Comparison of NATO and Russian attack helicopters. Comparison of NATO and Russian attack helicopters Let's start with mine action

Appearing over the battlefield for the first time during Korean War, helicopters have fundamentally changed military tactics. Today, rotorcraft confidently occupy their niche in the arsenal of modern armies and civil services, performing the tasks of transporting people and goods, fire support, take part in search and rescue operations and reconnaissance missions.
To earn the right to be called the best, cars must show everything they are capable of. In the most severe climatic conditions, loaded "to the eyeballs", under enemy fire and at the limit of their capabilities.

We bring to your attention the top ten helicopters in the world according to the Military Channel. As always, the selection criteria will be the technical excellence of designs, production volumes, the legendary and chief and impartial judge - experience in military conflicts.

All 10 helicopters presented in the review have their own notable features, they all went through the school of survival in hot spots and got funny slang names.

Like any Military Channel show, this rating is not without bias. Another controversial point - how can you compare transport and attack helicopters? According to the creators of the rating, there are few highly specialized designs, most helicopters are multi-purpose. For example, the transport Mi-8 can successfully support ground troops with fire, not to mention its assault modification Mi-8AMTSh Terminator.
All the necessary comments have been made, now I propose to get to know the technique better.

10th place - Cow

Mi-26 - heavy transport helicopter
First flight - 1977
310 built
Carrying capacity - 20 tons of cargo or 80 paratroopers

The rotary-wing heavyweight has become the largest helicopter in the world. Unique opportunities required special technical solutions. Eight-bladed main rotor, multi-threaded power transmission, three video cameras for monitoring the condition of the load on the external sling - these are just some of the features of this machine.
A serious test for the Mi-26 was the work to eliminate the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Overloaded with lead radiation shielding, Mi-26s were engaged in complex assembly operations on the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In order not to raise clouds of radioactive dust, it was necessary to work with an elongated external suspension, which required remarkable courage and skill from the crews. All Mi-26s that took part in this operation were buried in the Exclusion Zone.

9th place - Links (Lynx)

Westland Lynx - British multi-purpose helicopter

First flight - 1971
400 built
Combat load - 750 kg, including 10 troops and outboard weapons: 4 anti-ship missiles in the marine version or 20 mm guns, 70 mm Hydra rockets and up to 8 TOW anti-tank missiles in the land version.

The appearance of the "Lynx" is not impressive: there is no aggressiveness of the American "Apache" or Mi-24 in it. But despite its typically civilian appearance, the combat "Lynx" is one of the most common ship-based helicopters in the world. The Lynx took part in the Falklands War, a cycle of naval battles that became the largest naval conflict since the Second World War. The combat debut was successful - the "Lynx" of the Royal Navy sank an Argentine patrol ship with the help of anti-ship missiles "Sea Scua". Over its forty-year history, the Lynxes made their mark in the war zone in the Balkans, where they ensured the blockade of the coast of Yugoslavia and in Iraq in the winter of 1991, destroying the T-43 minesweeper, 4 border boats, a landing ship and a missile boat.
But what makes the Westland Lynx truly unique? Incredibly, this unsightly machine holds the world speed record among serial helicopters - in 1986, the Lynx accelerated to 400 km / h.

8th place - Flying car

Boeing CH-47 "Chinook" - heavy military transport helicopter of the longitudinal scheme
First flight - 1961
1179 built
Carrying capacity: 12 tons of cargo or up to 55 people

An important feature of the modern army is its mobility. If in global scale the transfer of troops is provided by transport aviation, then directly on the battlefield this is the task of helicopters.
This problem was especially acute for the American army in Vietnam - mountainous terrain, sudden changes in weather, lack of maps and roads, an omnipresent and numerous enemy - all this required a special air means. This is where the Chinook heavy transport helicopter came in handy, built according to an unusual longitudinal scheme with two rotors. During his long service, many funny stories have accumulated. For example, one of the loading options sounded like this: you can stuff 33 Americans or ... 55 Vietnamese into a Chinook. Once, during the evacuation of Vietnamese refugees, a record was registered: 147 people were taken on board.

"Flying wagons" tried to stay away from the battlefield, specializing in the transfer of cargo from ships to supply bases. Although more exotic applications are known: as bombers, smoke curtains, tear gas sprayers, artillery "tractors". They looked especially impressive in raids on evacuation of damaged aircraft: in the first year of hostilities, the Chinooks took out 100 planes and helicopters that made an emergency landing.In total, during the Vietnam War, they evacuated a thousand devices total cost 3 billion dollars!
The helicopter is still in service, taking part in operations around the world.

7th place - Cobra

Bell AH-1 “Cobra” – attack helicopter
First flight - 1965
1116 Cobras and 1271 Super Cobras built
Built-in weapons: a remote-controlled installation with two six-barreled Miniguns + 4 suspension points, on which containers with machine guns, air-to-air missiles, 70 mm NURSs, anti-tank guided missiles TOW can be placed.

Scary helicopter. As if Death itself descended from heaven in the guise of a narrow, sinister silhouette of the Cobra. The nose machine gun turret continued to fire even if the helicopter was flying in the other direction. Bloody Vietnam, the Middle East, where the Cobras unexpectedly turned into tank hunters, the meat grinder in Waziristan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq - this is an incomplete track record of the Cobra ...

