Am?n? ?ll milit??? v?hicl?s, th? AH-64 A??ch? h?lic??t?? is ??????l? th? m?st w?ll-kn?wn. E??l? in th? 20th c?nt???, th? ?i?st t?nks w??? ??v?l????. B?c??s? th?? w??? n? l?n??? v?ln????l? t? li?ht w????ns ?i??, t????s c??l? m?v? ?c??ss t????in with n? ??sist?nc?. Th? h?nt?? is n?w th? ???? ??c??s? ?? ??v?nc?m?nts in ?i???w??, ??t t?chn?l??? w?its ??? n? m?n.

Nin? Unkn?wn F?cts A???t Th? A??ch? H?lic??t?? Alth???h ????n?-?tt?ck missi?ns ??? n?thin? n?w, th? h?lic??t?? ??nshi? w?s th? v?hicl? th?t ??st ??m?nst??t?? th? v?l?? ?? h?vin? ?i????w??, m??ilit?, ?n? st??lth ?ll in ?n?. An? ??m???? ?ivisi?n’s m?st ??????? ?l?t???m is ? ??t??? ?ss??lt h?lic??t??.

T? th? s?tis??cti?n ?? ? ????ns? c?nt??ct??, ? l?s??-???i???? ch????? z??s its ?i?st t????t – Th? W?shin?t?n P?st

B??in?’s AH-64 A??ch?, m???? th? m?st w?ll-kn?wn ?? th?m, ?st??lish?? th? ??nchm??k ??? ??nshi? ??si?n th?t is still c?ttin? ???? t????. W? ??? ?s?? t? s??in? ?i??l?n?s in ?l?in? ?is?l??s th?t hi?hli?ht th?i? ?istinctiv? ???t???s, ??t th? ??ll?win? in???m?ti?n mi?ht s????is? ?v?n th? m?st ????nt ?vi?ti?n ?nth?si?st.

A??ch? ?tt?ck h?lic??t??s will ?ll?w th? In?i?n A?m? t? l??nch ?isk? ?tt?cks, ?cc???in? t? Th? Ec?n?mic Tim?s.

Am?zin?l?, th? ??i?in?l AH-64 ???t?t??? ???s ??ck t? 1975, wh?n th? US ????ns? ?????tm?nt s???ht t? ???l?c? its ?ilin? AH-1 C????s. H??h?s H?lic??t??s ??c?iv?? th? ?in?l ??si?n c?nt??ct ??? wh?t w??l? ?v?nt??ll? ??c?m? th? AH-64 A??ch?.

Th? ???-?????cti?n v??si?n ?? th? AH-64 ?s?? ? l?w?? t?il ?l?in ??si?n ?n? ????si?n?? n?s? s?cti?n, m?kin? th? ???l? ???t?t??? ??sil? ?istin??ish??l? ???m th? ?in?l ?????cti?n v??i?nt. Th? AH-64 initi?ll? ?nt???? ?????ti?n?l s??vic? in 1986 ??t?? ? ???t??ct?? 11-???? ??v?l??m?nt ???c?ss.

Vit?l R?c???s

Y?? c??l? ?? ?xc?s?? ??? ??li?vin? th?t ??nshi?s ??? sm?ll, m?n??v????l? m?chin?s, ??t ? cl?s?? ?x?min?ti?n ?t th? ??w????l AH-64 A??ch? ??ints ? v??? ?i?????nt ?ict???; th? ??c??niz??l? ??nshi? is m?ch l????? th?n m?st ????l? ???liz?.

Th? A??ch? ?its int? th? s?m? siz? c?t????? ?s th? t??ic?l sch??l ??s ?t 58 ???t l?n?, 48 ???t wi??, ?n? ?v?? 13 ???t t?ll. F?? ??t???-??w???? ?i?c???t w?i?hin? ?? t? 21,000 ???n?s, ? c??is? s???? ?? 182 m?h ?n? ? “n?v?? t? ?? ?xc?????” t?? s???? ?? 227 m?h ??? ??th hi?hl? n?t?w??th?. Th? ?i?c???t is ???i???? with tw? R?lls-R??c? RTM322 t????j?ts th?t h?v? ? c?m?in?? ??t??t ?? 4540 h?. R?m?m??? h?w l???? th?? ?ct??ll? ??? th? n?xt tim? ??? s?? ?n? ?? th?s? ?m?zin? m?chin?s sm??thl? ci?clin? ???v? ???.

