In the early 1970’s the US Army wanted a replacement for the AH-1 Cobra so companies submitted proposals. In July 1973 the list was shortened to Hughes and Bell with each building a prototype in 1975. The Army selected the Hughes helicopter because its landing gear was more stable and the main rotor was more damage tolerant. In 1981 3 pre-production AH-64As were given to the Army for testing and named Apache. The Apache went into production in 1982 and has evolved into one of the deadliest machines over the battle field.
In 2003 the Hellenic Army Aviation ordered 12 Apache AH-64Ds, referred to by the HAA as AH-64DHA. The Greek HAA has 19 AH-64A+, 7 AH-64D and 2 AH-64D Long Bow. Greece selected these helicopters partly for its twin-engines since some operations will be carried out over water between the Greek islands. Another feature is the ability to carry Hellfire missiles and various rockets making these aircraft some of the most deadly in the region. This AH-64DHA ES 1026, BuNo 03-01026, c/n HA006, ex N50161 belongs to 2 TEEPS (Attack Helicopter Battalion) “Owls”.