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Attack helicopter battles |
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Tim Ripley reviews the |
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| Modern concepts of high-tempo manoeuvre warfare strategies stress the importance of integrated air and land operations. Heavily armed attack helicopters are seen as having a key role on the modern battlefield, providing rapid fire support to friendly troops and allowing commanders to strike deep behind enemy lines.
The 1991 Gulf War and other recent conflicts have seen attack helicopters play important roles in both combat operations and peacekeeping missions. In a number of the latter type of operation, the presence of heavily armed attack helicopters hovering near tension points often has been sufficient to defuse an impending crisis. Armies are the main purchasers of attack helicopters because of their need for on-call close air support. Only by having attack helicopters under direct command do ground commanders feel confident that their air support will arrive on time. Attack helicopters have a wide range of weapons and sensors that give them the ability to strike long-range targets accurately. True stand-off attack capability is of growing importance because it allows attack helicopters to operate outside the envelopes of modern air-defence systems. Weapons and sensors are considered as integrated packages that play a key role in determining the shape and size of attack helicopters. Most now boast impressive line-of-sight targeting systems based on optical and forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) sensors to identify and designate targets for destruction by wire or laser-guided missiles. But line-of-sight systems mean helicopters have to expose themselves to the enemy during engagement sequences. This has led to the development of mast-mounted sights to allow helicopters to minimise such exposure. Off-board laser designation for laser-guided missiles also reduces exposure. Millimetric radar and integrated radio frequency (RF) guided missiles also increase prospects of engaging targets without exposure and provide visibility during bad weather. Fielding of data-links allows attack helicopters to share a common battle picture and to pass on targeting data for RF missiles. As battlefield threats multiply, attack helicopters are beginning to field new self-protection systems ranging from passive devices such as armour protection for key systems on the airframe and the flight crew, to a whole range of active systems. Chaff and flare dispensers that are now standard fittings, fire metallic chaff to confuse enemy radar, flares to decoy in-bound heat-seeking missiles and non-metallic strips to confuse FLIR sensors. A new generation of protection systems are being introduced to defeat enemy missiles by firing a powerful laser beam that destroys their delicate seekers. Key parts of most defensive systems are missile approach warning devices and sensors that detect enemy radar and laser-targeting of helicopters. Turkey contest The largest attack helicopter contract is being contested in Turkey where orders are expected for about 145 machines to be co-produced in the NATO country. Five contenders submitted bids in September 1999 for the contract to be exercised through Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) that could be worth in excess of $4bn. Turkey wants to boost its attack helicopter fleet as a result of experience gained in the country’s decade-old war with Kurdish guerrilla fighters in the east of the country. American contenders are the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow, that boasts the only operational helicopter millimetric radar targeting system, and the Bell AH-1W Super Cobra. Turkey already operates the Cobra. The Franco-German Eurocopter Tiger is being offered in scout and attack configurations. Italy’s Agusta has entered its A-129 Mengusta. Russia’s Kamov Helicopter Company is teamed with Israeli Aircraft Industries to offer a version of the Ka-50/52 Black Shark with Israeli electronic systems. The contest was to be decided in May 2000, the first deliveries taking place in 2002, but the 1999 earthquake may cause a couple of years’ delay. The Turkish army’s urgent requirement may lead to a smaller initial purchase of 20-25 platforms direct from foreign manufacturers to bridge its capability gap until TAI’s production comes on line.
New orders Under its Air 87 programme, Australia’s Army Aviation hopes to acquire 30 heavily armed fire support and reconnaissance helicopters to replace its fleet of 30 Bell 206B-1 Kiowas. In April 1998 the Australians issued a short list for the A$1bn programme, with the AH-64D, Tiger and A-129 lining up against each other. The first helicopters are due in service in 2003. Kuwait has expressed strong interest in acquiring 16 AH-64Ds and talks are at an advanced stage with Boeing and the US government. These revolve around the release of the highly secret Longbow radar into the Gulf region but Washington gave its go ahead for the sale in February 1999. D-Standard upgrades Worldwide, many Apache users are thinking of upgrading AH-64As to the new D standard by installing the mast-mounted Longbow radar and associated electronics and targeting systems. United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are interested in acquiring the Longbow radar for their existing fleets of AH-64As. Israel already uses A model Apaches and has started an upgrade programme to D model standard. Talks are underway to start an upgrade programme for its AH-64As. There is also much interest in upgrading defensive aid suites used on attack helicopters. Britain’s Marconi Avionics has developed its HIDAS defensive system for the UK’s AH-64D attack helicopter programme and has offered it for sale to overseas Apache users. Many countries including Kuwait and Singapore, have expressed interest in the UK HIDAS system in place of the American systems that are offered as standard on the Apache. A re-assuring presence Attack helicopters are now a common feature in most modern armies’ inventories and few soldiers would want to go into battle without the re-assurance that a heavily armed helicopter is hovering nearby, ready for a call to action. © |
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