Morocco Receives Six Apache Helicopters as US Grounds Some AH-64Es for Inspections
Morocco has taken delivery of six new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. The delivery comes as the US Army has suspended flights of aircraft of the same model to inspect their mechanical transmissions. Questions are now being raised about the fate of Morocco’s helicopters.
Two days after the ceremony held on October 26 in Salé, the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes looked into a technical problem affecting part of the US fleet of AH-64E Apaches. The newspaper sought in particular to determine whether the six aircraft newly delivered to Morocco had received modifications to address it.
The issue stems from a decision made by the US Army on October 2. In an official statement, the US Army ordered a temporary suspension of flights by AH-64Es equipped with an “Improved Drive System” transmission. Inspections and corrective work must be carried out before they return to service.
The system transmits power from the engines to the rotors, among other functions. Technical assessments, airworthiness checks and maintenance reports led the Army to take this measure. According to the US press, around 400 helicopters may be affected, a figure not specified in the military statement.
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On October 15, the US Army also announced the deployment of specialist teams to dismantle and inspect transmissions at several military bases, including Fort Rucker and Fort Drum.
US Asked About Morocco’s Apaches
Stars and Stripes asked the US command SETAF-AF whether the helicopters delivered to Morocco had been modified to address the problem. The command referred the newspaper to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the US agency responsible for foreign arms sales. It had not responded by the time the article was published on October 28.
The question concerns the technical configuration of the Moroccan aircraft. The suspension announced by the US Army specifically applies to AH-64Es fitted with the transmission system targeted by the inspections. It has not been established whether the helicopters recently delivered to Morocco have this equipment.
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This third delivery brings the number of Apaches received by the Royal Air Force to 19, out of the 24 planned under the US program, valued at nearly $1.3 billion. Five aircraft remain to be delivered.
At the Salé ceremony, US General Matthew Brown also announced that pilots and ground forces from both countries would train together on the helicopters during upcoming editions of African Lion, according to the official SETAF-AF statement.
