Attack Helicopter

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An attack helicopter is a military helicopter armed for attacking targets on the ground, using automatic cannon and machine gun fire, rockets, and precision guided missiles such as the Hellfire. Many attack helicopters are also capable of carrying air to air missiles, though mostly for the purposes of self defense. The Attack Helicopter has two main roles: first, to provide direct and accurate close air support for ground troops, and second, to destroy enemy armor behind enemy lines.

History

The attack helicopter dates back to the 1960s when the French armed Piasecki H-21s with rockets in the Algerian War of Independence.

An AH-1 Cobra lifts off from an US Navy ship

The first systematic use of the attack helicopter was during Vietnam. With the increasing use of the helicopter as a transport, the US saw a need for helicopters to be used as aerial artillery to support ground troops, closer to the battle. The US Army took a UH-1 and put machine guns and folding fin rockets on struts parallel with the fuselage. This configuration worked well, but the Army felt that they needed a purpose built aircraft that could deliver more firepower, and the AH-1 was developed with a slender fuselage to make the aircraft a small target, among other improvements.

During the same period Russia, then the Soviet Union, saw the same need and equipped Mil Mi-8's in a similar configuration as the US Army's UH-1s. This was eventually developed into the famous Mi-24 Hind.

During the late 70's the U.S. Army saw the need of more sophistication within the attack helicopter corps, allowing them to operate in all weather conditions. With that the Advanced Attack Helicopter program was started. From this program the Hughes YAH-64 came out as the winner. The Russians, watching US aircraft development, saw the need of a more advanced helicopter also. Military officials asked Kamov and Mil to submit designs. The Ka-50 officially won the competition, but Mil decided to continue development of the Mil-28 that they submitted.

The 1990's could be considered the proving ground for the attack helicopter for the US. The AH-64 Apache was used extensively during Operation Desert Storm with great success. Apaches fired the first shots of the war, destroying early warning radar and SAM sites with their Hellfire missiles. They were later used successfully in both their operational roles, to direct attack against enemy armor and as aerial artillery in support of group troops.

The attack helicopter was developed to its current form. The Russians are currently deploying the Ka-50, and Mi-28, but at a command and control system level they aren't as linked with ground troops as current American equipment although they have superior anti-tank, anti-air and survivibility capabilities. Many feel that this is a requirement since they are considered support elements by most of the armies of the world.

In the last 20 years USSOCOM has been developing the armed special forces gunship using the MH-60. These helicopters are to be used as an attack element with Special Operators to do the clean up, or to deliver the operators and support them on the ground. They were used successfully (to the chagrin of CINC CENTCOM) during the Scud Hunt.

The US Army typically uses observation helicopters (such as the OH-58 and H-6) in support of attack helicopter. But it is starting to fall out of favor as the gunships are getting as sophisticated or more than the observation helicopters deployed to support them.

Models

Modern examples include:

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