Although armored, the Apache was designed to operate with ground troops. Without that protection, hand-held missiles or even heavy machine gun fire can shoot down Apaches. So before Apaches join the battle, Army missile launchers will have to be placed to pepper targeted areas and keep anti-aircraft weapons at bay. None of this is a surprise to military leaders. Back in 1990, the General Accounting Office said it could take so long to get everything into place for Apaches in wartime that their effectiveness could be impaired.
Some military analysts fear that is still true.
And that could raise questions about what role the Apaches will play by the time they are ready to fight. Some experts fear Apache attack helicopters fall short of meeting the Army's fully mission-capable goal. Click here for Terms of Use and Privacy Policy applicable to this site.