected. If a target is identified, the data can be handed off to a missile and launch system, or if a target needs further identification and classification, the data is handed off to the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight (M-TADS) system for increased visual identification.

LBL is now providing increased FCR capabilities with the Apache AH-64E Version 6 helicopter. Version 6 FCR software enhancements provide new operational modes and capabilities, including maritime, single target track, and 360-degree surveillance mode, as well as extended detection range against land, air, and sea targets.

The AH-64E Guardian is the most advanced variant of the Apache helicopter and features improved digital connectivity, the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS), more powerful T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded face gear transmission to accommodate more power, capability to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), full IFR capability, and improved landing gear. New composite rotor blades, which successfully completed testing in 2004, increase cruise speed, climb rate, and payload capacity. Deliveries began in November 2011. Full-rate production was approved on Oct. 24, 2012, with 634 AH-64Ds to be upgraded to AH-64E standard and production of 56 new-build AH-64Es to start in 2019/20. Changes in production lots 4 through 6 shall include a cognitive decision-aiding system and new self-diagnostic abilities.

Photo by US Army

On Jul. 29, 2020, Lockheed Martin and the Sikorsky and Boeing Team demonstrated Future Vertical Lift aircraft in action, showing how the S-97 Raider and SB>1 Defiant will give the U.S. Army the edge in achieving aviation overmatch.

On Jul. 29, 2020, Lockheed Martin and the Sikorsky and Boeing Team demonstrated Future Vertical Lift aircraft in action, showing how the S-97 Raider and SB>1 Defiant will give the U.S. Army the edge in achieving aviation overmatch, as the cool video in this post shows.

Here’s what Jay Macklin, Sikorsky Future Vertical Lift Business Development Director said:

“The transformational capability X2 Technology enables opens up tactical freedoms to the Army and will change how the Army flies in support of the ground commander.​ Seeing Raider and Defiant in formation is a natural evolution of Sikorsky’s X2 Technology and is a glimpse into the future of Army Aviation achieving Aviation overmatch.”

X2 Technology is designed for speed, maneuverability, and scalability—every attribute the Army needs to achieve aviation overmatch. Based on the XH-59A prototype, the Collier Award-winning X2 Technology Demonstrator made significant improvements in vibration reduction, weight reduction, and blade technology that enable the aircraft to be flown by a single pilot, with a single engine. Defying the physics of traditional helicopters—to revolutionize the Sikorsky vision for bringing people home safely.

Utility helicopters like the Future Long-Range Attack and Assault (FLRAA) aircraft fly low and fast, the land quickly delivers Soldiers, and they get out — all while evading the enemy in complex terrain. Sikorsky and partner Boeing have created an agile, maneuverable weapon system that flies twice as far and twice as fast as the Black Hawk — and sits in the same operational footprint. SB>1 Defiant is capable of delivering both reach and survivability.

Knife-fighters like the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) break through anti-aircraft defenses, clearing the way so the rest of the force can follow. Rader X is the only aircraft designed to survive the future battlefield — and with the mission, and flexibility to adapt even faster than the battlespace changes. Raider X provides unmatched battlefield intelligence and growth potential.

Photo by Lockheed Martin

“The aircraft performed flawlessly during the testing and met all of the program objectives,” said John Biscaino, Sikorsky’s test pilot.

Approximately 3,000 feet above the Eglin range, the HH-60W Jolly Green II connected with an HC-130J tanker for the first-ever aerial refueling by the Air Force’s new combat search and rescue helicopter, on Aug. 5, 2020.

As told by Samuel King Jr. in the article Jolly Green II begins aerial refueling tests, this connection marked the start of two weeks of developmental testing of the aircraft’s aerial refueling abilities by 413th Flight Test Squadron testers and their mission partners.

“This capability is essential for the CSAR mission since it greatly extends the operating range of the aircraft and thus allows the unit to extend their rescue capabilities over a larger battlespace,” said Joe Whiteaker, 413th FLTS Combat Rescue Helicopter Flight Chief.

The aircraft was piloted by both Air Force and Sikorsky pilots and flew at 110 knots in order to make contact with the tanker. The flight lasted just under two hours.

“The aircraft performed flawlessly during the testing and met all of the program objectives,” said John Biscaino, Sikorsky’s test pilot.

Throughout the tests, the aircrew and engineers will evaluate the helicopter’s ability to connect with the fuel drogue and its handling qualities during the fueling. They also monitor the functionality of the systems and gauges to ensure the aircraft receives the fuel appropriately with the proper pressures.

