GRAFENWOEHR: US Army Apache helicopters shot down target drones during an October 6 exercise in Germany, testing their ability to counter threats similar to Iranian Shahed attack drones.
Crews from the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, participated in Operation Skyfall II at the Grafenwoehr Training Area.
Pilots pursued propeller-driven MQM-170 Outlaw drones with wingspans of about 11 feet, comparable to some Shahed models.
The helicopters used 30mm training ammunition, missiles and rockets during the exercise. Ground-based air defence personnel used Sentinel radar to detect the targets and relay their positions to Apache crews.
The US Army reported three successful interceptions. The New York Times separately reported that one crew destroyed four drones during a single flight.
Lieutenant Colonel John Verwiel, an air defence commander, said the training tested how different weapons could work together against large numbers of drones.
Apache crews are adapting aircraft traditionally used against tanks and other ground targets for a new aerial threat. Their relatively inexpensive cannon ammunition offers another option for engaging drones without relying entirely on missiles.
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However, pilots acknowledged important limitations. Chief Warrant Officer Cody Schoonover said speed remained a major obstacle when confronting newer jet-powered drones.
Russian Geran-4 drones, for example, can travel faster than Apache helicopters can pursue them. In June, an Apache went down over the Strait of Hormuz during an encounter with a Shahed drone.
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Both pilots survived, but officials could not establish whether the drone deliberately targeted the helicopter. US military officials see Apaches as one component of a wider counter-drone defence system, not a replacement for existing air defence weapons.