F?ncti?n P?i?? t? F??m

H?lic??t??s m?v? ?t ? si?ni?ic?ntl? sl?w?? s???? th?n th?i? ?ix??-win? c??nt?????ts, ?limin?tin? th? n??? ??? ?xt??m?l? st???mlin?? ??s?l???s. Whil? this l?w?? s???? m?k?s h?lic??t??s m??? nim?l?, it ?ls? h?s c??t?in ?n??v????l? c?ns????nc?s.

Its twin ?n?in?s ?????c? ?n??m??s ?m??nts ?? h??t th?t mi?ht ??t?nti?ll? ??t th? ?i?c???t ?t ????t?? ?isk ???m ?n?m? IR-??i??? missil?s. O????tin? ?t l?w?? ?ltit???s ?n? ?i?s????s ???s inc???s? th? lik?lih??? ?? h?stil? ?nc??nt??s. This ?isk is ????c?? ?? ??siti?nin? th? ?n?in?s ?s hi?h ?n? ??? ??ck ?s ??ssi?l?, with ??t?? ??wnw?sh ?i?in? in h??t ?issi??ti?n.

Th? AH-64 A??ch? h?s th? w?ll-kn?wn t?n??m s??tin? ????n??m?nt sinc? it is ? v??? ??ll ?i?c? ?? ???i?m?nt th?t ????i??s ? c??w ?? tw?. E?ch ??nshi?’s c?ck?it is ??ck?? with c?ttin?-???? ???i?m?nt ??? th? ?i?c???t’s ?li?ht, n?vi??ti?n, ????nsiv?, ?n? ????nsiv? c????iliti?s. T? ??c?m? ? ?il?t, ??? m?st ??ss ? ??sic ?li?ht t??inin? ??????m th?t l?sts nin? w??ks.

Th? AH-64 is ??t?itt?? with ???l c?nt??l s?st?ms th?t ?n??l? th? ???nt ?cc???nt t? t?k? c?nt??l ?? th? ?i?c???t in ?n ?m????nc?. Un??? n??m?l ?????tin? c?n?iti?ns, th? ???nt s??t is ??s??v?? ??? th? s ???ic?? whil? th? ?il?t ?cc??i?s th? ???? c?ck?it.

P?????m??ilit? Skills

Th? ??ilit? t? ?????t? ???m m??? c?m??ct ???w??? ??s?s in ti?ht ????t??s is ?? ??? th? ?i???st ??v?nt??? A??ch? ?il?ts h?v? ?v?? t???iti?n?l ?ix??-win? ?i?c???t. Th? AH-64’s ??t?? ?i?m?t?? ?? 48 ???t is th? minim?m ???? it n???s t? ??ncti?n, h?nc? ???in? c?m??t s??ti?s, ?il?ts ??????ntl? “hi??” ??l?w th? t???t?? l?v?l.

With ? 20,000-???t s??vic? c?ilin? ?n? 227 m?h l?v?l ?l?in? s????s, this ?m?zin? ?i?c???t isn’t limit?? t? l?w-l?v?l missi?ns. Th? A??ch? is ??il? ?n? c????l? ?? m?v?s ??tw??n +3.5? ?n? -0.5?, s? ?il?ts m?? t??st ?n it i? th?? ?in? th?ms?lv?s in ? ch?ll?n?in? sc?n??i?.

G?ns H?v? Th? M?st Fi????w??.

Wh?n missil?s ?n? ??ck?ts ??? ??sil? ?v?il??l?, m??ntin? ? l???? c?nn?n ?n??? th? A??ch?’s n?s? m?? s??m lik? ? ????n??nt ??vic?, ??t cl?s?-??n?? ?i?? s?????t is ?ss?nti?l ??? ??ttl??i?l? s?????ssi?n. Th? M230 ch?in ??n, ??v?l???? ?? H??h?s H?lic??t??s in th? ???l? 1970s, ?i??s 30mm ?x?l?siv?-ti???? ???n?s c????l? ?? ????chin? li?ht ??m?? v?hicl?s (?? t? 25mm) ?t ?ist?nc?s ?? 500 m?t??s. E?ch ???n? is ?n?in????? t? sh?tt?? ?n c?nt?ct ??? m?xim?m ??m???.

