The ceremony at the N.C. National Guard flight facility hangar included a formation flyover and static display of the newest helicopters belonging to 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 130th Aviation Regiment. The 1st of the 130th is the first operational reserve component unit to receive the Longbow.
Army Aviators equipped with the Longbow conduct precision strikes against relocatable targets and provides armed reconnaissance when required in day, night, obscured battlefield and adverse weather conditions.
The AH-64D is equipped with state-of-the-art fire control radar (FCR), radar frequency interferometer (RFI), fire-and-forget radar-guided HELLFIRE missiles. The Longbow entered Army service in 1998.
The 1st of the 130th has a long history of firsts including being the first reserve component unit to receive the Apache Attack Helicopter in 1987.
The Soldiers were the first National Guard aviators to fly Apaches in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004 in support of the global war on terror.
