MARCH 19, 2026 – Soldiers of the 2-159th Attack Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, demonstrated adaptability to the modern battlefield during Operation Skyfall at Grafenwoehr Training Area this week. For the first time in the European theater, the AH-64E Apache proved itself as a viable counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) platform, using its existing weapon systems to engage and destroy drones in air-to-air combat.
This exercise highlights rotary-wing aviation’s evolving role within the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI), an effort to collaborate NATO capabilities to counter emerging threats in the theater. The AH-64E is uniquely suited for this mission; with a maximum speed of over 180 miles per hour, the Apache can rapidly intercept aerial threats that might evade traditional fixed-wing assets or ground-based air defense.
Attack aviation remains a cornerstone of the defense posture in Europe. The 12th CAB regularly trains alongside partners from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Poland to ensure seamless interoperability. This continuity is more critical than ever as Poland prepares to become the second-largest operator of Apaches in the world. By proving and refining the C-UAS mission set now, 12th CAB is providing a blueprint for Allied aviation units across the continent.
“Most pilots in our unit and across the Army have never engaged in air-to-air with the Apache, so this is a new engagement profile for us that we have to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for,” said Maj. Daniel Murphy, the operations officer for the 2-159th Attack Battalion. “We’re looking forward to sharing what we learn so we can continue developing the EFDI alongside our NATO Allies.”
If the enemy thinks they have found a gap in the integrated air defense of the European theater, the Apache is ready to prove them wrong.
12th Combat Aviation Brigade provides V Corps with a ready and lethal combat aviation force capable of rapidly projecting combat power across the European and African areas of responsibility in support of designated plans to assure Allies and Partners, deter aggression, and, if necessary, defeat near-peer adversaries.
Story by Capt. Lydia LaRue
12th Combat Aviation Brigade