FORT WORTH, Texas - The U.S. Army has rushed a handful of upgrades for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter into the field in recent months, making the aircraft easier to deploy and extending its combat range by nearly an hour, according to industry and government officials.

Several of the upgrades, part of the Apache's proposed Block 3 modernization program, weren't intended to be incorporated for several years. However, they became more urgent last fall as Pentagon leaders began planning the buildup of forces for an invasion of Iraq, Col. Ralph Pallotta, program director for the Apache program, said April 10.

The 101st Airborne Division had pressed Army leaders for the upgrades in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, said Pallotta, who briefed reporters during the Army Aviation Association of America's annual convention here.

The most recent, and perhaps most significant, Apache upgrade to reach the field is air transportability kits, which arrived in Kuwait City only a few weeks ago, he said. The kits allow the Apache to be combat-ready within two hours after being unloaded from an Air Force C-17 or C-5, he said, replacing a process that previously took at least 24 hours.