NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The Netherlands has inked a contract worth $1.19 billion at Gilze-Rijen Air Base for the upgrade of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) fleet of 28 Boeing AH-64D Apache Block II attack helicopters. With the signing of a letter of agreement for the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) between Dutch and U.S. officials on September 14 the upgrade project which will bring the Dutch Apaches up to AH-64E Guardian standard will now move forward.
Earlier in February the U.S. Department of Defense's agency, the DSCA, notified Congress of the proposed FMS being cleared by the State Department.
The RNLAF acquired 30 AH-64D Apache Block I attack helicopters from 1997 through 2002. Of this total there now remain 28 active Apaches in the RNLAF inventory. The service intends to retain these units in operational use out to 2050, thus the requirement of an upgrade program.
The upgrade program will involve equipping the Dutch Apache fleet with new hulls, transmissions and rotor blades, plus a more powerful engine and better fire control and targeting systems. The first unit will be modernized starting in 2021 with re-delivery to the RNLAF by mid-2022.
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