armada INTERNATIONAL 3/2008

10
Utility Helos With
a Purpose
Utility Helos With
a Purpose
Slender, tandem-seat dedicated attack helicopters were developed in the 1960s
because the armed-Huey gunships (Bell UH-1B/C Hogs) were not fast enough
to escort the troop carriers (UH-1D/H Slicks) in Vietnam. The high cost and
inexibility of dedicated attack designs is now encouraging the development of
armed, sensor-equipped versions of utility helicopters.
Roy Braybrook
T
he attack helicopter went through a
second major phase of development
as defence planning moved to a war in
central Europe, in which the need was to
kill multiple tanks per sortie in day/night
all weather conditions and a target-rich
environment. The second generation of
dedicated attack helicopters are conse-
quently heavy and expensive.
In the very different context of 21st
Century wars, the overall result is limited
operational exibility, due to the small
number of these aircraft that can be
afforded by the majority of operators,
and the nature of their weapon systems
and crew accommodation.
Like traditional xed-wing ghter air-
craft, the attack helicopter provides a
devastating repower directly ahead.
However, it is vulnerable to side attacks,
having only two pairs of eyes to detect
threats, and only a gun turret to provide
lateral re.
In addition, the attack helicopter has
little value in secondary roles. Only the
Mil Mi-28 has a second cabin for two or
three additional personnel, to transport
ground crew or recover downed aircrew.
Up to four personnel have been carried
externally on attack helicopters in simu-
lated short-range rescue operations.
However, in paramilitary missions there
is a need for an armed helicopter that can
Barrelled Armament
At the lightweight end of the machine
gun range, FN Herstal produces the 7.62-
mm Mag 58M or M240D, which weighs
12.5 kg and res 700 to 1000 rd/min, with
an effective range of 1500 metres. The
TMP-5 pod houses two of these guns.
Of the electrically powered Gatling
gun series originally developed by Gener-
al Electric, most have been taken over by
General Dynamics Armament & Techni-
cal Products. The exception was the six-
barrel 7.62-mm M134 or Gau-2 Minigun,
which could re at up to 7200 rd/min. Over
10,000 were manufactured, but it demon-
strated poor reliability. The gun was con-
sequently taken over and extensively re-
engineered by Dillon Aero.
The Dillon-improved gun, with rate of
re restricted to 3000 rd/min, was adopted
by the US Army in 2003 under the desig-
nation M134D. It weighs 20.5 kg in xed
form. The M134D carries the US Navy
designation Gau-17/A as a pintle-mount-
ed door gun for the Bell UH-1N.
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Modern offspring of the
7.62-mm Minigun, the
M134D re-engineered by
Dillon Aero
insert and recover personnel and bring
back prisoners, which requires a cabin
seating at least six.
The global war on terrorism, and
increasingly important paramilitary
actions against piracy, illegal shing and
smuggling, are creating needs for afford-
able utility helicopters armed with (as the
very minimum) light automatic weapons.
Ideally, they should have provisions for
cannon, rocket projectiles and light-
weight guided missiles, plus laser target
marking and sensors for day/night sur-
veillance and reconnaissance from a safe
standoff distance.
The following review looks at some
examples of armament, sensors and plat-
forms that can full such needs.
Exhibited as an
option for the Mil
Mi-24/35, this
three-Gatling pod
combines one four-
barrel 12.7-mm
Yakushev-Borsov
Yak-B or 9A-624
gun with a pair of
four-barrel 7.62-
mm Shipunov
GShG-7.62s.
(Armada/RB)
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The M134D has been applied to a
wide range of helicopters, including the
Sikorsky UH-60, Agusta-Bell AB-212,
Mil Mi-8, Eurocopter AS 550 and 565 and
the NH90. It is also to be used in the BAE
Systems Remote Guardian System tur-
ret for applications that include the Bell
Boeing CV-22. Dillon Aero, which mar-
kets a range of helicopter mounts, has
also developed the lightweight M134DT.
