Showing posts with label Attack Helicopter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Attack Helicopter. Show all posts
India To Get 22 AH-64D Block 3 Apache Helicopters
Under the proposal, a possible sale of 50 T700-GE-701D engines, 12AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars, 12 AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometers, 812 AGM-114L-3 HELLFIRE LONGBOW missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 HELLFIRE II missiles, 245 STINGER Block I-92H missiles, 23 Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors and logistics support services and other related elements of logistics support will be provided by Boeing- US Army.
The Government of India has yet to select the Boeing-United States Army proposal.
The estimated cost of the contract is $1.4 billion.
Indian Light Combat Helicopter to be On Display At Aero India 2011
While the first prototype could fly at the air show, the second prototype, which will be weaponized, is expected to be unveiled too. Two more prototypes are under construction. HAL commenced work on the LCH in 2006. The copter is an attack variant of the HAL Dhruv, which has been inducted into the armed forces. The copter was designed using a successful and proven helicopter as the base platform. HAL has tentative orders to deliver 65 LCHs to the IAF and over 100 to the Army.
HAL will also showcase the mock-up of the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) which is being developed indigenously and the Multirole Transport Aircraft ( MTA) being done in collaboration with Russia. Two Chetak helicopters are expected to be handed over to a Third World country. While export orders are nothing to write home about, there have been occasional purchases by other countries. Chile signed a contract with HAL for about seven Dhruv ALHs.
Taiwan buys 30 AH-64 Apaches
Taiwan will receive 30 Boeing AH-64 Block III Apache helicopters under a new contract signed with the US government, a US Army official announced on 10 June.
The order marks the latest show of US military support to Taiwan despite deep objections by China, and confirms the first international customer for the AH-64 Block III.
Col Shane Openshaw, the army's AH-64 project manager, said Taiwan's first new-build helicopter will enter production in October, with the rest of the aircraft sprinkled through Boeing's production programme.
|
The Block III programme upgrades the engines and transmission system on the AH-64, restoring speed and lift performance lost after two decades of service added weight to the original airframes. The Block III variant also introduces new software and connectivity, allowing the pilots to simultaneously control unmanned air vehicles and their payloads.
The US Army is programmed to receive a fleet of 690 AH-64 Block IIIs over the next 15 years, with all but 56 aircraft remanufactured from previous models. The remainder will be new-build aircraft to replace helicopters lost in combat operations over the last decade.
SOURCE
Decision Time For Indian Attack Helicopter Deal
The Indian armed forces’ quest to buy 22 modern attack helicopters is nearing decision time as the trails of the Boeing AH64 D Apache and the MiL Mi-28NE attack helicopters have been completed and final evaluation is on.A final decision could be on hand before the middle of this year.
While the formidable Apache AH64 D is considered a strong contender thanks to its battle proven capability in Afghanistan and in the Middle East and its package of weapons and technology never before seen in a helicopter in India, the Mi-28NE is a new generation attack helicopter capable of attacking ground targets as well as having the capacity of ar-to-air combat.
The Mi-28NE (NATO reporting name HAVOC) is a Russian all-weather day-night military tandem two-seat anti-armour attack helicopter.
Expecting an early decision on the attack helicopter deal, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress earlier this year, for a possible sale of 50 T700-GE-701D engines, 12 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars, 12 AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometers, 812 AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92H missiles, and 23 Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors. The equipment constitutes the foreign military sales component of the sale while the 22 AH-64D Block III Apache platforms will be sold directly by Boeing to India, should it win the contract.
The Mi-28NE matches, if not exceeds the Apache in terms of firepower and self-protection. Information obtained from Helicopter experts says that the five-bladed main rotor of the Mi-28NE, when compared to the four bladed Apache rotor, offers better stability in flight and less vibration during target designation. The Mi-28 NE, which is heavier than the Apache by approximately 3 tonnes, has more effective armor. It has two heavily armored cockpits, a windshield able to withstand hits from 7.62-12.7 caliber bullets.
At the sides, the Mi-28NE according to the tests performed by the manufacturer can sustain the projectiles up to 20 mm.
The main gun of the Mi-28NE- 30mm automatic dual feed gun 2A42 is taken from the known infantry combat vehicle BMP2.
That way rounds from High Explosive Incendiary to Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot can be used. Using this gun, the helicopter can attack medium armored targets, infantry as well as targets in the air.
Its effective range both in the air and on ground varies from 2 to 3 km compared to about 1.5 km of the Apache’s main gun.
The 2A42 main gun has also proved to work in conditions of high dustiness and humidity.
In terms of missiles, the Mi-28NE uses the Ataka missile racks along with B-13L rocket pods, each able to carry S-13 rockets. Other rocket options include the S-8 rockets. The Atakas have 4 variants for different tasks. The 9M120 Tandem High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead variant is used against tanks fitted with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), its penetrative ability is stated at 800 mm Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA). The 9M120F Thermobaric variant is used against infantry, buildings, bunkers, and caves. The 9M120O expanding rod warhead variant is used against other helicopters. All the variants have a range of 6 km. The 9M120M improved version has a longer range (8 km) and better penetration (900 mm of RHA).
Turkey's T-129 attack helicopter prototype makes successful first flight
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has successfully flown the first prototype of its T129 attack helicopter
The first flight, conducted by TAI’s test pilots, of T129 “P6” prototype helicopter has timely and successfully been completed at TAI’s facilities in Akıncı (Ankara) the company said today
The ATAK Program was initiated with the aim to meet the Attack/Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter requirements of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLF) by the integration of high-tech avionic equipment, hardware and software which will be developed in Turkey.
The first flight of the P6 prototype marks an important milestone in the ATAK Program and is the first of three T129 prototypes which are being assembled in Turkey.
The helicopter is based on the Agusta Westland A129 Mongoose which has been the mainstay of the Italian army and has been operational in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The T-129 ATAK is an enhanced version of the Italian built A129, and its development is now the responsibility of TAI, with AgustaWestland as the primary partner.
The original prototype being built in Italy crashed in March 2010 during a test flight, leaving its Italian test pilot and its test engineer needing hospital treatment for minor injuries.
Turkey originally planned to order 51 A129s with 40 options back in 2007 but the following year Turkey undertook to fully build the platform.
Under the agreement, TAI has developed an indigenous mission computer, avionics, weapons systems, self-protection suites and the helmet-mounting cuing systems. TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) ismanufacturing the LHTEC CTS800-4N engines under licence. Under the agreement, Turkey has full marketing and intellectual property rights for the T-129 platform. There are also no restrictions imposed on Turkey for the export or transfer of the platform to third countries other than Italy of the UK.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)