Australia has taken delivery of its first two U.S. AH-64E Apache attack helicopters at RAAF Base Townsville. The U.S.-made aircraft expands strike range and strengthens joint operations with American forces in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia’s Department of Defence confirmed the arrival of two U.S. AH-64E Apache attack helicopters at RAAF Base Townsville on October 3, marking the first step in an Army modernization effort toward littoral maneuver and long-range strike. The U.S.-built aircraft enhances Australia’s ability to operate alongside American forces and reflects an accelerated shift in force posture across northern Australia.
Boeing Defence Australia has been awarded a seven-year contract worth 306 million Australian dollars to provide maintenance, engineering, training and logistics. The government expects more than 240 jobs in Queensland, including about 170 in Townsville, with additional positions as the new Townsville Aviation Training Academy ramps up. This academy will offer technical courses for industry maintenance personnel who will work on the AH-64E Apache and CH-47F Chinook fleets.
In parallel, a 700-million-dollar infrastructure program has been launched at Townsville to host the Apache and the relocation of the 1st Aviation Regiment and the headquarters of the 16th Aviation Brigade. The construction phase is expected to create 275 jobs in the region. These figures do not describe how the helicopter performs in flight, but they indicate that the government is anchoring the capability in North Queensland rather than dispersing it.
Regarding the aircraft itself, the AH-64E is an evolution of the D model, often referred to as Apache Guardian. The E standard introduces more powerful engines, improved composite rotor blades and a drivetrain sized for a higher maximum weight and better hot-and-high performance. Crews have modern digital avionics, a mission computer that fuses multiple sensors and data link gateways for joint fires coordination.
The E model is compatible with Link 16, which allows it to exchange tracks with other Australian Defence Force platforms and receive targeting data in return. The electro-optical sight provides high-resolution day and night imagery for target identification. Where fitted, the Longbow radar above the rotor hub can search for moving armored vehicles, cue the appropriate weapon and support attack profiles that keep the aircraft masked by terrain. The system was designed for combined arms combat, so it delivers its best results when networked.
The armament reflects this role. The turreted M230 provides rapid fire for suppression and close contact. For precise strikes against armored targets, the crew can load laser or radar guided missiles with programmable warheads. The same wing stations accept pods for 70 mm rockets fitted with guidance kits for light vehicles, small boats or point targets ashore. Australian aircraft will train with a mix of these loads, with exact integration dependent on the ADF certification schedule. The combination of sensors, data links and weapons makes it possible to detect and fix targets while remaining behind cover or offset over water. The platform also has payload margins and software growth paths for future missile families or counter-UAS kits, which is relevant as unmanned systems spread across all echelons.
The operational approach outlined by Defence is straightforward. Australian Army crews are training in the United States and the United Kingdom, and some air and ground personnel are already qualified on type. The 29 aircraft are due for delivery by 2029, so the initial pair in Townsville will be joined by a steady flow as the base, simulators and the spares pipeline mature. The relocation of the 1st Aviation Regiment and the headquarters of the 16th Aviation Brigade to Townsville indicates a concentration of attack aviation, with heavy-lift and training support nearby.
The aim is to generate a ready force able to deploy quickly toward the archipelagos to Australia’s north, share targeting data with maritime and air assets, and deliver effects without waiting for large, fixed infrastructure ashore. In practice, this implies training over water, integration with amphibious ships, and established routines with Northern Territory and Queensland units that already use the training areas.
Since the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, Canberra has directed resources to the northern base network and the capacity to deny an adversary access through Australia’s approaches. Attack aviation fits this posture because it can operate from austere sites, strike surface targets at stand-off range, and transmit data within a joint network.
The Apache does not replace long-range missiles or fighter aviation, but it offers commanders a rotary option that connects to land forces and maritime patrols. The development of Townsville as an industrial and training hub supports this posture through local sustainment rather than a long reliance on facilities in the south. That choice matters, since distance and climate shape availability in the north.
At the regional level, the Indo-Pacific remains contested at sea and in the air. The decision to base the Apache at Townsville aligns with a series of investments in Queensland and the Northern Territory, including runway works, fuel storage capacity, and the presence of US forces during combined exercises. It also aligns with the logic of allied interoperability. The AH-64E is widely used by partners, including the United States and the United Kingdom, which reduces integration friction during multilateral activities and simplifies spares and training exchanges.
Government language on training and employment reflects domestic priorities, yet the strategic thread is clear. Australia is establishing a rotary strike capability that can manoeuvre with amphibious groups, patrol along key sea lines, and plug into a networked effects chain without immediately deploying a large land formation. That is why the arrival of two helicopters in Townsville is presented as a starting point rather than an end state.
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