In a war characterised by the performance of the USAF, it is ironic to note that the first shots of the Gulf War were in fact fired from US Army AH-64A Apaches as they cleared a corridor though Iraq's air defence net. With those first sorties, the Apache began to claw back a reputation that had suffered greatly from attacks by the media. Most of the criticism levelled against the Apache dealt with the Apache's reaction to the desert environment. Designed for a conflict against the USSR in Europe, the abrasive nature of the Saudi deserts became an obstacle to the aircraft's performance. Following some field-modifications the Apache was as ready as any other coalition aircraft, quickly establishing a name for itself as well as an impressive record both in terms of readiness and effectiveness. That first night of the war, AH-64A's cleared a 32 km-wide corridor in the forward line of the Iraqi air-defence. Minutes later, the first aircraft of the coalition roared overhead, using this corridor for safe entery into Iraq. Despite its stellar performance in the Gulf, some shortcomings in the design became immediately apparent. The Apache was essentially an analogue aircraft on a digital battlefield. The key to supremacy on such a battlefield is information, flexibility, and precision. In terms of flexibility, the key limitation of the Apache was that once in flight, it was difficult for them to adapt to the ever-changing conditions of the battlefield. In addition, as information resources were beginning to be shared amongst aircraft, the Apache was unable to take part and contribute with ease to this process. As a result, the situational awareness of the pilots suffered as they were not as "plugged in" to the war around them. Looking at the lessons learned in the Gulf about the importance of information resources, intelligence gathering, and communication, the US Army looked at improving the existing Apache. The desired end was to turn this proven and formidable attack helicopter into an electronic warrior capable of providing and utilising real-time data in order to take command of the battlefield. The AH-64D Longbow Apache utilises advances in communications and sensors in order to give its pilots an improved view of the battlefield. Through real-time co-operation with other intelligence gathering sources, the situational awareness of the Longbow Apache crew has been improved to the extent that they may become actual players on the digital battlefield. The Longbow radar allows the crew to see farther with clearer vision than they enjoyed previously. At the same time, improvements in communication and how information is displayed give the crew a greater awareness of the battle going on around them. Improvements in the Hellfire missile now allow the Apache to strike further with a greater safety margin for the aircraft and crew. The digital battlefield is characterised by information. Victory in such an environment will depend on the ability to gather and control that information. The AH-64D Longbow Apache has allowed a cold warrior and Desert Storm hero to catch-up to the digital age, owning the information-processing realm of the battle which today is the vital key to victory._