Defence is acquiring a fleet of 29 AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters, replacing the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, bringing with it significant capability improvements.
As a part of this process, some Australian soldiers have been sent to Hanchey Army Heliport, the home of Apache training, to learn how to pilot and instruct pilots on how to operate the attack helicopters.
“I arrived at Fort Rucker in 2023 alongside Major Matthew Stubbs and Captain Alexander Paranthoiene as part of a small group transitioning from the Tiger,” said Captain Jonathan Hogan, an Instructor Pilot on the AH-64E Apache in the 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment at the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence, Fort Rucker.
“Over the course of the year, I completed both the AH-64E Aviator Qualification Course and the Instructor Pilot Course, which allowed me to begin instructing on the Apache in early 2024.”
AH-64E Apache deliveries to Australia are expected to commence in late 2025.
One of the more novel aspects of Apache instruction is teaching students to fly using the Pilot Night Vision Sensor. Unlike traditional helmet-mounted night vision goggles, the Apache projects an infrared image from a nose-mounted sensor into the pilot’s right eye via a monocle, overlaid with symbology.
“We train aircrew to use this system in what is affectionately called “the bag”—a completely blacked-out cockpit where pilots rely solely on the sensor feed,” CAPT Hogan stated. “It is quite unnatural at first—flying with one eye in a glowing tunnel of infrared, using a sensor mounted metres away from your head—but once students push through the learning curve, it becomes one of the most confidence-building milestones in the course.
“It is also what sets the Apache apart: the ability to operate in total darkness without ambient light gives us an edge against our adversaries.”
In June 2024, Captains Craig Burger and Hogan, became the first pair of Australians to fill both seats during an AH-64E Apache flight at Fort Rucker. Having completed their Apache qualification course, the two pilots are now embedded as Instructor Pilots at the Army Aviation Centre of Excellence.
“It represents a generational shift in Australian Army Aviation. We are not just introducing a new helicopter; we are building a modern, connected, and combat-ready attack aviation capability designed to meet the demands of future multi-domain operations,” CAPT Hogan affirmed.
CAPT Hogan said he would return home to Darwin in the coming months and then on to Townsville in 2026 to support the introduction of Australia's own Apache fleet as part of the 1st Aviation Regiment.
On the Australian side of things, Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has commenced a major recruitment drive for maintenance personnel to support the future fleet of AH-64E Apache helicopters.
The Australian subsidiary of Boeing has 36 roles available for aircraft maintenance engineer apprentices and trainees to support the Australian Army’s vertical lift fleet, including the new Apaches, which will be based at RAAF Base Townsville from later this year.
Candidates do not need prior aviation or defence experience to apply, with training to be provided locally to successful applicants from January 2026 by aviation training provider, Aviation Australia.
“It’s not every day that Townsville job seekers get the opportunity to work on one of the world’s most advanced military helicopters,” BDA’s managing director, Amy List, said. “We encourage anyone seeking an exciting, long-term career at the cutting edge of aerospace to apply.
“Working on Apaches could be just the beginning of your Boeing career. We maintain a diverse fleet for the Australian Defence Force, including CH-47F Chinooks in Townsville, and F/A-18F Super Hornets and C-17A Globemaster IIIs in South-East Queensland.”
The 36 roles comprise 12 Certificate II in Aircraft Line Maintenance traineeships; 12 Diploma in Aeroskills (Avionics) apprenticeships; and 12 Diploma of Aeroskills (Mechanical) apprenticeships.