Rotorcraft
Commission Proposes Army National Guard Retain Apaches
The National Commission on the Future of the Army has recommended that the Army National Guard keep some AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.
The commission recommends maintaining 24 Apache battalions, including four for the National Guard. (Photo: Department of Defense)
The commission recommends maintaining 24 Apache battalions, including four for the National Guard. (Photo: Department of Defense)

A high-level commission tasked with studying the size and mixture of forces of the U.S. Army has recommended the Army National Guard keep some AH-64 Apache attack helicopters rather than relinquish its fleet to the regular Army as proposed under an October 2013 aviation restructuring initiative (ARI). The commission’s compromise plan would be more costly than the ARI; to offset those costs it proposes maintaining two instead of four UH-60 Black Hawk battalions in the Guard and reducing annual procurement of UH-60s by five to 10 helicopters.