IAF Chooses Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter

[hitesh]

General characteristics
Crew: 2: pilot, co-pilot/gunner (CPG)
Capacity: 6,661 lb (3,021 kg)
Length: 58 ft 3 in (17.8 m)
Rotor diameter: 48 ft (14.6 m)
Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
Disc area: 1,808 ft² (168.0 m²)
Empty weight: 12,300 lb (5,580 kg)
Useful load: 5,764 lb (2,620 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,500 lb (8,390 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft, 1,800 shp (1,340 kW) each
Rotor systems: 4 blades on main rotor, 4 blades on tail rotor
Performance
Never exceed speed: 222 knots (255 mph, 411 km/h) in a dive
Cruise speed: 160 kn (184 mph, 296 km/h)
Range: 370 nmi (426 mi, 685 km)
Combat radius: 125 nmi (144 mi, 231 km) with 2,500 lb (1,130 kg) payload
Service ceiling: 20,000+ ft (6,100+ m)
Rate of climb: 2,790 ft/min (14.2 m/s)
Armament
Guns: 1 x 20 mm (0.787 in) M197 3-barreled gatling cannon in the A/A49E-7 turret (750 round ammo capacity)
Hardpoints: Up to 6 pylon stations on stub wing
Rockets: 2.75 in (70 mm) Hydra 70 or APKWS II[29] rockets – Mounted in LAU-68C/A (7 shot) or LAU-61D/A (19 shot) launchers
Missiles:
AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles – 1 mounted on each wing tip station (total of 2)
AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles – Up to 16 missiles mounted in four 4-round M272 missile launchers, two on each wing
Avionics
Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar[30]

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 14.15 m (ft)
Rotor diameter: 13.0 m[17] (ft)
Height: 3.85 m (ft)
Empty weight: 5,540 kg[17] (lb)
Loaded weight: 7,000 kg (lb)
Useful load: 1,500 kg[17] (lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,000+ kg (lb)
Powerplant: 2 × WZ-9 turboshaft[17], 1000 kw (1350 shp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 300+ km/h[17]
Cruise speed: 270+ km/h[17]
Range: 800+ km[17] ()
Service ceiling: 6,400 m (ft)
Rate of climb: over 12 m/s[17] (ft/min)
Armament
Guns: 23 mm or 30 mm autocannon mounted on chin turret (optional 30 mm or 40 mm automatic grenade launchers, or 14.5 mm Gatling gun)
Hardpoints: 4
Rockets: 57 mm, 90 mm multi-barrel unguided rocket pods
Missiles:
Up to 8 HJ-10 air to surface / anti tank / anti helicopter missiles. ADK10 is reported to be the official name of HJ10 missile.[12]
Up to 8 HJ-8, HJ-9 missiles
Up to 8 TY-90 air-to-air missiles
Up to 4 PL-5, PL-7, PL-9 air-to-air missiles
Avionics
YH millimetre-wave fire-control radar
Helmet mounted sight with night vision goggles
BM/KG300G self protection jamming pod
Blue Sky navigation pod
KZ900 reconnaissance pod
YH-96 electronic warfare suite

General characteristics
Crew: 2: pilot and co-pilot/gunner
Length: 13.45 m (44 ft 1 in)
Rotor diameter: 11.90 m (39 ft 0 in)
Height: 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Disc area: 111.22 m² (1,197.25 ft²)
Max. takeoff weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × LHTEC CTS800-4A turboshaft, 1,014 kW (1,361 shp) each
Rotor systems: 5 blades on main rotor
Performance
Maximum speed: 278 km/h (151 knots, 174 mph)
Cruise speed: 269 km/h (145 knots, 167 mph)
Range: 561 km (303 nmi, 341 mi)
Ferry range: 1,000 km (540 nmi, 620 mi)
Service ceiling: 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 14.0 m/s (2,750 ft/min)
Armament
Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) three-barrel gatling-type cannon (500 rounds)
Rockets: 4 pods with
38× 81 mm (3.19 in) unguided rockets or
76× 70 mm (2.75 in) unguided rockets or
12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine gun pod
Missiles:
8× AGM-114 Hellfire, BGM-71 TOW, Hydra 70, Spike-ER, UMTAS, anti-tank and anti-armor missiles and Sura D/Snora.
12x Roketsan Cirit
2× AIM-92 Stinger or Mistral or AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles

