In 1993, the Netherlands began the selection process for an attack helicopter for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Candidates included the AH-1W Super Cobra, AH-64D Apache, A-129 Mangusta and Eurocopter Tiger. In early 1995, the AH-64D Apache was chosen due to its combat performance and reliability. On 24 May 1995, a contract was signed for the delivery of 30 AH-64D Apache helicopters. The Dutch aircraft differ from standard AH-64Ds in that they lack the Longbow radar mounted above the main rotor hub. However, they are prepared for the installation of this system if required.

Dutch AH-64Ds are equipped with the unique AMASE (Advanced Missile Approach and Self-Protection System), which was developed by the Danish company Terma. This includes pods mounted at the wingtips. In February 2018, the Netherlands signed a contract with the United States to upgrade all of its AH-64Ds to the latest AH-64E standard. As part of this modernisation programme, the delivery of 17 APG-78 fire control radars was also planned. This upgrade was scheduled to take place between 2023 and 2025, though it had already begun in November 2021.

The Dutch AH-64D was introduced in Update 2.43 "Storm Warning" as a part of the French helicopter research tree. The AH-64D inherited most of its armament and systems, as such it features MAW and HMD, with the latter allowing missiles to be guided in the direction of the pilot’s line of sight. Drawbacks of the AH-64 include the relatively low speed of Hellfire missiles and the limited accuracy of the 30 mm cannon. The main distinguishing feature of the Dutch helicopter compared to other AH-64Ds is the absence of a radar.