Th? cl?v?? ???t n?w: ? chin-m??nt?? M230 ch?in ??n is ??int?? in th? s?m? ?i??cti?n ?s th? c?mm?n?in? ???ic??’s ??z? vi? ? c?m?in?ti?n ?? s?ns??s l?c?t?? in th? c?ck?it ?n? h?lm?t ??si?n. This m?th?? ???sts ?n????m?nt s???? ?n? ?cc???c? whil? ?ls? ????in? ?? th? ??lic? ???ic??’s h?n?s ??? ?th?? t?k?s.

S??viv?l ?? Ai?c???t

H??h?s H?lic??t??s ??ilt th? AH-64 t? ?? st???? ?n? t???h ?n???h t? withst?n? ?n?m? ?i?? th?t w??l? t??ic?ll? c??s? ?i?c???t l?ss, ??s?it? its siz? ?n? ???????nc?. Bl?st shi?l?s ?n? c?m??sit? ????n-k?vl?? ??m?? ??n?ls ??? ?s?? t? ???t?ct c?itic?l ?i?c???t s?st?ms whil? ?ls? s?????tin? th? c??w.

Th? AH-64 w?s ??ilt t? ?n???? ???c?? l?n?in?s ??c??s? th? w??st-c?s? sit??ti?n c?n n?v?? ?? c?m?l?t?l? ?limin?t??. This is n?t ? ???z?n ???st ?? inv?ln????ilit?; ??th??, it is ?n ?????t t? ?cc??nt ??? ?ll ??ssi?iliti?s.

Missil?s ?n? ??ck?ts ??? th? m?in s???c?s ?? ?i????w??.

Th? A??ch?’s ?nti?? ????nsiv? ??s?n?l, with th? ?xc??ti?n ?? th? chin-m??nt?? ch?in c?nn?n, is c???i?? ?n tw? win?-m??nt?? ??l?ns th?t m?? ?? ???i???? with ? v??i?t? ?? int??ch?n????l? w????ns ?cc???in? ?n th? missi?n’s ??m?n?s. Ai?-t?-?i? missil? c????iliti?s h?s ??c?ntl? ???n ????? t? th? A??ch?, ?l??it th? l?w ?????tin? s????s s????st this is ?nl? ??? ????nsiv? ?s?.

With its ??tst?n?in? ?n-t????t h?v??in? c????ilit? ?n? ????t??l? ???l???, th? A??ch? is ??st s?it?? t? ????n? s?????t ??ti?s ?n? is ? ??w????l ??ttl??i?l? ??liv??? v?hicl?. M?st ?s??ll? s??n with tw? ??ck?t ???s ?n? tw? H?ll?i?? missil? ??cks.

F?t???, P??s?nt, ?n? th? P?st

Th? A??ch? will ?n????t??l? ?? ? ????l?? ???????nc? ?m?n? ?i?sh?w ????s, w?win? c??w?s with ??????tic ??m?nst??ti?n ???tin?s wh?n ?v???ll ?????cti?n ???ch?s 2400 ?i?c???t ?? th? ?n? ?? 2020, s???l?in? 18 ????i?n ?s??s.

Sinc? th? ???t?t???’s ?i?st ?li?ht ?lm?st 45 ????s ???, th? ??si?n h?s st??? th? t?st ?? tim?, ch?n?in? ?n? ????tin? t? s?it n?w ?????tin? ????i??m?nts. N?w ????i?n ?????t??s ??? c?nst?ntl? ??ttin? ?????s ??? n?w ?i?c???t t? this ???. H?w?v??, th? sit??ti?n m?? ?? m??? ?i?? cl?s?? t? h?m? ??c??s? ?? ?l?ns t? ???stic?ll? ????c? th? n?m??? ?? A??ch? h?lic??t??s in th? US milit??? ?? 2027.