The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter has evolved into a counter-drone platform in recent years – something we’ve been following closely. While the Israeli Air Force pioneered this role for the AH-64 for years, the US military officially codified it and added new capabilities in the process. Now, as we hinted a while back, the Apache is getting 30mm proximity cannon shells for its chin-mounted M230 cannon, which will add to its drone-killing arsenal, giving it a cheaper and more plentiful employment option than some of the alternatives.
Crazy footage of an IAF Apache helicopter tracking a Hezbollah drone over northern Israel and shooting it down with cannon fire from its chain
Apaches live-fired the XM1225 30x113mm Aviation Proximity Explosives (APEX) ammunition last December, according to a recent Army release. The tests took place at the service’s Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in southern Arizona. Several test engagements took place against various types of drone targets.
A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter, assigned to the 5-17th Air Cavalry Squadron, 2nd Infantry Division, fires the M230 Bushmaster chain gun during live-fire aerial gunnery training at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, Republic of Korea, March 6, 2025. training. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Neil McLean) Sgt. Cornelius McLean
APEX specialized ammunition works by detonating only when close to an object, then exploding in a spray of shrapnel. This is essential for taking down drones, as they are small, independently moving targets, and the Apache’s monocular aiming chin gun isn’t exactly a sniper rifle in terms of accuracy. At the same time, the rounds could also be used against surface targets—including personnel, soft-skinned vehicles, and small craft, for example—providing unique area effects compared to the Apache’s standard impact-detonating, high-explosive ammunition.
Variants of the M230 gun, for which Northrop Grumman is now the prime contractor, have already become an increasingly popular choice for dealing with lower-level drone ground threats. The lightweight M230LF version, designated M914 in Army service, found its way onto counter-drone vehicles. This includes Sgt. Stout Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system based on the Stryker 8×8 light armored vehicle. The Army separately pursued self-destructing and other types of proximity smoke 30mm ammunition for use with the M914. The new APEX ammunition offers improved performance that can be linked and played with the Apache/M230 combo. The other rounds for use in ground systems have never been authorized for use on the Apache to our knowledge.
The M-SHORAD with its derivative M230 in the center of its multi-munition turret. (US Army)
An official military version of the successful testing of the XM1225 says, in part:
“Developed and managed by Product Manager Medium Caliber Ammunition (PdM MCA) at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, the XM1225 APEX round is designed to counter modern threats, including UAS, exposed personnel, and small craft, without requiring modifications to the Apache M230 Area Weapon System or fire control system. an effective addition to the Apache arsenal. This innovative design ensures seamless integration into existing platforms while providing lethality and increased operational flexibility.
…The primary objective was to evaluate the accuracy of the XM1225 cartridge and compare its performance to the legacy M789 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) cartridge under identical conditions. A secondary objective was to collect data on mixed loads of XM1225 and M789 rounds against ground targets and UAS.
Initial results have been highly successful, with the XM1225 meeting all accuracy requirements and demonstrating exceptional effectiveness against both ground and UAS targets. The XM1225’s proximity fuze capability allows it to detonate close to the target, creating a greater lethal radius and significantly improving its ability to neutralize airborne and dispersed threats. This capability positions the Apache to dominate the battlefield in both air-to-ground and air-to-air engagements, giving fighters a critical advantage in modern combat scenarios.”
U.S. Soldiers with the 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 59th Airlift Command, South Carolina National Guard, conduct their annual aerial gunnery qualification table at Poinsett Range, Sumter, South Carolina, May 22, 2024. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Tim Andrews) Staff Sgt. Tim Andrews
A key feature of APEX ammunition is that it requires little additional training for Apache crews to use successfully, as it acts very similar ballistically to the already fielded M789 High Explosive (HEDP) rounds. Those shells use an impact/grazing fire to command detonation.
A major problem with using any gun for aerial anti-drone work is that standard high-explosive or incendiary cannon rounds continue to travel until they hit something, then explode. This makes any horizontal or upward looking shot very problematic, as the rounds can fly many miles before hitting the ground. Anyone or anything in that unpredictable zone wouldn’t do well. Even high deviation shots are risky, especially given the size of the drones. Not only will most rounds miss and still hit somewhere below, but the aircraft can easily fly into the drone itself, as judging its distance and tracking it in the air is problematic. So it’s essential to have rounds that self-destruct and even better, proximity ones that do the same.
As it stands now, the AH-64 has modified AGM-114 missiles that use the Longbow radar to track air targets. Laser guided hells are potential another option. Regardless, any hellfire costs well into the six-figure realm. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) laser-guided missiles are a lower-cost option, with a mid- to mid-five-figure price tag. It is unclear whether the AH-64 was authorized to use air-to-air optimized FALCO (Fixed Wing, Air Launched, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ordnance) versions of the APKWS II, which also use a proximity fuze to track aerial targets.
So giving the AH-64 the weapon option, and in a much more reliable and safe manner via a proximity fuzed round, would be a huge advantage for crews tasked with the counter-drone mission. Apaches can carry 1,200 rounds of 30mm ammunition and can be reloaded more quickly in austere ground locations.
So, as it stands now, it probably won’t be too long before the AH-64 has a new arrow in its anti-drone quiver.
