Responding to criticism of the performance of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter during the war in Iraq, a Boeing Apache official and a retired former Apache commander said the aircraft's record proves it is survivable, although it's too early to draw definitive lessons learned from the conflict.

Critics have questioned the aircraft's survivability, pointing to several incidents in which low-flying Apaches have taken damage from ground troops. In one such case, a force of more than 30 AH-64D Apache Longbows had to withdraw after taking heavy damage to rotors and airframes in a late March clash with Republican Guard troops south of Baghdad. One aircraft went down, although it and its crew were recovered later.

"Having 30 aircraft sustain the fire that they did, and bring 29 crews back - that's the definition of survivability," a retired senior Army officer who commanded an Apache unit during Desert Storm told Aerospace Daily.

Formal lessons learned from the war will be derived from analysis of reports made by troops embedded within each service, according to the official. The Army plans to complete its lessons learned assessment by mid-July, he said, which will feed into a larger assessment by DOD.