This uses some titanium components and
weighs approximately six kilograms less
than the all-steel original.
The closest Russian equivalent of the
Gau-2 is the four-barrel 7.62-mm
Shipunov GShG-7.62 Gatling-type gun,
which weighs 19 kg and has a cyclic rate
of 6000 rd/min. However, this appears to
be used only in gun pods.
FN Herstal manufactures the M2 and
M3 series of single-barrel 12.7-mm guns,
exemplied by the pintle-mounted 35.8-
kg M3P, which res 1025 rd/min and has
an effective range of 1850 metres. The
door/ramp-mounted M3M is used on US
Navy and Marine Corps assault/support
helicopters as the Gau-21.
The Russian equivalent of the M3P is
the 12.7-mm Degtyarev Kord, which
weighs 27 kg, or 52 kg with pintle mounting,
and res at 650 to 750 rd/min. Effective
range is given as 2000 metres. The Kord was
developed to meet a need in Chechnya for
a new heavy machine gun.
The FN Herstal HMP-250/400 pod
combines a 12.7-mm gun with three 2.75-
inch (70 mm) rocket projectiles, giving a
loaded weight of 116/138 kg with 250/400
rounds of ammunition.
The General Dynamics Gau-19/A is a
three-barrel 12.7-mm Gatling gun, which
weighs 83.9 kg and res at 1000/2000
rd/min. It may be noted that the original
armament for the Mil Mi-24 (and still an
option on the Mi-35) was the four-barrel
12.7-mm Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B or 9A-
624 Gatling-type gun on an SPSV-24 ex-
ible mounting. The 9A-624 was also used
in gun-pod form. However, in Soviet
operations in Afghanistan in the 1980s, it
was found that this gun was outranged by
Mujahideen ground re, so for the Mi-
24P the Yak-B was replaced by a xed
twin-barrel 30-mm GSh-2-30 cannon.
In the 20 mm category, Nexter (former-
ly Giat) produces the low recoil 20M621
cannon for helicopter applications, notably
in the form of the NC621 gun pod, the
THL20 turret and the SH20 retractable
door-mounting. The M621 weighs 58 kg
and res at 300/740 rd/min. The THL20 is
used on some Romanian Army Eurocopter
Pumas (licence-built by IAR-Brasov), and
has been ordered for the Indian forces
Hindustan Aeronautics Dhruv.
and a variety of more effective warhead
types, including shaped charge, echette
and cargo rounds that dispense submuni-
tions. The most widely used rockets are
Russias 57-mm S-5 (now superseded by
the 80-mm S-8) and the Wests various 68-
mm and 70-mm/2.75-inch projectiles.
The 2.75-inch category is exemplied
by the General Dynamics Hydra-70, of
which that company has made well over
one million rounds. Its principal competi-
tor is the Magellan/Bristol Aerospace
CRV7, of which almost 800,000 have been
manufactured. The CRV7s maximum
range is 8000 metres. It is claimed that in
comparative US Navy tests the CRV7 pro-
duced an impact footprint one-third the
area of the competing system.
Rocket pods for helicopter installa-
tions are illustrated by the FN Herstal
Lau-7H/12H/19H range, these designa-
tions indicating the number of tubes.
According to a Raytheon presentation
on a proposed laser-guided Hydra 70, the
unguided round has a CEP of 20 metres
at 1000 metres range, and 120 metres at
6000 metres. It follows that precision
guidance is necessary to achieve a worth-
while single-shot kill probability from a
reasonably safe distance. A laser spot-
homing 70-mm rocket could deal effec-
tively with soft and lightly armoured tar-
gets at around one-tenth of the cost of a
Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellre, and
with low collateral damage.
