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, Fort Irwin, Calif.

The AB3 is a modernized version of the currently fielded AH-64D Apache Block II aircraft, according to Col. Ed Gutierrez, AVTD director.

“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 as improve mission execution.”

AVTD personnel designed and are executing the test, Gutierrez said. They are deployed for more than 11 weeks to NTC. The test team, comprised of more than 250 military, Department of the Army civilians and contractors, is operating from four California locations, Barstow Daggett Airfield, NTC, 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 has selected the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan., to field the AB3. They are serving as the player unit for the OT, according to Gutierrez.

“They will employ the AB3 alongside a like number of legacy AB2 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 AVTD test officers, the OT will include realistic combat operations scenarios by 1-1 ARB 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 AVTD will record in detail all pertinent data on aircraft performance, capability, human interface and unit combat effectiveness.

“Additionally, AVTD 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 Eagles utilizing manned and unmanned tactics against a realistic threat.”

Data collected by AVTD will be presented in a test report to evaluators at the Army Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. AEC and OTC are both subordinate commands of the Army Test and Evaluation Command, APG. ATEC test reports are ultimately used by senior Army leadership to make informed acquisition decisions.