The U.S. Army Operational Test Command's Aviation Test Directorate is conducting operational testing on the Apache Block III helicopter through April 13 at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.

The Apache Block III is a modernized version of the currently fielded AH-64D Apache Block II aircraft, said Col. Ed Gutierrez, Aviation Test Directorate leader.

"The design incorporates technology advancements harvested from other development programs and advances in-processing technology since the fielding of the block one and two AH-64D Apache," he said. "The modernization and upgrades will result in improved aircraft performance and reduced operating costs as well improve mission execution."

Directorate personnel designed and are executing the test, Gutierrez said, and are deployed for more than 11 weeks to the National Training Center. The test team is composed of more than 250 military, Department of the Army civilians and contractors and are operating from Barstow Daggett Airfield, National Training Center, Edwards Air Force Base and China Lake Naval Air Station simultaneously.

"This is one of, if not the biggest, operational tests the Army will conduct this year," Gutierrez said. "If the aircraft is successful, it will be the bedrock of Army aviation for the next 15 to 20 years."

The Army selected the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan., to field the Apache Block III and will serve as the player unit for the test, according to Gutierrez.

"They will employ the (helicopter) alongside a like number of legacy (Apache) aircraft at NTC," he explained. "The purpose of the side by side testing is to measure the difference in capability, performance and lethality between both aircraft in combat operations."

Designed by directorate test officers, the test will include realistic combat operations scenarios by 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, against a capable threat formation from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment stationed at Fort Irwin, Gutierrez said.

"The unit will conduct team and company level training during the first portion of the test in order to solidify the new emerging tactics," Gutierrez said. "The aviation subject matter experts from (the directorate) will record in detail all pertinent data on aircraft performance, capability, human interface and unit combat effectiveness.

"Additionally, (the directorate) will integrate the Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft operating from Edwards Air Force Base into the test scenarios," he continued. "These scenarios are designed to test the interoperability between the Apache and the Gray Eagle utilizing manned and unmanned tactics against a realistic threat."

Data collected by directorate will be presented in a test report to evaluators at the Army Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The evaluation command and Operational Test Command are both subordinate commands of the Army Test and Evaluation Command. The larger command's test reports are ultimately used by senior Army leadership to make informed acquisition decisions.