Despite the obvious need for laser
guidance add-on kits for standard rocket
projectiles, such devices have yet to see
operational service (with the possible
exception of in Israel). Development of
the BAE Systems APKWS-II (Advanced
Precision Kill Weapon System), using dis-
tributed-aperture semi-active laser seek-
ers, was zero-funded in the US Armys
FY08 budget request. However, in
August 2007 the US Marine Corps issued
a formal statement of need for the sys-
tem. In the light of this, the US Congress
provided funding to the US Navy to con-
tinue the programme and leadership
transitioned from the Army to the Navy.
The APKWS-II will provide a range of
5000 metres and a CEP of 1.5 metres.
The US Naval Air Warfare Center has
another programme, named Low-cost
Guided Imaging Rocket (Logir), which
reportedly may be developed in collabo-
ration with Korea. The Logir uses the
Damask (Direct Attack Munition
Affordable Seeker Kit) based on a com-
Nexter has developed
the SH20 mount that
enables its low-recoil
20M621 cannon to
be fully retracted into
the cabin of a Cougar
helicopter (here shown
as a spaceframe
mock-up) enabling the
door to be shut
whenever needed.
(Armada/EHB)
Pintle-mounted in
the rear fuselage of
a US Navy SH-60B
Sea Hawk, this
three-barrel 12.7-
mm General
Dynamics Gau-
19/A Gatling gun
can be selected to
re at 1000 or
2000 rd/min.
(General Dynamics
Armament &
Technical Products)
This Eurocopter Fennec carries an FN
Herstal HMP-400 pod containing a
12.7-mm machine gun with 400 rounds
and three 70 mm rockets. On the port
side it has a Lau-7H pod with another
seven rockets. (FN Herstal)
The 20-mm General Dynamics M197
is a three-barrel version of the well-
known six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan cannon.
It weighs 60 kg and res at up to 1500
rd/min. The M-197 arms the US Marine
Corps Bell AH-1J/T/W/Z series and is
available in GPU-2/A gun pod form.
Rockets
In comparison with automatic weapons,
rocket projectiles provide greater range
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mercial Raytheon thermal imager. Lock-
heed Martin has meanwhile unveiled its
laser-guided Hellre Junior or Direct
Attack Guided Rocket (Dagr), which
would provide all the Hellre modes,
including lock-on-after-launch and pro-
grammable laser coding.
Kongsberg is collaborating with Mag-
ellan/Bristol Aerospace on a precision-
guided rocket (CRV7-PG). Elbit Systems
has announced a Star laser guidance kit
for 68/70 mm rockets. Russias laser-guid-
ed 122-mm S-13L is referred to in various
aircraft brochures. The heavyweight 240
mm Nudelman S-25L is reportedly
already in production, and provides a
range of seven kilometres. There are ref-
erences to an S-25LD development with
a range of twelve km.
Guided Missiles
Guns and rocket projectiles generally
sufce for defence suppression, but utili-
ty helicopters may also require a dedicat-
ed anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW).
Since all vertical take-off aircraft are
weight-critical, the complete missile
installation should be as light as possible.
Likewise, since the helicopter is multi-
role, the weapon system should require
little skill on the part of the crew.
Lightweight western ATGWs include
the 45.4/48.2-kg laser-homing Lockheed
Martin Hellre II, the 23-kg wire-guided
Raytheon Tow-2B Aero, the 24-kg wire-
guided MBDA Hot 3 and the 49-kg MBDA
Pars-3 LR with imaging-infrared guidance.
Whereas the Hot 3 has a maximum range
of 4000 metres, the Tow-2B Aero can reach
4500 metres. The Pars-3 LRs range is 6000
metres but it has development potential for
8000 metres, which is the nominal range of
the supersonic Hellre II.
The 26-kg Rafael Spike-ER employs
imaging-infrared guidance with a bre-
optic link that allows the operator to
switch targets in ight. The missile weighs
33 kg in its container and a launcher with
four rounds weighs 187 kg. Maximum
range is 8000 metres.