General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot & weapon systems officer)
Length: 18.73 m[15] (61 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Rotor diameter: 15.58 m (51 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Height: 5.19 m (17 ft 0¼ in)
Disc area: 190.60 m2 (2,052.1 sq ft)
Empty weight: 5,730 kg (12,632 lb)
Loaded weight: 7,500 kg (16,535 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 8,750 kg (19,290 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Turbomeca Makila 1K2 turboshafts, 1,420 kW (1,904 shp) each
Internal fuel capacity: 1,854 L (489.8 US gallons)
Performance
Never exceed speed: 309 km/h (167 knots, 193 mph)
Cruise speed: 278 km/h (150 knots, 173 mph) at sea level (max cruise)
Range: 740 km (380 nmi, 437 mi) at sea level(max internal fuel)
Ferry range: 1,335 km (720 nmi, 829 mi) at 1525 m (5,000 ft) (max external fuel)
Service ceiling: 6,100 m (20,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 13.3 m/s (2,620 ft/min)
Armament
1 × F2 20 mm cannon, 700 rounds
8 or 16 × Mokopa ZT-6 long-range anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM),
4 × MBDA Mistral air-to-air missiles,
38 or 76 × 70 mm folding fin aerial rockets

 

[drkrn]

Have you ever wondered why the LCH is so much lighter than the Apache? Let me ask you, if given a free choice, which would you ride into combat with Pakistan, LCH or Apache?

lch can fly over 6000 mts,while apache can not.each have specific uses.to defeat heavy infantry,mechanized forces i chose apache,for rest and high altitude warfare lch wins hands down

 

[drkrn]

Apache crew do not have to always control the drones. These drones can be semi-autonomous. In other words the flight path is already programmed but the pilot can make adjustments or take control of the flight while the drone is already on air. So even if the Apache crew are busy making evasive maneuvers the drone will fly on its own.

Information will not only come from drones, they can also come from other apache helicopters and other assets that are networked to the apache.

thats what network centric warfare is all about,thats what i meant

 

[hitesh]

lch can fly over 6000 mts,while apache can not.each have specific uses.to defeat heavy infantry,mechanized forces i chose apache,for rest and high altitude warfare lch wins hands down

With the increase in the ability to fly higher you trade off the weapon load capacity and amount of Armour protection ,this means the machine can't fight for long with its small weapon load and cant defend a counter attack because of less Armour protection and in the mountain region at such height where the air is very thin with low in oxygen the the engine don't perform at the capacity it is suppose to perform, so your maneuverability reduces and easily be brought down by ground fire .

 

[Kunal Biswas]

It is design as per GSQR to operate at those altitude with full combat capacity unlike AH-64..

Its Armour-ed also from 12.7mm to 23mm, The Armour itself is composite material, Hence lighter unlike AH-64 ..

Suggest you read about your own system before jumping on conclusions ..

 

[kaustav2001]

It would have been interesting to see the AH-1Z in the Army, I believe it has the latest optronics probably even modern than the Apache. Pretty much offers the same capability as the Apache (longbow might have an edge though) & is much more suitable for CAS vs more of a Tank Killer role of the Apache. But I guess the idea was to use the Apache's behind the scenes for targeting & coordination along with long range strikes using the hellfire.

 

[SilentKiller]

It would have been interesting to see the AH-1Z in the Army, I believe it has the latest optronics probably even modern than the Apache. Pretty much offers the same capability as the Apache (longbow might have an edge though) & is much more suitable for CAS vs more of a Tank Killer role of the Apache. But I guess the idea was to use the Apache's behind the scenes for targeting & coordination along with long range strikes using the hellfire.

Well we will have LCH for what ever AH-1Z is capable for.
So why them and waste money anyway!!
Apache will have longbow radars and no dam helicopters carry those!!

 

[hitesh]

hmm the protection -:
The APACHE protection -

The Apache is heavily armored on all sides. Some areas are also surrounded by Kevlar soft armor for extra protection. The cockpit is protected by layers of reinforced armor and bulletproof glass. According to Boeing, every part of the helicopter can survive 12.7-mm rounds, and vital engine and rotor components can withstand 23-mm fire.The Apache is also designed to evade heat-seeking missiles by reducing its infrared signature (the heat energy it releases). The Black Hole infrared suppression system dissipates the heat of the engine exhaust by mixing it with air flowing around the helicopter. The cooled exhaust then passes through a special filter, which absorbs more heat. The Longbow also has an infrared jammer, which generates infrared energy of varying frequencies to confuse heat-seeking missiles

 

[hitesh]

MI28 protection

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

HAL's LCH looks like Chinese WZ-10 attack helicopter.

 

[drkrn]

With the increase in the ability to fly higher you trade off the weapon load capacity and amount of Armour protection ,this means the machine can't fight for long with its small weapon load and cant defend a counter attack because of less Armour protection and in the mountain region at such height where the air is very thin with low in oxygen the the engine don't perform at the capacity it is suppose to perform, so your maneuverability reduces and easily be brought down by ground fire .

one point,you dont have much offences at height of 6000 km.
no vegetation literally at 6000m (usually),but ice can provide camouflage for small troops not battalions.

my point of view is specifically pointed towards war with china,lch will obviously be more useful at such heights

 

[hitesh]

It is design as per GSQR to operate at those altitude with full combat capacity unlike AH-64..

