The fact that the overall consensus is that drones have made helicopters less relevant demonstrates the degree to which misinformation has degraded the conversation around these things.
The only thing more absurd than the idea that drones make tanks obsolete is that drones make armed helicopters obsolete.
There is no better platform to control and/or counter aerial drones with than an attack helicopter.
This kind of thing is exactly why the Apache Longbow program emphasized mounting a capable radar system along with a target collation and data sharing system onto Apaches and treating them as the most dynamic, unpredictable and clear sighted agents in a layered defense.
The AH-64E is able to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), used by the U.S. Army to perform aerial scouting missions previously performed by the OH-58 Kiowa. Apaches can request to take control of an RQ-7 Shadow or MQ-1C Grey Eagle from ground control stations to safely scout via datalink communications. There are four levels of UAV interoperability (LOI): LOI 1 indirectly receives payload data; LOI 2 receives payload data through direct communication; LOI 3 deploys the UAV’s armaments; and LOI 4 takes over flight control. UAVs can search for enemies and, if equipped with a laser designator, target them for the Apache or other friendly aircraft.[85][86]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_AH-64_Apache
Also see
In this concept of operations, Ukraine is building a capability centered on helicopter-based counter-UAV missions integrated with ground air defenses and locally produced interceptors. Rotary-wing teams, mixing utility and attack airframes equipped for night operations, precision door-gun fire, and cueing from radar and EO/IR sensors, are tasked to detect, chase, and disable slow-flying Shahed-type loitering munitions and reconnaissance UAVs over critical nodes such as power plants, substations, and logistics hubs. In parallel, Ukrainian interceptor drones, FPV or dedicated air-to-air designs, aim to reduce the burden on missile-based air defense by providing a cheaper attrition layer. The emphasis is on speed of launch, persistent coverage, and a cost-per-kill that undercuts the price of incoming systems. Public statements by senior commanders describe helicopters as an increasingly integral part of this layered air-defense mix.
…
Aviation offers specific advantages in this role. Helicopters bring rapid reaction, wide patrol arcs, and precise engagement that reduces collateral damage over cities and power assets, while preserving scarce SAM interceptors for cruise and ballistic threats. Compared with purely ground-based approaches, helicopters can pursue drones beyond point-defense radar footprints and adjust geometry for safe gun runs; compared with interceptor drones alone, crewed aviation offers higher endurance, better sensors, and more resilient C2. Ukrainian officials have recently highlighted how, in favorable conditions, helicopter teams can account for a substantial share of nightly Shahed kills within their sectors, reinforcing the decision to expand this mission set.
Since the start of Russia’s drone campaign, the platforms publicly documented in Ukrainian service for shooting down UAVs have been Mi-8/17 utility helicopters and Mi-24/35 attack helicopters. Multiple verified releases and videos show Mi-8s engaging Shahed-type UAVs with forward-mounted or door-mounted 7.62 mm machine guns, including intercepts recorded over water and near critical facilities. Similar footage documents Mi-24s destroying Shaheds with onboard guns, demonstrating both the Yak-B 12.7 mm gatling installation on Mi-24V variants and fixed-cannon solutions on other models; Ukrainian army aviation brigades have showcased these tactics in official media. While other helicopter types provide surveillance and cueing, such as repurposed Airbus H125/H225 platforms fitted with modern FLIR turrets, public evidence for actual kinetic drone shoot-downs points to the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 families.
helicopters are still integral to war? whatttt