Russias latest offering is the 50-kg
laser beam-riding KBP 9M121 Vikhr (AT-
16) tube-launched supersonic missile,
which has a range of ten km. It replaces
the 35-kg KBM 9M114 Kokon (AT-6) and
its marginally supersonic 42.5-kg 9M120
Ataka-V (AT-9) derivative, both of which
use the Shturm-V radio semi-active com-
mand-to-line-of-sight (salcos) guidance
system. The 9M114 and 9M120 have
ranges of 5000 and 6000 metres respec-
tively. Better penetration and a choice of
guidance systems are provided by the
KBM 9M123 Krizantema (AT-15), which
(with a sensor turret by UOMZ of Eka-
terinburg) will equip the Mi-28M.
Air-to-air missiles are a low priority
for helicopters but may be needed for
self-defence or to engage (for instance)
low-speed aircraft used by smugglers. As
for other weapons, light weight is essen-
tial, which in this context implies infrared
homing to achieve the small miss distance
needed by a small warhead.
The 87-kg Raytheon Aim-9 Side -
winder series, although employed on the
US Marine Corps AH-1W, is probably
too heavy for general use. The lighter
43.5-kg Molniya/Vympel R-60M (AA-8)
has been proposed in modied forms
(Izdeliye 62V and 64V) for helicopter
applications, but there appear to be con-
cerns over its terminal effectiveness.
The best solution appears to be the use
of man-portable surface-to-air missiles
such as the 10.4-kg Raytheon Fim-92
Stinger, the 10.8-kg KBM 9M39 Igla, and
the 18.7-kg MBDA Mistral. Of these, the
Mistral delivers the heaviest warhead
over the longest range (6500 metres).
Sensors
One of the leaders in stabilised multi-
spectral imaging systems is L-3 Wescam,
which produces the MX turret family. In
2007 the companys MX-15Di turret was
selected by AgustaWestland as the elec-
tro-optical laser designator system for
Britains Future Lynx, which is due to
enter service with the British Army in
2013 and the Royal Navy in 2014. Other
competitive wins included selection of
the MX-15i for the French Gendarmerie
Eurocopter EC135 and the Latvian
National Armed Forces Mil Mi-8MTV1
and the MX-15 for the Royal Nether-
lands Air Force Boeing CH-47F.
Amongst the relatively recent newcomers in the helicopter armament world is the KBP
laser beam-rider 9M121 Vikhr that speeds an eight-kg anti-armour warhead to a
range of ten kilometres in 25 seconds. (KBP)
One of the latest anti-tank guided
weapons is the MBDA Pars-3 LR, an
imaging-infrared missile also known as
the Trigat-LR. It has a range of 6000
metres with development potential for
8000 metres. (MBDA)
Upgraded by Elbit
Systems, this
Romanian Army IAR-
Brasov Puma-330 is
equipped with an EOP
electro-optical pod,
Midash (Modular
Integrated Display and
Sight Helmet), 20-mm
Nexter THL20 turret,
57-mm S-5 rocket
pod, Vympel R-60M
air-to-air missile and
Rafael Spike-ER anti-
tank missiles.
(Armada/RB)
Another leader is Flir Systems, whose
Brite Star II day/night sensor with laser
designator/ranger has been selected as
the target acquisition sensor system for
the US Army Bell ARH-70A Arapaho. It
has also been chosen for the US Navys
Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout
drone. The baseline Brite Star saw opera-
tional use in Operation Iraqi Freedom in
2003 when two UH-1Ns of the US
Marine Corps HMLA-169 squadron
were equipped with these turrets ahead
of service clearance.
Another Flir Systems product-line is
the Star Sare series of multi-sensor sur-
veillance turrets. In 2007 the company
announced an order for its AAQ-22 Star
Sare HD turrets to equip helicopters of
the Colombian Air Force. That service had
recently purchased 15 UH-60L Black
Hawks to assist in the ght against narco-
terrorists, adding to its eet of UH-1s,
Huey IIs and Mil Mi-17s. The Star Sare
HD system uses a 1500-mm focal length
for infrared and visible light sensors. It can
be congured with up to seven sensors, one
more than the AAQ-21 Star Sare III.
