00:02Meet the U.S. Army's tank hunters in Europe.
00:10These Apache helicopters are based in Germany,
00:12where their mission is to train alongside NATO allies, deter aggression,
00:16and, if necessary, defend the alliance against attack.
00:20The best thing that the Apache can do is go behind enemy lines, undetected,
00:24find tanks, and destroy them.
00:27Heavily armed but thinly armored, the Apache must fly low and fast,
00:32using speed and surprise to gain the upper hand.
00:36To pull that off takes a special kind of pilot.
00:40I think flying to the Apache requires a certain attitude.
00:43Some people might say that the Apache pilots have an aggressive or an arrogant personality,
00:48but I think that's also required if you're going to go onto the battlefield
00:52and bring the fight to the enemy.
00:54The culture is such that everyone is always challenging each other to be better pilots.
00:59A little bit contentious, it can be a little bit aggressive in how we engage with and talk to each
01:05other,
01:05but at the end of the day, we're all there for the same mission.
01:07We're all there to accomplish that mission.
01:10I would say the best way to describe it is tough love, but the tough love makes people better.
01:15You have to have that mentality in order to fly this platform.
01:20Flying the Apache is a two pilot job.
01:23The back seater flies the helicopter while the front seater operates the Apache's weapon systems,
01:27including the 30 millimeter chain gun, which the pilot can aim just by turning their head.
01:33Getting the job done requires seamless teamwork and flawless communication.
01:37One doesn't function without the other. The front seat can fly the aircraft just as well as the back seat
01:41can.
01:42And that symbiotic relationship is really the most important part because even though the back seater is flying the aircraft,
01:48the front seater needs to tell him where he needs the aircraft to be in order to decisively engage with
01:52the enemy.
01:55The Apache may be a flying arsenal, but it's equally valuable as a scout.
01:59The frisbee-like radar dome is capable of detecting ground targets and relaying that information to other units.
02:06It's incredibly powerful. So powerful, in fact, that we can't even talk about it.
02:13Information is ammunition. And in that respect, the Apache makes sure its allies are armed to the teeth.
02:20The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade serves as a crucial part of NATO's response forces.
02:25To stay sharp, they participate in several multinational exercises every year, ensuring that, if the time comes,
02:32they're ready and able to integrate with allied ground forces.
02:35We train with NATO forces and we stand ready to respond to any threats to the NATO alliance.
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