Israel grounds Apaches after fatal crash

[Zarvan]

Israel has grounded all of its AH-64A and AH-64E attack helicopters after one crew member was killed and another seriously injured in an incident at Ramon Air Base on 7 August. Source: IHSMarkit/Gareth Jennings

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has grounded its fleet of Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters during investigations into a fatal crash that occurred on 7 August.

Announced on the service's Facebook page, the grounding order has been placed on the IAF's entire attack helicopter division until the investigation into the incident at Ramon Air Base (AB) is completed.

No details were released as to the circumstances surrounding the crash, except that one of the two crewmembers was killed and the other critically injured.

The IAF received the first of its 42 AH-64A 'Peten' helicopters in 1990 (24 remain in service), with deliveries of 21 AH-64D 'Saraf' platforms commencing in 2005 (of which 20 remain). The IAF did not disclose which variant was lost at Ramon AB.

Originally acquired to augment the Bell AH-1E/F Cobra ('Tsefa' in IAF service), the Apache became Israel's sole attack helicopter in late 2013 when the Cobras ended operations after more than 30 years of service.

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