Direct proof of use
Official U.S. military imagery documents AH-64E Apache helicopters in Afghanistan during the post-2015 phase of the war. At Jalalabad Airfield on April 25, 2017, Task Force Tigershark ground crews from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade loaded AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and prepared an M230 chain gun for missions connected to Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
A second DVIDS record places Task Force Griffin soldiers with an AH-64E Apache in Kunduz on May 31, 2017, loading a Hellfire missile while supporting U.S. Forces Afghanistan as part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel and the Resolute Support Mission.
Sources: DVIDS Missile Mounting, DVIDS Chain Gun Preparation, DVIDS Loading a Hellfire
Mission context
Operation Freedom's Sentinel began on January 1, 2015. The Lead Inspector General described the U.S. mission as two complementary lines of effort: counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan, and affiliates in Afghanistan, and training, advising, and assisting Afghan security forces through NATO's Resolute Support Mission.
The 2017 Apache records fall within that mission framework. They identify the aircraft as U.S. Army AH-64E Apaches assigned to 16th Combat Aviation Brigade task forces and describe mission preparation at Jalalabad and Kunduz rather than a specific strike or battle.
Sources: Lead IG Operation Freedom's Sentinel, DVIDS Missile Mounting, DVIDS Chain Gun Preparation, DVIDS Loading a Hellfire
Aircraft role
The AH-64E is an attack-helicopter variant used for armed reconnaissance, close combat, mobile strike, and other missions. The Army describes the Apache as a weapons-delivery platform equipped with a 30 mm automatic gun, 2.75-inch rockets, and Hellfire missiles.
In Afghanistan, the cited records support a narrower claim: AH-64E aircraft were fielded by U.S. Army aviation units for armed mission support during Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Resolute Support. The public records identify missile and gun preparation, locations, units, and mission affiliations, but do not identify individual targets or effects.
Sources: U.S. Army AH-64E Fact Sheet, DVIDS Missile Mounting, DVIDS Chain Gun Preparation, DVIDS Loading a Hellfire
