British Apaches will receive drone cover: the army is creating an autonomous "assistant" for aerial combat

The British Army is preparing a major upgrade for its Apache AH-64E attack helicopters — and this is not about new weapons, but about a real "twin in the sky." As part of the new initiative, a ground—based autonomous collaborative platform (LACP) is being developed - in fact, a drone that will fly with the Apaches and perform the most dangerous tasks instead of them.

This drone is not just a radio—controlled toy. It will operate in a highly autonomous mode, meaning it will not require constant operator intervention. He can be "sent forward" with one command: "Go, look, find targets, cover for me" — and then he will decide for himself how to maneuver, where to hide and when to transfer the data to the pilot. As they say in the army: this is a "command-controlled, not controlled" device — like a war dog, not like a toy car on a remote control.

What can he do? Almost everything you need on the battlefield:  

— Reconnaissance — it will fly into an area where it is too dangerous for a helicopter;  

— Target designation — highlights the target for missiles;  

— Strike — if equipped with a weapon;  

— Suppress air defenses — distract or disable enemy radars;  

— And work with Launched Effects systems — in other words, launch even smaller drones, like matryoshka dolls.

The idea is simple: the Apache pilot remains relatively safe, while his "unmanned partner" goes ahead, takes risks and transmits information in real time. This not only increases the chances of survival, but also makes the strikes more accurate and faster.

LACP is still under development, but one thing is clear: the future belongs to the human + drone teams. And British helicopter pilots are already preparing to work in such a duo.