AH-64E Transformation

Rim of the Pacific, Munitions, and Tactics

By CPT Taylor D. Krug

Article published on: August 1, 2025 in the July-September 2025 Edition of the Aviation Digest

Read Time: < 8 mins

The 25th CAB proves invaluable in RIMPAC 2024 maritime operations. U.S. Army photo by SGT Richard Mohr.

In 2024, the 2-6 Air Cavalry Squadron (ACS) was the latest U.S. Army Aviation unit to feld the AH-64E Version 6 (AH-64Ev6) and divest the AH-64D. During this modernization process, the ACS participated in the biennial Rim of the Pacifc 2024 (RIMPAC). Rim of the Pacifc is the largest international maritime exercise in the world, consisting of 29 nations, 40 surface ships, four submarines, more than 171 aircrafts, and over 25,000 personnel (U.S. 3D Fleet Public Afairs, 2024a). The purpose of the exercise is to foster relationships and enhance interoperability with other nations in the strategically important Indo-Pacifc Theater.

During RIMPAC, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) trained logistical shaping operations, while 2-6 ACS participated in a live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) under the command and control of the 3D Multidomain Task Force (MDTF). Te SINKEX involved U.S., allied, and partner nation army, air force, and navy elements that provided a multitude of efects to sink a hulk more than 50 nautical miles of the northern coast of Kauai (U.S. 3D Fleet, 2024b).

The ACS was tasked to provide 30 minutes of efects against the USS Dubuque, one of two hulks targeted during the SINKEX. The squadron fielded a team fight, employing the new AH-64Ev6 in concert with a multitude of assets fring from the air, surface, and shore. The team successfully engaged the USS Dubuque with autonomous AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, aerial rockets, and the 30-mm area weapon system. While the engagements caused signifcant damage, sinking the outsized USS Dubuque required a joint effort. The team mission did, however, serve as a valuable proxy for engaging more relevant targets and motivated thoughts about AH-64 tactics in the littoral during large-scale combat operations (LSCO).

Tactically Applicable Training Benefits

Future rotary-wing maritime operations will be impacted signifcantly by contested airspace, extensive target ranges, and logistical challenges. Tis makes participating in large-scale maritime exercises prized training opportunities for Army Aviation. During the SINKEX, 2-6 ACS gained experience in congested airspace under joint live-fre conditions. Te aircrews demonstrated their tactical and technical profciency, successfully executing fundamental engagements and integrating with joint and multi-national partners in a high-intensity environment. Additionally, the 25th CAB exercised sustainment operations, using only organic resources that will be essential to success in an island chain fght.

The SINKEX airspace was congested and tightly controlled, characteristic of the conditions that aviators expect in a LSCO fght in the Pacifc or elsewhere.

The stack during the exercise included more than 10 air assets deconflicted by altitude, position, and time. Additionally, the aircrews had to contend with gun-target lines for surface vessels and elements on shore. Replicating this environment in routine training is challenging due to the extensive resources required and the level of difculty associated with synchronizing each asset. The seamless integration of the Apache aircrews into this complex operation underscores their ability to thrive in a highly contested and coordinated operational environment, a critical capability for future conflicts.

Sustaining the U.S. Army’s enduring rotary-wing feet in a future island chain fght presents unique challenges. Excluding Army special operations aviation units, no rotary-wing platform in the U.S. Army is equipped for aerial refueling. Ground forward arming and refueling points (FARPs) are impractical because they require a distant expanse of roads, bridges, or trafficable terrain for ground vehicles to transport fuel. Refueling aboard a naval vessel is a logical solution but presents practical difculties. Generally, there is roughly a platoon’s worth of AH-64 pilots in the 25th CAB fully qualifed to perform deck landings. This is due to an insuffcient number of training opportunities with naval assets and the combined effect of sea state, AH-64 landing limitations, and vessel landing limits. This makes jump FARPs, specifcally the “Fat Cow” concept, as the most pragmatic rearming and refueling solution for Army rotary-wing assets in an archipelago.

An AH 64 Apache helicopter shoots an AGM 114 Hellfire missile during a live fire sinking exercise at RIMPAC 2024. U.S. Army photo by SGT Perla Alfaro.

The RIMPAC exercise provided an opportunity for the 25th CAB to train and employ CH-47 Fat Cow operations. “Fat Cow is a field-expedited refueling process during which a CH-47 Chinook, the largest helicopter in the Army, provides fuel for other helicopters while operating behind enemy lines” (Lewis, 2022). Company B, 3-25 General Support Battalion, executed the Fat Cow operation using two CH-47s to transport fuel, ammunition, and armament personnel to the designated FARP location on Kauai. This shaping operation was designed to mimic aerial jump FARPs essential to supporting forward troops. By leveraging its organic assets to establish forward refueling points, the 25th CAB demonstrated a crucial ability to operate with increased independence and resilience in a contested maritime environment, minimizing reliance on potentially vulnerable external support.

