Best-10 Attacking Helicopters in the World (Part-2)

Helicopter is the most effective source used for logistics, wars and rescue purposes these days. From their first appearance in World War II, through the Vietnam War and to the modern day, helicopters have helped to transform the battlefield.

The design and technology continue to be developed for improving helicopter, during the last 50 years no less than 1,600 helicopter models have been made in the world. With all its advantages and disadvantages, so the following I will discuss 10 of the World's best attacking helicopters that ever made. Each are rated on their avionics, agility, speed & firepower capabilities. Here are the 2nd section of Best 10 attacking helicopters in the world,

5. AH-1Z Viper

The AH-1Z Viper is an attack aircraft developed by Bell Helicopter of Fort Worth, Texas. The Viper is a twin engine helicopter that has been designed based on the Cobra line of attack helicopters that have been in service with the U.S. Marine Corps since the early 1970s. The Viper is also called the "Zulu Cobra" helicopter. It entered service with the U.S. Marines in September 2010. The Marines have ordered about 200 Viper helicopters and deliveries of the aircraft are expected to continue through 2019.

US. Marine Corps Bell AH-1Z Viper. (Picture from: http://www.malaysiandefence.com/)

The Viper attack helicopter features state-of-the-art avionics, sensors and weapons systems. The aircraft is able to locate targets at greater distances and attack them with greater precision than previous attack helicopters. Weapons on the Viper include a 20 millimeter M197 gatling gun, Hydra 70 rockets, AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles.

4. Eurocopter EC665 Tiger

The Eurocopter EC665 Tiger helicopter is being developed for France and Germany in three configurations, UHT multi-role fire support for the German Army and HAD multi-role combat and HAP combat support for the French Army. Tiger is being built by Eurocopter, a subsidiary of the EADS (European Aeronautics Defence and Space). The Tiger is powered by two MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 turboshaft engines. The helicopter also has the distinction of being the first all-composite helicopter developed in Europe; and incorporates other advanced features such as a glass cockpit, stealth technology and high agility in order to increase its survivability. Since the type's introduction to service, Tigers have been used in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali.

Spanish Army EC665 Tiger Multi-Role Attack Helicopter. (Picture from: http://globalmilitaryreview.blogspot.com/)

The Tiger is capable of equipping various armaments including rockets, cannon, and a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, controlled via a dedicated weapons control computer. Munitions for anti-ground warfare include the nose-mounted 30 mm Nexter turret; an assortment of external gun pods, anti tank missiles, and up to four launchers for 70 mm and 68 mm rockets can be mounted on the Tiger's stub-wings. When deploying missiles such as the Mistral, the Tiger is capable of taking advantage of the munition's off-boresight capabilities.

3. Mi-28H Havoc

The Mi-28 (NATO reporting name 'Havoc') is a new-generation attack helicopter that functions as an air-to-air and air-to-ground partner for the Mi-24 Hind and Ka-50 Hokum. The five-blade main rotor is mounted above the body midsection, and short, wide, tapered, weapon-carrying wings are mounted to the rear of body midsection. Two turboshaft engines in pods are mounted alongside the top of the fuselage with downturned exhausts. The fuselage is slender and tapers to the tail boom and nose. It features a tandem, stepped-up cockpits and a cannon mounted beneath the belly, with fixed landing gear. The tapering tail boom with a swept-back fin has a flat high-mounted on the fin and a rotor mounted on right.

Russian Army Mi-28H Havoc. (Picture from: http://warfare.be/)

The Mi-28 has a conventional helicopter gunship layout with the pilot in the rear and gunner in front. It is armed with a 30-mm trainable cannon housed in a turret under the nose. Twin 150-round ammunition boxes are co-mounted to traverse, elevate and depress with the gun itself. A total of 300 rounds are carried. The gun is identical to that of Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and uses the same ammunition. This gunship can also carry two pods with 80-mm unguided rockets and 16 anti-tank guided missiles.

2. Kamov Ka-50 Hokum

The Kamov Ka-50 'Black Shark' or NATO called 'Hokum' is a single-seat Russian attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995. The Ka-50 was designed to be small, fast and agile to improve survivability and lethality. For minimal weight and size (thus maximum speed and agility) it was uniquely among gunships to be operated by a single pilot only. Kamov design bureau also made two-seater version of this helicopter and named it, Kamov Ka-52 'Alligator' or by NATO known as 'Hokum B'.

Russian Army Kamov Ka-50 Hokum. (Picture from: http://www.military-today.com/)

The Russian designed Ka-50 Hokum also can carry 24 Vikhr missiles, four 20-round rocket pods, or a mixture. The Hokum also can carry the AA-11/R-73 Archer air-to-air missiles, which makes the Hokum a very capable threat against opposing attack helicopters. The 30 mm 2A42 is also mounted on the Hokum, albeit more like a fighter's cannon. The Hokum's top speed is 350 kilometers per hour, and it has a combat radius of 250 kilometers.

1. AH-64D Apache Long Bow

The Boeing AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter was known to be the preeminent and most powerful anti-armor weapon system in the Gulf War. Designed to perform its combat missions day or night and in adverse weather, the Apache was designed specifically to meet the rigid requirements of the US Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter Plan. The highly manoeuvrable Apache AH-64D Longbow attack helicopter can be deoployed for a wide range of missions. It has advanced observation and navigation systems, making it extremely well suited for reconnaissance missions.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) AH-64D Apache Longbow. (Picture from: http://www.airliners.net/)

The Apache is equipped with state of the art electronic technology and fire control systems. The firepower is awesome. The Apache can be loaded with 16 AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles, 76 70mm folding-fin aerial rockets or a combination of both, Hydra 70 FFAR rockets, AIM-92 Stinger rockets, and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles– in addition to 1,200 30 mm rounds for its M230 automatic cannon. (Back to Part-1.) *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | FAS | MILITARY FACTORY | ABOUT.COM US MILITARY | MILITARY-TODAY | ARMY-TECHNOLOGY | WIKIPEDIA]

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