Israel secures procurement of 12 Apache gunships in last-minute maneuver

JERUSALEM — Israel is set to acquire 12 Apache “Echo” attack helicopters from Boeing, according to an Israeli ministry of defense announcement this week.

The deal secures the advanced variant of the helicopter, with scheduled delivery at the beginning of the next decade. It follows months of uncertainty surrounding the deal’s viability, caused by the Israeli government’s inability to finalize the pact despite multiple offer extensions granted by the Americans.

An agreement was previously stalled due to a dispute between the Israeli ministry of finance and the Israeli ministry of defense over funding sources. The ministry of finance demanded budget adjustments and a defined funding source, while the defense establishment pressed to approve the procurement as “urgent,” regardless of general budget discussions.

This gridlock persisted even as the U.S. granted Israel several extensions, culminating in a deadline of Oct. 7, 2026. After missing this original window, concerns arose in Israel that Boeing’s production slot would be routed to other international customers, leading to delivery delays and price increases.

In a last-minute move, Israeli defense officials reached out to their U.S. counterparts and requested another extension. The Americans agreed and opened what Israeli officials conveyed to the press here as a “final window” on the condition that the deal be signed immediately. This prompted an urgent Israeli Cabinet phone vote on Wednesday, which approved the necessary budgetary source at the expense of another long-term, non-defense national program, and made the signing of the deal possible at the same day.

The AH-64E Apache “Echo” is a twin-engine, tandem-seat attack helicopter. The aircraft’s integrated weapon and targeting suite accommodates a payload of up to 16 Hellfire missiles, 76 2.75-inch rockets, and an M230-series 30mm automatic chain gun supplied with up to 1,200 rounds of ammunition.

The platform incorporates digital network connectivity via Link 16, manned-unmanned teaming capabilities for drone control, and a modular open systems approach designed to allow the integration of hardware and software modifications.

Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies.

耶路撒冷——以色列国防部本周宣布，以色列将从波音公司采购 12 架阿帕奇“回声”攻击直升机。

该协议确保了以色列获得这款直升机的先进型号，预计将于下个十年初交付。此前数月，由于以色列政府未能最终敲定协议，尽管美国方面多次延长了协议期限，导致该协议的可行性一直悬而未决。

此前，由于以色列财政部和国防部在资金来源问题上存在分歧，一项协议陷入僵局。财政部要求调整预算并明确资金来源，而国防部则坚持要求批准这项采购，理由是“紧急”，不顾预算方面的讨论。

尽管美国多次给予以色列延期，最终将最后期限定为 2026 年 10 月 7 日，但僵局依然持续。错过最初的期限后，以色列担心波音的生产名额会被分配给其他国际客户，导致交付延迟和价格上涨。

在最后一刻，以色列国防官员联系了美国同行，请求再次延期。美方同意了，并开启了以色列官员向媒体所说的“最后窗口”，条件是协议必须立即签署。这促使以色列内阁于周三紧急召开电话会议，批准了必要的预算拨款，而这笔拨款的来源却占用了另一项长期的非国防国家项目，从而使协议得以在当天签署。

AH-64E“阿帕奇”回声是一款双引擎串列式攻击直升机。该机集成的武器和目标指示系统可携带多达16枚地狱火导弹、76枚2.75英寸火箭弹以及一门M230系列30毫米自动链式机炮，并配备多达1200发弹药。

该平台通过 Link 16 实现了数字网络连接，具备无人机控制的人机协作能力，并采用模块化开放系统方法，旨在实现硬件和软件修改的集成。

扎利·格林伯格是《防务新闻》的以色列记者。他拥有丰富的经济事务以及国防和网络安全公司报道经验。