AH-64s in the Littoral

The ACS’s participation in the SINKEX exercise demonstrates its ability to integrate into joint maritime operations. However, it also raises critical questions regarding the optimal role and capabilities of the AH-64 in the challenging littoral environment. While training during the RIMPAC was valuable, significant considerations remain before employing AH-64s in large-scale maritime combat operations, particularly against increasingly sophisticated adversaries. A careful assessment of target selection, weapon suitability, and survivability enhancements is paramount.

The SINKEX targeted the USS Dubuque, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock. A contemporary equivalent fielded by a potential peer adversary is China’s Type 071 (Yuzhao) Amphibious Transport Dock. These vessels represent a formidable threat, possessing substantial armament and robust defenses. The Type 071 is equipped with a 76.2-mm naval gun, capable of a high rate of fire, and four 30-mm rotary cannons providing close-in defense (Wertheim, 2020). Recent imagery also suggests the potential integration of a laser-based direct energy weapon, mirroring systems being developed by the U.S. Navy (Luck, 2024). Furthermore, the Type 071 incorporates advanced radar systems and chaf countermeasures, characteristics common to modern warships, making them hazardous targets for AH-64s operating without substantial supporting assets.

Given these challenges, focusing the AH-64’s capabilities on smaller, more vulnerable targets may be a more effective approach. Chinese autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) and landing craft, such as the Z170 ASV and Type 067 (Yunnan Class) Landing Craft, present more appropriate targets. Te Z170 ASV, primarily used for electronic warfare, is lightly armed, while the Type 067 Landing Craft, designed for ship-to-shore transport, carries limited defensive weaponry. Engaging these targets aligns better with the Apache’s existing munitions and tactical engagement techniques.

The decommissioned Austin class amphibious transport dock, USS Dubuque, smokes after taking a direct hit with a missile during long planned, live fire SINKEX during Exercise RIMPAC 2024. U.S. Army photo by SGT Perla Alfaro.

The rapidly evolving nature of warfare, particularly the proliferation of drone technology and artifcial intelligence, necessitates a parallel transformation in how we employ our forces. As 2-6 ACS transitions to the AH-64Ev6, we must also adapt our tactics. Te recent RIM-PAC exercise highlighted limitations in available munitions—AGM-114R, unguided rockets, and 30-mm can- non—restricting the full demonstration of the Apache’s capabilities to within 8 km. Future large-scale exercises should prioritize the integration of advanced missiles like the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) and Spike® NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight) and leverage the AH-64Ev6’s underutilized maritime targeting mode (MTM). The JAGM-Medium Range, with its 16+- km range and fire-and-forget capability, and the Spike NLOS, ofering a 32-km range and “man-in-the-loop” guidance (Lockheed Martin, 2022; Rafael, 2025), would signifcantly enhance survivability and standoff distance. Maritime targeting mode, optimized for overwater targeting, can efectively identify moving targets beyond the shoreline, further extending the Apache’s operational reach. Investing in the utilization of these capabilities during the 2026 RIMPAC would provide valuable proof of concept for the AH-64Ev6's relevance in the maritime fght, improving crew profciency, planning processes, and exercise realism.

Finally, in scenarios where laser-guided munitions are the only option, maintaining standoff distance is crucial. The RIMPAC exercise revealed ineffciencies in target designation, with the Gray Eagle unmanned aircraf system (UAS) used for surveillance rather than providing remote laser designa-tion, resulting in delays through the 3D MDTF tactical operations center. Directly employing UAS assets for remote designation would be a critical force multiplier, potentially making the diference in mission success and crew survivability.

Countries of RIMPAC 2024. Photo by U.S. Navy MC2, Alexis Perez.

Conclusion

The 2-6 ACS’s participation in the 2024 RIMPAC provided valuable experience for the squadron as the unit integrates the AH-64Ev6 and adapts to operating in the Indo-Pacifc theater. Te successful fielding of the AH-64Ev6, alongside the employment of organic sustainment capabilities like the Fat Cow operation, demonstrated the 25th CAB’s ability to project power and maintain operational independence in a complex maritime environment. However, the exercise also underscored the need for continued tactical evolution, particularly regarding target selection and weapons integration, as the Army prepares to face increasingly sophisticated adversaries. Prioritizing the incorporation of advanced munitions, the AH-64Ev6's MTM, and streamlining target designation processes will be critical to ensuring the Apache remains a relevant and efective asset in future LSCO, ultimately bolstering the Army’s contribution to joint force lethality in the littoral.

Notes