... their equipment is fit for purpose. It could be argued that a modern attack helicopter, with a multitude of high-speed, high-tech, rotating components, complex gadgetry and sensitive sights and weapon systems, all manufactured to close tolerances, presents a lot to consider. Add to that the ever-present consideration of 'flight safety', which places extra onus on the requirement for absolute reliability, then indeed maintaining Attack Helicopters in desert conditions has the potential to become a veritable minefield. There is much inherent strength in the design and construction of such rotorcraft but the desert environment does take a lot out of them and as a consequence reliability suffers. The purpose of this project is to look specifically at the Apache, now that it has established itself on operations in Afghanistan, and consider what improvements can be made to increase serviceability, efficiency and availability. The US Army gives assurances that the Apache contributed ...

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