Bharat Rakshak

Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter has lost a tender on the delivery of 22 attack helicopters to the Indian military in strong competition with the American AH-64D Apache, an Indian Defense Ministry source said on Tuesday.

“We decided not to choose the Mi-28 for technical reasons. Our experts believe that the Mi-28N did not meet the requirements of the tender on 20 positions, while the Apache showed better performance,” the source said.

The future contract, worth at least $600 million, envisions an optional delivery of additional 22 helicopters.

AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire

* Target: All armored threats
* Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd)
* Guidance:
o Fire and forget Millimeter wave radar seeker coupled with Inertial guidance
o Homing capability in adverse weather and the presence of battlefield obscurants
* Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge high explosive anti-tank (HEAT)
* Length: 176 cm (69.2 in)
* Weight: 49 kg (108 lb)

Lockheed Martin's AGM-114R HELLFIRE II Missile Accomplishes Successful First Flight
UNITED STATES - 27 OCTOBER 2009

ORLANDO, FL | Lockheed Martin's [NYSE: LMT] new multi-functional AGM-114R HELLFIRE II missile scored a direct hit during its first proof-of-principle (POP) flight test recently at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The HELLFIRE II design, now entering the qualification phase, features a new multi-purpose warhead that enables a single missile to cover all of the target sets of the current laser-guided HELLFIRE II variants.

The POP 1 flight test featured a lock-on-before-launch engagement of a stationary target board at 3.2 miles (5.1 km). The team used a ground-based laser designator to illuminate the target. The inert missile, which was ground-launched, was equipped with an enhanced telemetry package. In addition to proving out the new components and software, the flight also verified backward compatibility with HELLFIRE II platforms that cannot provide targeting information to the missile.

"The multi-functional HELLFIRE II missile is one missile for many missions," said Ken Musculus, director of Air-to-Ground Missile Systems Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Its multi-functional warhead enables the AGM-114R to neutralize a broad set of targets previously covered by four different warhead models - everything from armor and air defense systems to patrol boats and enemy combatants in SUVs or caves. Warfighters won't have to decide ahead of time what they might encounter and load the appropriate combination of missiles; with the multi-functional HELLFIRE II, they can meet many contingencies with a single missile."

Prior to the first POP flight test, Lockheed Martin completed a battery of warhead tests, including 10 precursor warhead tests, four main warhead tests and five tests of tandem warheads within the HELLFIRE guidance section. The next two POP flight tests, scheduled for early next year, will feature live warheads.

"This new HELLFIRE II can be fired from both rotary-wing and unmanned platforms," Musculus said. "A new inertial measurement unit enables properly equipped platforms to launch missiles at targets behind them without first having to turn the aircraft around. Getting the missile on target that much quicker gives the enemy less time to react or escape."
Musculus said many of the new improvements are software-driven. "We've replaced a host of circuit boards, transistors and other hardware components with software," he added. "Turning hardware into software contributes to the modular design of the missile and offers an efficient path to future upgrades."

With more than 25,000 rounds produced for the U.S. and 14 international customers, HELLFIRE II has been successfully integrated with attack helicopters in the U.S. and many Allied fleets. It is also capable of surface launch from ground vehicles, tripods and small vessels. More than 10,000 HELLFIRE missiles have been successfully fired in combat.
Lockheed Martin performs all work on behalf of the HELLFIRE Systems, Limited Liability Company and will produce the missiles at its manufacturing facilities in Troy, AL, and Ocala, FL.

...Please spare me the concept of a heavy and light assault chopper... You cannot decide where you are going to use them...

44 of these would be good support up in the mountains. we cannot waste such valuable resources against the losers to the west.

OMG

what will philip and sanku say????

I'm sorry but this purchase makes no sense to me. Obviously the Apache is larger and carries more ordnance than the LCH. But the LCH has a higher service ceiling and is made in India and is a whole hell of a lot cheaper. What the hell are we going to do with 22 or even 44 helos? IA/IAF requirements are clearly much higher than that. What special role do these helos have that the LCH can't do. For these 22 choppers and weapons the bill is $ 1.4 billion. That's DRDO's budget for one year.

Inquiring minds would like to know.

Performance
Never exceed speed: 197 knots (227 mph, 365 km/h)
Maximum speed: 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h)
Cruise speed: 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h)
Range: 257 nmi (295 mi, 476 km) with Longbow radar mast
Combat radius: 260 nmi (300 mi, 480 km)
Ferry range: 1,024 nmi (1,180 mi, 1,900 km)
Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m) minimum loaded
Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s)
Disc loading: 9.80 lb/ft² (47.9 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg)

Performance
Never exceed speed: 330 km/h (178 knots, 207 mph)
Maximum speed: 275 km/h (148 knots, 171 mph)
Cruise speed: 260 km/h (140 knots, 161 mph)
Range: 700km (297 nm, 342 mi)
Service ceiling: 6500 m (21,300 ft)
Rate of climb: 12 m/s (2362 ft/min)
Disc loading: 39.59 kg/m² (8.23 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 327 W/kg (0.198 hp/lb)

Obviously these birds are needed very quickly for our strike formations to be in the truest terms - IBGs. Looks like there is some perception of an upcoming conflict. Even the peace loving MMS govt is ordering arms

^^^ ragdoll

hopefully delivery will be before time in this case too

Most of the kills were from a range where the choppers couldn't be heard.

The ‘next generation’ aircraft will have a stronger engine, improved avionics, a better computer networking capability, and increased manoeuvrability.

............................................................

The Block III Apache features a 701D engine, composite rotor blades, improved networking and communications avionics, and an improved drive system. When radar-equipped it is named the AH-64 Apache Longbow.

Those are 30mm shells from the M230 chain gun and in non-infrared view, the heat waves from the explosions don't look quite so dramatic and lethal though of course, they are

Most of the kills were from a range where the choppers couldn't be heard.

For the uninitiated, what is this range? Would this range be far enough for the enemy to not see?

.................

Instead, maintaining a high altitude allows pilots to avoid many of the urban combat threats. Staying above 500 feet enables pilots to avoid wires and power lines; above 1,500 feet, RPGs; and above 3,000 feet, small arms and light machine gun fire.

Fighting in an urban environment increases the need to carry out nighttime operations because insurgents often use nighttime maneuver for cover. Also, urban combat can involve operating in smokey environments caused by the enemy purposively setting fires to provide a smoke-filled veil or as a result of fires started in buildings from weapons.

As a result, the US military realized that helicopter pilots need the ability to see and target at a distance, through smoke and obscurants, and at night.

To provide these capabilities, the Army turned to Lockheed Martin to develop the Arrowhead sensor system. Arrowhead – also known as the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/ Pilot Night Vision System (M-TADS/PNVS) – is an electro-optical and fire control system that the Boeing-built AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots use for combat targeting of their Hellfire missiles and other weapons, as well as flying in day, night, or bad weather missions