U.S. Army Deploys Apache Attack Helicopters For Drills on Belarusian Border

The U.S. Army 1st Armoured Division has deployed AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for deep strike live-fire exercises in Lithuania near the Belarusian border, during which the aircraft flew coordinated strike missions and destroyed simulated enemy positions. The division’s 1st Combat Aviation Brigade reported regarding the exercises: “The training reinforces our ability to respond rapidly and precisely in support of regional security.” The deployments coincide with Belarus’ Zapad military exercises with Russia, and occur a 14 months after China made an unprecedented deployment of ground forces to Belarus for its first major joint exercises with the country. Belarus remains the only country in Europe considered outside the Western Bloc’s sphere of influence, and has recently rapidly modernised its military capabilities with large scale procurements predominantly from Russia.

Despite its relatively small defence budget, Belarus has sustained a formidable attack helicopter fleet since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, with the Apache’s Soviet counterpart, the Mi-24, remaining in service with high availability rates, and being conservatively modernised. Although it was previously speculated that Belarus could procure Mi-28 next generation attack helicopters, which are significantly newer and in many ways more capable than the Apache, orders were instead placed for the Mi-35M, the first of which were delivered in August 2023. The Mi-35M is a heavily enhanced derivative of the Mi-24, with the two having significant commonality between them. The aircraft is not purely an attack helicopter like the more costly Mi-28 and Ka-52, and was designed to also serve as a troop transport. It has been used successfully for offensives in Ukraine.

Having seen four decades in service, the Apache is by far the oldest class of heavy attack helicopter in production anywhere in the world, with its development having been strongly prioritised during the Cold War to bridge the gap in performance with the Soviet Mi-24, which had for the preceding 15 years been effectively in a league of its own in terms of capabilities. Concerns have grown regarding the aircraft’s reliability, with four Apaches having crashed in just 44 days in early 2024, including two within just three days in March. Despite its age, the Apache has continued to be incrementally modernised, with deployments in Eastern Europe expected to continue to expand as the Polish Armed Forces plan to procure 96 of the aircraft. Poland’s rapid military buildup has been a primary factor increasing pressure on Belarus’ defences, alongside parallel buildups by other NATO members.