Deadly Apache Choppers Ready at Saudi Border

Frequent Iraqi troop movements keep tank-killing American Apache helicopters “locked and loaded and ready” in the air near the Saudi-Kuwaiti border, Army officers said late last week.

The Iraqis, one officer said, “move around so much you can’t always be sure right away what they’re up to, so you stay ready,” even though an Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia is not considered imminent.

A small group of reporters visited the aviation brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, an air-assault unit, at its base in the Saudi desert. It was the first time that reporters were allowed into the base camp, which is within range of Iraqi forces just over the border in occupied Kuwait.

Several AH-64 Apache pilots and co-pilots interviewed Friday said they have been on missions to the border area to familiarize themselves with flying conditions and the terrain.

The Apaches, with Hellfire missiles and multiple rocket pods, are the military’s main weapons against Iraqi tanks. The helicopters are designed for both night and day combat.

“We can take out 200 tanks easy in about two hours,” said Lt. Col. Dick Cody, commander of an Apache battalion. “It’s a (tactical) fighter’s dream out here.”

Additional air-defense systems were installed in the Apaches before they were sent to Saudi Arabia. Even more advanced systems, designed to detect and defend against enemy fire, are expected to be brought into Saudi Arabia for front-line units, the officers said.

“They were upgraded to match what they’ve (Iraqi forces) got,” one pilot said.

The camp, which would be used as a staging area for repair and refueling in the event of combat, is expanding each day as more troops, equipment and supplies arrive. Ground rules for the Pentagon pool operation prohibit disclosure of its location.

Most details of the Apache defense systems are classified, but they are designed to destroy approaching enemy fire or to confuse guidance systems.

During a display for the journalists, two Apaches flew north over the Saudi desert, hugging the ground and sometimes hiding behind sand dunes. The reporters watched from a Blackhawk helicopter.

Col. Tom Garrett, the brigade commander, said the division receives constant updates on Iraqi troop and tank movements and could quickly respond to an incursion into Saudi Arabia.

“We’ve been told we should get a six- to eight-hour heads-up when they start moving around, but we can be ready pretty fast if need be,” Garrett said.

“We’re not worried about it,” he said of the Iraqi tank threat. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

The Apaches are equipped with state-of-the-art radar and other scanning systems, and the weapons use laser- and computer-controlled guidance systems.

The Hellfire missile has never been used in combat, but Garrett said it has performed well in training missions. Live-fire training is planned for the Saudi desert, he said.

The Apaches, because of their anti-tank capabilities, were among the earliest arrivals in Saudi Arabia. Their engines are being flushed daily because of sand, but Garrett and several pilots said they have experienced few weather-related problems.

“We’ve got two enemies out here,” Garrett said. “One is the environment. The other is the Iraqis.”

Apache AH-64A U.S. Army advanced attack helicopter capable of undertaking full day/night/adverse weather anti-tank or other anti-armor missions. Crew: Pilot and co-pilot/weapons operator. Folding fin rockets: Carries 38 aerial rockets, 19 per launcher Maximum range: 300 miles; 1,057 miles with external fuel tanks Maximum cruising speed: 184 m.p.h. Tracking and night vision systems: Camera target detection and tracking system, laser range finder and target designator. Information is displayed inside of pilots’ helmets. Hellfire missiles: Carries 8 laser-guided anti-tank missiles 30-mm cannon: fires 625 rounds per minute; carries up to 1,200 rounds