Two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will arrive at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, on Thursday, the first of what will be a new helicopter battalion. The remainder of the soon-to-be-activated 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Infantry Division's 24 helicopters will arrive by April 2016, according to U.S. Army Alaska officials.
The AH-64 Apache is the Army's most sophisticated attack helicopter, replacing aging Vietnam War-era AH-1 Cobra helicopters. It features a navigation and sensor system that allows the helicopter's pilot and gunner to operate during day, night and adverse weather conditions, according to the Army.
The new choppers are the first Apaches to be based in Alaska. U.S. Army Alaska spokesperson John Pennell said when the unit is fully outfitted, it will employ about 400 soldiers.