Its Armour-ed also from 12.7mm to 23mm, The Armour itself is composite material, Hence lighter unlike AH-64 ..

Suggest you read about your own system before jumping on conclusions ..

This is form Ajai Shukla's blog
" The total payload at 20,000 feet will be some 350-500 kg. The cannon and its turret are not payload. They are a part of the helicopter fitment. Their ammunition, however, is payload. As are the missiles, rockets (the pods are not payload, they are fitment), etc.

Some weight will come off the LCH by using lighter material for the fuel tanks. That's fine. Some will come off by using ceramics instead of metal for instrument panels etc. That's fine too. But what is not fine is that some of the weight could come off by reducing armour protection.

Defence Materials Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad has developed the armour for the LCH from ceramic plates. The pilots' area was designed to withstand a direct hit at 90 degrees from a 12.7 mm armour-piercing round. To put that in perspective (Perspex-tive"¦ Ha! Ha!) some of the IAF Mi-35s, which were deployed in Congo, took hits from 12.7 mm AP rounds. They penetrated right through the armoured glass of the Mi-35. And that's a much heavier machine.
"

Sir ceramics is not a substitute for Armour plates as it can't sustain amount of punishment a steel or titanium Armour plate can bear ..

 

[asianobserve]

 

[kaustav2001]

Well we will have LCH for what ever AH-1Z is capable for.
So why them and waste money anyway!!
Apache will have longbow radars and no dam helicopters carry those!!

Yes I'm all for the LCH & the Rudra, although AH-1Z is a more hardened CAS bird used by the US Marines. My point was AH-1Z instead of the AH-64 (longbow), I guess the AH-1Z was not available/ offered for export. The modern day AH-1Z is almost as capable if not better as the AH-64, although the AH-64 has more upgrade potential.
Actually the AH-1Z can carry a version of the longbow radar, not sure if it's as effective as the original Longbow though because of the way it's mounted.

Longbow International (a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman) is developing the Cobra Radar System for the AH-1Z, based on the Longbow millimetre wave radar on the AH-64D Apache. Cobra is a pod-based radar that can be mounted on a wingtip or in a stores position. Cobra can automatically search, detect, classify and prioritise multiple moving and stationary targets. It has a range of 8km against moving and 4km against stationary targets.

More @ AH-1W / AH-1Z Super Cobra Attack Helicopter - Army Technology

A few Images -

 

[SajeevJino]

the Cobra and the Apache are different Platforms base upon their Retirements One is designed for Army another one is for Navy/Marines

The Cobra's MTOW is about > 5000Kg, Where Apache is about 10000 Kg

AH 1Z too available in Foreign Sale Couple of Countries have Cobra's But Nowadays there is no more AH 1Z exports only Apaches

there were six contending submissions for IAF's Attack Squad including AH 1Z Super Cobra where AH 64 wins the contest

 

[SajeevJino]

Indian Army Aviation Corps too Looking for a Squadron of AH 64

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-army/52591-indian-army-wants-11-ah-64e-apache-army-aviation-corp.html

 

[kaustav2001]

the Cobra and the Apache are different Platforms base upon their Retirements One is designed for Army another one is for Navy/Marines

tAH 1Z too available in Foreign Sale Couple of Countries have Cobra's But Nowadays there is no more AH 1Z exports only Apaches
there were six contending submissions for IAF's Attack Squad including AH 1Z Super Cobra where AH 64 wins the contest

Actually India did express interest in the AH-1Z, but Bell withdrew later as the AH-1Z was still undergoing operational testing(same with Eurocopter/ Tiger) & only AH-64 was left along with the M-28. Nevertheless, it's still is a good (a bit expensive though) choice & generations ahead of anything that our immediate neighborhood can field in the near future, with significant upgrade potential.

 

[hitesh]

best option for high altitude helicopter gunship ,ask your Israeli friends .
UH-60M Armed Blackhawk

 

[SajeevJino]

The Armed Black hawk is not available for Export It's used by some Israeli and American Special forces Only ..Only >100 of them available in two Countries Arsenal

Armed Blackhack is a Kick A$$ system

 

[hitesh]

The Armed Black hawk is not available for Export It's used by some Israeli and American Special forces Only ..Only >100 of them available in two Countries Arsenal

Armed Blackhack is a Kick A$$ system

No that's not true ,UAE Seeks Weaponized UH-60M ‘Battlehawk’ Helicopters

UAE Seeks Weaponized UH-60M 'Battlehawk' Helicopters

Colombia currently flies the armed S-70 "Arpia III" external link, and Sikorsky has worked on armed "AH-60"³ versions as an offering in some foreign competitions