Army to rely on FMS, reinvesting to ensure helicopter manufacturers stay ‘healthy’
Army senior leaders, including Maj. Gen. Clair Gill, emphasized reliance on foreign military sales (FMS) and reinvestment to sustain production of Apache, Blackhawk, and Chinook helicopters amid declining procurement funding. Recent FMS contracts include 96 Apaches to Poland and 60 Chinooks to Germany, with a significant deal to Greece for Blackhawks valued over $1 billion.
Army making ‘significant headway’ in ATI aviation overhaul
Army officials report significant progress in the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI) aimed at modernizing the aviation fleet, specifically transitioning from AH-64D to AH-64E models. Col. Tim Jaeger noted that two-thirds of the fleet has been rebalanced, with 1,100 aircraft transferred. Procurement funding for Apaches has decreased from $361.7M in FY26 to $1.5M in FY27.