US Army launches Anduril’s Altius 700 from Apache

Anduril and the US Army have integrated the Altius 700 onto an Apache AH-64E, offering a 10x increase in range.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on April 8, 2026.

The US Army has launched an Altius 700 rocket-powered loitering munition from an AH-64E Apache for the first time. According to an April 6 Anduril press release, the test took place during Concept Focused Warfighting Experiment 26 (CFWE26).

What does this all mean?

Well, Altius 700 is a family of loitering munitions and reconnaissance drones built by Anduril. They are capable of extended range operations, reaching up to 460 km for the unarmed version, and 160 km for the kinetic Altius 700M.

The goal of the tests appears to be extending the reach of the AH-64E Apache, enabling it to reach more targets and stay away from the frontline. The recent tests build on past integrations where other Altius variants have been integrated onto UH-60 Black Hawks. The programme has been active since 2020.

If the US Army does proceed down this route, it would represent a significant increase in range. At present the AH-64E can fire either AGM-114 Hellfire out to 11 km, or the AGM-179 JAGM out to 16 km. Some missiles, like the Rafael Spike NLOS, can offer extended range out to 50 kilometres.

The US Army has already selected Spike NLOS for its M-LRPSM ground-based requirement. However, the missile has been test-fired from an Apache, too.

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Altius 700 is not the only option in this field, and its tests follow the US Navy’s selection of Red Wolf from L3 Harris. Red Wolf provides a range of 370 km to USMC AH-1Z helicopters.

Stand-off: The future of attack helicopters

As noted before on this site, the loss of Russian attack helicopters in Ukraine prompted a rush of reflection. AH-64s are an expensive asset to have, and Ukraine brought dozens of similar platforms down in a matter of weeks. So, responsible budget holders rightly started looking for ways to make those platforms last a little bit longer.

There is a caveat here that is often missed, which is that helicopters have always been vulnerable. And deploying them without suppressing enemy air defences is a high risk operation. The US lost some 20 or 30 helicopters to enemy action during the war in Afghanistan, and that is without dedicated air defence systems.

With that aside, however, the focus for the future of attack helicopters is increasing stand-off. There are two routes to achieving this; either add longer-range missiles or introduce autonomous platforms. The former has been covered here, Red Wolf and Altius 700 could dramatically increase the reach of US attack helicopters. And, given the model of dispersed lethality that is driving a lot of US procurement, it makes a lot of sense.

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The idea of autonomous attack helicopter packs is being explored by the UK. Under Project NYX, the country is examining the ability of autonomous helicopters to extend the reach and survivability of attack helicopters like the AH-64E. Lockheed Martin has received a contract to carry out the engineering needed to allow similar integrations onto the UH-60 Black Hawk.

Calibre comment: Something to consider with long-range effects

Launching a drone or loitering munition like the Altius 700 from a helicopter makes a lot of sense. It extends the reach and allows what is essentially a very versatile platform – the AH-64E -to deliver combat mass in more places. However, it is likely that a link between the helicopter and the effect is required. That means there is a datalink that can be jammed or disrupted, and a munition or drone that is probably reliant upon GPS for navigation. This can all be addressed through guidance algorithms, computer vision, and seekers. But the costs increase exponentially and the effector essentially becomes a missile. So, these tests should be monitored closely, not least because they help clarify how the US is thinking about its attack helicopters. But the resilience of the effectors is key. And, as always, so is the reconnaissance that supports their use.

The lead image shows an AH-64E launching an Altius 700 with a rocket booster. Credit: Austin Thomas/US Army Transformation and Training Command.