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AH‑64E Apaches shoot down drones in Germany, proving air‑to‑air C‑UAS capability during Operation Skyfall

The U.S. Army's 12th Combat Aviation Brigade used AH‑64E Apaches at Grafenwoehr during Operation Skyfall to engage and destroy unmanned aerial systems in air‑to‑air combat. Soldiers from 2‑159th Attack Battalion demonstrated the Apache's viability as a counter‑UAS platform using existing weapons.

Discovered 2026-03-19T06:05:35.933107-07:00 | 2026-03-19T06:05:35.933107-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • This is the first reported use of AH‑64E Apaches to conduct air‑to‑air counter‑UAS engagements in the European theater during Operation Skyfall, showing the platform can intercept and destroy UAS with currently fielded sensors and weapons.
  • The demonstration reinforces the Army’s broader shift to integrate unmanned systems and counter‑UAS tactics into aviation and combined‑arms training (see Army integration of unmanned systems: source:d58c3141-8fa4-4562-8191-fae6bb839beb).
  • It also underscores operational demand for Apache sustainment and mission‑set expansion as the service fields C‑UAS roles alongside ongoing post‑production support for the AH‑64 fleet (see Boeing support award: source:a9c66170-aba3-4c28-971e-be2ddbbd41a1).

Reported By

news.ssbcrack.com aviationnews.eu AeroTime news.defcros.com Army Times c4isrnet.com
Sources Tracked
12
First Seen
2026-03-19T06:05:35.933107-07:00
Latest Update
2026-03-25T06:39:01.671330-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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