{"id":1798,"date":"2026-03-10T13:06:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/2026\/03\/10\/uaes-ah-64-apaches-swat-down-iranian-shahed-drones-with-m230-chain-gun\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T13:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:06:22","slug":"uaes-ah-64-apaches-swat-down-iranian-shahed-drones-with-m230-chain-gun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/2026\/03\/10\/uaes-ah-64-apaches-swat-down-iranian-shahed-drones-with-m230-chain-gun\/","title":{"rendered":"UAE\u2019s AH-64 Apaches Swat Down Iranian Shahed Drones with M230 Chain Gun"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"UAE<\/p>\n

The UAE showed that its AH-64 Apaches and F-16s are actively flying in the counter-drone role, tackling Iranian drones before they can reach their targets.<\/h2>\n

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) released on Mar. 8, 2026,<\/a> a video showing footage from an electro-optical system of eight Iranian Shahed-type One-Way Attack (OWA)<\/a> drones being shot down. Based on the sound of the typically slow rate of fire, acknowledgements of \u201ctarget destroyed\u201d by one of the crew and airborne position of the engaging platform, we have concluded these are AH-64 Apache attack helicopters employing their chin-mounted M230 30 mm chain gun.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, on Mar. 9, the UAE MoD also announced<\/a> the passing of \u201ctwo members of the Armed Forces following a helicopter crash due to a technical malfunction while performing their national duty.\u201d There were little details at the time of writing.<\/p>\n

\n

The UAE Ministry of Defence announces the martyrdom of two members of the Armed Forces following a helicopter crash due to a technical malfunction while performing their national duty in the country today, Monday, March 9, 2026.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Defence extends its deepest\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/DD1UbISK6i<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0648\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639 |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The video released by the UAE confirms the first large-scale operational use of the Apache in the anti-drone role. The helicopter is being actively used among the variety of assets working together to counter the drone threat posed by Iran.<\/p>\n

Israel has been the first to employ the AH-64 in this role, with multiple instances recorded, such as the one in November 2024<\/a> when the Apache\u2019s M230 was used to shoot down Hezbollah drones. The U.S. is similarly reorienting its own AH-64s to be employed in the counter-UAS role<\/a>, while also introducing programmable proximity fuzed 30 mm XM1225 rounds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additionally, another video also appeared on Mar. 9<\/a> showing a UAE F-16E\/F Block 60 flying overhead and firing an AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile (AAM) to engage an Iranian drone. The video shows the jet in a level flight, flying slow at very low altitude to follow and engage what appears to be a Shahed-type OWA.<\/p>\n

\n

You are at the beach in the UAE and see a Shahed-136 flying overhead, and later a UAEAF F-16 firing a Sidewinder to shoot down the drone. That\u2019s how crazy the war in the Gulf region is nowadays. pic.twitter.com\/w3uCtpdLnz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Aviationist (@TheAviationist) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This comes as Emirati<\/a>, Qatari<\/a> and Kuwaiti<\/a> military authorities reported that they detected and shot down several ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran on Mar. 8 and 9. The UAE on Monday shot down 12 of the 15 ballistic missiles detected, with three falling into the sea, and intercepted 17 of the 18 UAVs, adding that one \u201cfell within the country\u2019s territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

AH-64s shoot down Iranian drones<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The infrared footage from the Emirati Apaches\u2019 AN\/ASQ-170 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight (M-TADS) and AN\/AAR-11 Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors (PNVS) show that all the Shahed drones were propeller-driven, with their two-cylinder turboprop engines visible. The M230 guns are clearly heard firing, and the drones either explode mid-air or disintegrate before crashing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The UAE MoD\u2019s post on X described the engagement: \u201cFootage showing the UAE\u2019s air defences intercepting and destroying Iranian UAVs that attempted to target the country. There is no compromise when it comes to the nation\u2019s security and sovereignty. The UAE Armed Forces stand ready to deter any threat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
A UAE AH-64 Apache. (Image credit: Defense Arabia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The UAE\u2019s Joint Air Command currently operates a total of 30 AH-64 Apaches, according to the 2026 World Air Forces report<\/a>, that were purchased in the older \u2018A\u2019 variant between 1991 and 1994. These were later upgraded to the AH-64D Longbow Block II standard by 2010<\/a> through remanufacture and modernization.<\/p>\n

In December 2016, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved<\/a> a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to remanufacture 28 Apaches to the AH-64E variant and procure nine newly built AH-64Es. The country received the first E-model in August 2023<\/a>. Thus its future fleet is set to comprise 39 Apache attack helicopters.<\/p>\n

Iranian drone and missile attacks continue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since the start of the Iranian attacks, the UAE says it detected 253 ballistic missiles, destroying 233 of them, with 18 hitting the sea and two landing inside the country. It also detected a total of 1,440 Iranian UAVs, shooting down 1,359 with 81 landing in its territory. The number of cruise missiles \u201cdetected and destroyed\u201d stands at eight.<\/p>\n

