The Army has grounded more than half of its AH-64E Apache attack helicopter fleet for the second time in three months over renewed concerns about a new transmission system, an Army official told Task & Purpose on Oct. 5, 2026.
The service announced Friday an “immediate, temporary pause in flight operations” for AH-64E Apaches equipped with Improved Drive System transmissions. An Army official said about 400 helicopters will be kept out of the air, affecting attack aviation units across the Army. The fleet numbered around 700 in 2023, according to a Congressional Budget Office report.
The pause follows an August grounding that lasted just over a week after two AH-64E pilots died in an accident outside Fort Hood, Texas. It is unclear how long the current stand-down will last, but an Army official said it could take months. Officials said the pause will continue while the fleet is inspected and “corrective actions” are carried out.
“This action follows ongoing Army technical and airworthiness assessments of the Improved Drive System transmission, including information developed through prior Safety of Flight actions, inspection results, maintenance reporting, and ongoing engineering analysis,” officials said in a release.
Since last October, at least four AH-64Es have experienced Class-A mishaps, the Army’s highest accident severity level, which includes any accident resulting in loss of life or permanent disability, or causing at least $2.5 million in damages, according to the September 2026 edition of FlightFax, the Army’s aviation safety magazine. By contrast, all other Army helicopters experienced a total of three Class-A mishaps in the same period.
The causes of the four major mishaps have not been made public, but the safety magazine noted that one included a “catastrophic transmission failure.”
Defense One reported that an internal Army investigation indicated that “some” Apaches with the improved drive system transmissions had problems with the new system.
Sources: DVIDS News · DVIDS News