The British Army is looking to integrate uncrewed “mules” with its new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in a bid to provide new lethality, sensor, and protection capabilities for platform on the battlefields of the future.
Detailing the concept at DefenceIQ’s International Armoured Vehicle (IAV 2025) conference on 21 January, Lt Gen David Eastman, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, British Army, said the service was exploring ways to integrate the mules, effectively uncrewed platforms, with the Apache gunship.
The aspiration is to see the Apache helicopters acting as C2 nodes, controlling a flight of drones to various duties, depending on payload. Up to six “mules” could be assigned to each helicopter.
Eastman said the British Army was “exploring options to pair mules with Apache”, with each mule potentially carrying electronic warfare or radar detection systems, strike weapons, or indeed acting as a physical decoy for the parent platform.
In practice, the plan is not dissimilar to the notion of manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) concept being developed for fixed wing aircraft, with sixth-generation fighters thought likely to operate alongside one or more ‘Loyal Wingmen’ – drones under direct control of operators at the tactical level.
Much of the networking will be possible thanks to a new C2/sensor node positioned above the Apache’s rotors, which will enable direct control of the mules by the helicopter crew.
New UK Apache fleet broadly running to plan
By August 2024, the British Army had received 41 remanufactured AH-64E Apache helicopters from Boeing, out of 50 contracted.
Delivering his presentation to delegates at IAV 2025, Eastman stated that the British Army had 44 Apache gunships, indicating that just six remained to be delivered.
It was originally planned that all aircraft would be delivered by the end of 2024, but this will now extend into the first half of 2025 at the earliest, and possibly beyond.
While more capable than the D model, the acquisition of the AH-64E will see a reduction in fleet size, dropping from 66 to 50 airframes. In May 2024 it was reported that the acquisition of 50 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the US appeared to be running to budget.