\n

\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0648\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0645\u0627\u0631\u0627\u062a\u064a\u0629 \u062a\u062a\u0635\u062f\u0649 \u0628\u0646\u062c\u0627\u062d \u0644\u0644\u0635\u0648\u0627\u0631\u064a\u062e \u0627\u0644\u0628\u0627\u0644\u064a\u0633\u062a\u064a\u0629 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0648\u0627\u0644\u0629 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0633\u064a\u0631\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0625\u064a\u0631\u0627\u0646\u064a\u0629.<\/p>\n

UAE Air Defences Successfully Intercept
\nIranian Ballistic and Cruise Missiles and UAVs Attacks#\u0648\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0629_\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639<\/a> #\u0648\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0629_\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639_\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0645\u0627\u0631\u0627\u062a\u064a\u0629<\/a>#MOD<\/a>#UAEMinistryOfDefence<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YM4PbmNydg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0648\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639 |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Qatar\u2019s MoD meanwhile said that, by the afternoon of Mar. 9, it was attacked by 17 ballistic missiles and six drones coming from Iran, all of which were shot down. The Kuwaiti MoD\u2019s spokesperson Col. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said that on Mar. 8 they destroyed three out of seven ballistic missiles, with four being ignored as \u201cthey were outside the threat range and posed no danger.\u201d Air defenses meanwhile destroyed two out of five \u201chostile drones,\u201d while three were \u201cnot destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis resulted in two drones targeting the vicinity of Kuwait International Airport, leading to the explosion of fuel tanks. Another drone targeted the building of the Public Institution for Social Security in Kuwait City, resulting in material damage,\u201d further added the statement.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf7\"\"\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\"\"\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddfc\"\"\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\" New footage of Artesh (not IRGC) Arash strike drone launches, which were reportedly used to attack targets in Israel and Kuwait (specifically American forces in Kuwait). The speaker in the video declares that this salvo is in retaliation for the sinking of the IRIS Dena. https:\/\/t.co\/T4W6jH3Mq3<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/sshyEQnnOv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Shahryar Pasandideh (@shahpas) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) too on Mar. 9<\/a> mentioned missiles being launched towards the country from Iran, saying defense systems were operating to intercept them. Official Iranian footage posted by analyst Shahryar Pasandideh on Mar. 7<\/a>, Mar. 8<\/a> and Mar. 9<\/a> also showed Iran launching the Arash\/Arash-2 OWA drone. The drone is operated by its regular military and not the separate Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).<\/p>\n

Saudi F-15s, Eurofighters shoot down Iranian targets<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

On Mar. 8, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia\u2019s MoD<\/a> released a video of Shahed-type drones being brought down by what could be concluded to be F-15s and Eurofighter Typhoons. The aircraft could have used AIM-9 Sidewinders and Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) for the engagements.<\/p>\n

\n

Footage shows Saudi air defenses intercepting and destroying a number of drones launched toward the Kingdom in recent days.#SaudiMOD<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/G41HjOsm1H<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0648\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0641\u0627\u0639 (@modgovksa) March 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

With the UAE\u2019s F-16E\/F Block 60 similarly using an AIM-9 SRAAM to bring down the Shahed drone, these videos show that the asymmetry still largely persists in tackling OWA projectiles, given that that engaging aircraft are multi-million dollar aerial platforms and have to use weapons that cost more than the drone they need to shoot down.<\/p>\n

Only Ukraine has largely managed to bring the cost of engaging<\/a> Russian Geran drones<\/a>, using a combination of electronic warfare, ground-based anti-aircraft guns, Sting interceptor drones, and sometimes door guns on military utility helicopters. It now possibly costs Ukraine the same to engage a Russian OWA drone, if not lower, than it takes Russia to launch it.<\/p>\n

Industrial capacity to keep churning out drones also decides the cost here, given the massive factory in Russia\u2019s Alabuga and Iran\u2019s unidentified manufacturing sites and underground storage bases.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Three U.S.-made \u201cPatriot\u201d missiles fail to intercept a single Iranian missile over Qatar.<\/p>\n

How many billions of Arab oil money and American taxpayer dollars were spent on this garbage ?! pic.twitter.com\/ulnqhHJxwD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Iran Military Monitor \u262b (@IRIran_Military) February 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the West Asian situation, the cost asymmetry with regards to manufacturing is even more acute, given that the Saudi and Emirati F-15, Typhoon, F-16 and Apaches are direct imports, and not manufactured in those countries. Any future upgrades, replenishments or additional buys would be subject to diplomatic, logistical and industrial hurdles<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The UAE showed that its AH-64 Apaches and F-16s are actively flying in the counter-drone role, tackling Iranian drones before they can reach their targets. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) released on Mar. 8, 2026, a video showing footage from an electro-optical system of eight Iranian Shahed-type One-Way Attack (OWA) drones being shot down. Based […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1798\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zephyrsys.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}