“Our job is to evaluate how difficult aerial refueling will be for operational pilots and to identify any unforeseen hazards due to the unique configuration of the HH-60W, which may not have been present in the legacy HH-60G,” Whiteaker said.

Early missions will be during daylight hours. Testing will conclude with a nighttime evaluation using night-vision goggles. 

“This is a critical test milestone for the program as it reinforces the superior capabilities of the HH-60W and its ability to support the Air Force’s CSAR mission,” said Greg Hames, Sikorsky Combat Rescue Helicopter Program Director.

Maj. Andrew Fama, 413th FLTS, was the Air Force pilot for the refueling mission. He evaluated the handling qualities and made the first contacts.  He and the aircrew spent extra time preparing for the mission which included talking through the test sequence and rehearsing the phraseology used during the refuel.  It was that extra time spent that made for a smooth mission without issues, according to the major.

“It’s rare for a test pilot to have the opportunity to test a new aircraft replacing the one he or she flew operationally and to be the first one to do something like this,” Fama said. 

The aerial refueling mission marks yet another 2020 milestone for the HH-60W program.  So far, the Jolly Green II has undergone radar, weather, and defensive system testing to name a few. 

Photo by Master Sgt. Tristan McIntire / U.S. Air Force

The empty weight of the CH-37 was 20,800 pounds and the maximum takeoff weight was 31,000 pounds. This gave a useful load of just over 10,000 pounds. The useful load does not factor in fuel so that number is actually reduced further by how far/long the helicopter needs to fly…

Designed to fulfill a 1950 Marine Corps requirement for a series of large transport helicopters, for a decade the CH-37 Mojave held the distinction of being the largest helicopter flying outside the Soviet Union.

The CH-37 prototype first flew in 1953 and entered service in 1956 with the US Army and US Marine Corps.

‘Helicopters in the mid-1950s and prior were powered by piston engines because jet engines were still fairly new and really only applied to new fighter aircraft,’ says Tyler Monson, an aviation expert on Quora. ‘These piston engines were originally designed for WWII bombers and fighters and were large and heavy to provide as much power as possible. While other helicopters of the 1950s were powered by a single-piston engine placed in the nose, the CH-37 was designed with twin-piston engines mounted in pods beside the fuselage.

‘The transport and heavy lift mission of the CH-37 meant that lots of internal space was needed within the helicopter for personnel and any cargo that would not be slung beneath on a cable. The cockpit was raised at the front of the aircraft and the nose below it opened into the large cabin via clamshell doors and a loading ramp.

‘Now you can understand why the CH-37 looks the way it does. But simply being ugly does not make a bad helicopter, so what was the problem?

‘It was just too underpowered. Its two 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines put out 2100 horsepower each. That sounds like a lot because it is. These engines were very powerful but also very heavy. Each one weighed 2360 pounds alone which gave a power-to-weight ratio of 0.89.’

He continues;

‘The empty weight of the helicopter was 20,800 pounds and the maximum takeoff weight was 31,000 pounds. This gave a useful load of just over 10,000 pounds. The useful load does not factor in fuel so that number is actually reduced further by how far/long the helicopter needs to fly. Now you can see why the CH-37 proved underwhelming.

‘By 1959 the first turboshaft engine helicopters, such as the famous UH-1 Huey, entered production. These turboshafts were much smaller than their piston counterparts and with much better power-to-weight ratios. Now turbine helicopters (such as the HH-3, CH-46, CH-47, CH-54, and CH-53) were being produced that exceeded the CH-37 in nearly every stat. Speed, maximum takeoff weight and useful load, range, altitude, and size. These helicopters served alongside the relatively small numbers of CH-37s in Vietnam and in the late 1960s the CH-37 was retired completely. 

‘The CH-53, for comparison to the CH-37 is as follows.

‘Entered service in 1966 with the US Navy and US Marine Corps. Powered by two General Electric turboshafts producing 3,925 horsepower each and a power-to-weight ratio of 5.5. An empty weight of 23,600 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight of 42,000 pounds gives a useful load of 18,400 pounds. The CH-53 could fly faster, higher, and further than the CH-37 and quickly took over in Marine’s heavy lift and transport duties.’

Monson concludes;

‘As for the few Mojaves left in Vietnam, they found a niche as a recovery helicopter, salvaging downed aircraft and equipment from the field.

‘After its retirement, it was either scrapped or found homes in museums and as static displays. It never found a career in the civilian world like the H-19 and H-34 did because it was just too large and too expensive. It might not be the absolute worst helicopter put into production but the timing of its introduction sure highlighted its deficiencies.’

Photo by U.S. Navy and U.S. Army