Platforms
Genuine multi-role capability requires a
certain cabin volume and payload, the
minimum gures depending on individ-
ual service requirements.
At the lower end of the Eurocopter
spectrum, the 2250-kg single-engined
AS550C3 Fennec and the 2600-kg twin-
engined AS555 version have space for
one pilot and ve troops. They may alter-
natively be equipped with a forward-r-
AS532AL Cougar takes two pilots and
up to 25 troops. Armament options
include a side-ring cannon. The new
11,000-kg EC725 derivative increases
capacity to 29 troops and is better suited
to hot/high operations.
The AgustaWestland military utility
range extends from the 3000-kg
A109Luh, which with two pilots takes six
troops, to the 5330-kg Super Lynx 300,
which takes nine, and the new 8000-kg
AW149, which will take 16.
rel M134D or Gau-17/A, and the 12.7 mm
Gau-16/A (M2 Browning).
The US Army replaced the UH-1
series with the 7700-kg Sikorsky UH-60A
Black Hawk. The series is exported as the
S-70A, and over 3000 H-60/S-70s have
now been built (of which the US Army
has 1668). The latest version for the US
Army is the 10,000-kg UH-60M (which
will increase the Armys eet to 1931).
Sikorsky has worked with Elbit Systems
on armed reconnaissance versions, such
as the AH-60L Arpia III for Colombia,
with the Midass (Modular Integrated
Display and Sighting System) and Toplite
II day/night sensor and laser designa-
tor/ranger.
a
The US Armys Eads UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter is a variant of the civilian
Eurocopter EC145, itself a development of the BK117. Initial deliveries are of the
medevac version. (Eads)
The 12.7-mm heavy
machine gun is
exemplied here by
an FN Herstal
M3M in MFP
(Medium Floor
Pintle) form on a
Eurocopter Super
Puma. The M3M
res over 1000
rd/min. (FN
Herstal)
The L-3 Wescam MX-15Di multi-
spectral imaging turret has been
selected for the British services
AgustaWestland Future Lynx, which is
scheduled to enter service in
2013/2014. (AgustaWestland)
The Bell ARH-70A,
being developed to
replace the US
Armys OH-58D, is
to be equipped
with the Flir
Systems Brite Star II
turret with
day/night sensors
and laser
designator/ranger.
(Bell Helicopters)
ing 20-mm cannon and a 68-mm rocket
launcher. Other options include air-to-air
and anti-tank guided missiles. The new
2835-kg EC635 can hold seven troops or
carry two 20 mm gunpods.
Developed from the well-established
BK117, the 3585-kg civil EC145 forms the
basis for the US Armys Eads North
America UH-72A Lakota. Although this
is unarmed, being intended for use in a
non-combat environment, it is conceiv-
able that an armed derivative of the
EC145 will appear at some stage.
The 4.3-tonne Eurocopter AS565UB
Panther can accommodate two pilots and
ten troops. Toward the upper end of the
companys utility range, the 9000-kg
The MD Helicopters Explorer is in
broadly the same class as the A109Luh,
with a gross weight of 2835 kg and cabin
accommodation for six troops. The Com-
bat Explorer for the Mexican Navy has
provisions for a 12.7-mm Gau-19/A
Gatling gun and Hydra 70 rocket pods.
Over 16 000 examples of the Bell
UH-1 Huey series have been built, seat-
ing up to ten troops. A variety of
upgrades are available from Bell, includ-
ing the 4762-kg Huey II and the 8390-kg
UH-1Y for the US Marine Corps. The
latter is clearly capable of far greater pay-
load-range performance, and is better
equipped to operate under hot/high con-
ditions. The equipment of the UH-1Y
includes a Flir Systems Brite Star sensor
turret and armament options include the
7.62-mm M240D (Mag 58M) and six-bar-
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