Israel was involved in the Apache program since 1983. A prototype was sent to Israel for testing and concluded in Israel being the first nation to receive the AH-64A aside from the United States. The first helicopters arrived on September 11, 1990, these units where assembled in 11 hours, half the time recommended, to be ready for its welcoming ceremony. By the 2000s, Israel operated 42 AH-64A helicopters. The name "Peten" translates to "Cobra", the same nickname used by the AH-1. The AH-64 was rapidly put into service and participated in Operation Accountability in Lebanon, Operation Grapes of Wrath against Hezbollah in Lebanon, killing senior figures in Hamas during the al-Aqsa Intifada in the 2000s and in many other scenarios against Israel's enemies. The IAF upgraded its AH-64As to the AH-64Ai in 2013, a standard similar to the AH-64D.

Introduced in Update "Wind of Change", the AH-64A has a very good flight performance like all attack helicopters and it's able to fire the lethal Hellfire ATGMs. With a total of 16 Hellfire missiles, it's very capable of dealing with threats even with enemy SPAA deployed around the battlefield. Additionally, even though the ATAS (AIM-92) lacks the manoeuvrability of other air-to-air missiles, it compensates this with a very good range and a precise and capable seeker head, so it is usually hard to flare for enemy jets with afterburners engaged. All pilots flying the Apache, as well as other attack helicopters, should be aware of threats and enemy positioning to stay alive, it's very important having constant situational awareness and keep an eye on the sky to watch for potential enemy fighters trying to cover the area. The AH-64A s also equipped with an IRCM, this is very helpful to deal with IR guided missiles. It doesn't mean that flares are not needed, but it means that when combined with flares and evasive manoeuvres, it becomes much easier to get rid of incoming IR missiles, particularly against IRCCM-equipped missiles such as the AIM-9M and R-73.