THE AIR-TO-AIR MISSILE
The AH-64D Apache has the capability to carry Air-To-Air Missiles (AAM). Although the US Army has trialled AAM installations on his fleet it has yet to adopt a specific system, but none of the Apache using country's are yet going to use it.(The Royal Netherlands Airforce will not use any AAM missiles for it's Apache's, that's why we have Fighters like the F-16, beside that we don't have any space to mount the system because the wing tips are used for our AMASE system). The Apache airframe is flexible enough to adapt to a variety of systems from lightweight (such as the Stinger or the Mistral) through to heavy weight (Like the Famous AIM-9 Sidewinder or the ASRAAM). These weapons would be primarily be used for self defence against both fixed and rotary wing threats but it would give the AH-64D also a limited offensive capability. The preffered location appears to be on the wing-tips in order not take up any wing pylons and reduce the ground attack weapon load.
From Left to Right: ASRAAM, Stinger, Mistral and the starstreak.
Studies have took place to indentify the AAM system which will be most suitable for the AH-64D Apache. Important were issues such as the optium guidance type (In Example passive IR Homing or beam riding or radar), warhead/fuse combinations (Impact or proximity) and reaction times and launch envelopes, but non of these options were effective enough to actually adopt a system and so raising the weight of the Apache which reduces the operational flying time.
A AH-64A Apache is firing an AIM-9 Sidewinder