The AH-1 was the world's first purpose-built attack helicopter. The pilots' cockpits and side projections are protected by NORAC composite armor. "Cobra" received a powerful sighting system that allows you to work on targets in any weather conditions.
To date, the upgraded "Cobra" is in service with the US Marine Corps. The light compact helicopter has excellent characteristics for being deployed on amphibious assault ships and aircraft carriers.

6th place - Crocodile

Mi-24 - transport and combat helicopter
NATO code name - Hind ("Doe")
First flight - 1969
Over 2000 units built
Built-in armament: four-barreled machine gun of 12.7 mm caliber on a mobile mount; suspended weapons: free-fall bombs, NURSs with a caliber from 57 to 240 mm, the Falanga anti-tank missile system, suspended cannon containers, as well as up to 8 people in the troop compartment.

American experts issued a stunning verdict: the Mi-24 is not a helicopter! Like this. No more and no less.
The Mi-24 looks like a helicopter, it is used as a helicopter, but from a technical point of view, it is a hybrid of an airplane and a helicopter. Indeed, the Mi-24 cannot hover in one place or take off from a "patch" - it needs a runway (under normal load, the takeoff run is 100 ... 150 meters). What's the secret? Visually, the Mi-24 has disproportionately large pylons (in fact, these are decent-sized wings). US Air Force specialists, testing the Crocodile that fell into their hands, determined that it creates at least a quarter of the lift force with the help of wings, and, at high speeds, the value can reach 40%.
The Mi-24 piloting technique is also unusual - when the lift force decreases, the pilot lowers the nose slightly - the car accelerates and a lifting force. Like on a plane.

And you thought such wings for beauty?

What are the benefits of this outlandish hybrid? Firstly, the Mi-24 was created according to the concept of a "flying infantry fighting vehicle", which required non-standard technical solutions from the designers - heavy armor, an airborne compartment and a powerful weapon system did not fit in a standard helicopter design. Secondly, due to its "aircraft" qualities, the heavy "Crocodile" is one of the fastest combat helicopters in the world (maximum speed - 320 km / h).
"Crocodile" fought in the gorges of the Caucasus and the Pamir Mountains, in the hot Asian deserts and tropical forests of Equatorial Africa. But military glory came to him in Afghanistan. The unique rotary-wing attack aircraft became a symbol of that war.

According to the Iraqi government newspaper The Baghdad Observer, in 1982, during the Iran-Iraq War, an Mi-24 shot down an Iranian F-4 Phantom supersonic fighter. Unfortunately, the exact details of that battle remain unclear. But it is known for certain that Hussein's pilots on the Mi-24 shot down two dozen Iranian helicopters. On this occasion - black humor from the creators of the rating: "Never smile at the crocodile!" (Never mess with a crocodile).
But the best thing about the "Crocodile" was said by an Afghan Mujahideen in an interview with an American news channel: We are not afraid of the Russians, but we are afraid of their helicopters.

5th place - Stallion

Sikorsky CH-53E “Super Stallion” - heavy transport helicopter
First flight - 1974
Built - 115 units
Carrying capacity - 13 tons of payload in the cargo compartment or up to 14.5 tons on an external sling; or 55 paratroopers

The giant flying boat CH-53E is a deep modernization of the famous helicopter CH-53 "Sea Stalyen", created in 1964 specifically for the needs of the Navy, Marine Corps and US Coast Guard. Specialists of the Sikorsky company mounted a third engine and a seven-blade main rotor on the original design, for which the sailors called the modernized helicopter "Hurricane Maker" (literally - "hurricane maker"), such a powerful whirlwind of water spray and elastic air jets is created by the power plant CH- 53E.

Night operation, Iraq

What else is famous for "Stallion" (namely, this is how Stallion is translated)? On this huge machine, the "dead loop" was demonstrated!
The maritime career of the CH-53 and CH-53E was not limited to standard transport missions. Rotary-wing flying boats were used as minesweepers (modification MH-53) and took part in search and rescue operations (modification HH-53). The in-flight refueling system installed on the helicopter allows you to stay in the air day and night.
"Stallion" took root on land - the military liked the powerful transport helicopter. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the CH-53 and CH-53E were used as Gunships, supporting ground forces with fire. In total, the CH-53 family includes 522 helicopters built.

4th place - Huey (Iroquois)

Bell UH-1 - multi-purpose military helicopter
First flight - 1956
Built - more than 16,000 units
Carrying capacity: 1.5 tons or 12-14 soldiers.

This private "air cavalry", along with napalm, became a symbol of the Vietnam War. Veterans remember that the Hueys became their home - helicopters delivered them to the position, brought them equipment, supplied them with provisions and ammunition, covered them from the air, and evacuated them from the battlefield in case of injury. Despite huge losses (3000 vehicles did not return to base), combat use Huey is recognized as a success. According to dry statistics, over the 11 years of the war, helicopters made 36 million sorties, i.e. one irretrievable loss accounted for 18,000 sorties - a completely unique result! And this despite the fact that the Huey did not have a reservation at all.

Before the advent of specialized Cobras, Hueys had to perform strike operations - a pair of 12.7 mm machine guns and 48 unguided rockets on a suspension turned the UH-1 into an infernal machine. The fire of the tactical combat group "Eagle Flight" (Flight of Eagles - American tactics of using helicopters) from 10 ... 12 vehicles was equal to the fire of two infantry battalions.

The Huey is Hollywood's favorite helicopter. No action movie is complete without a UH-1 flight scene. As expected, the heroes are sitting in a cockpit open on both sides, carelessly dangling their legs overboard.
Huey holds another record - so many of them were produced that by the end of the 60s, the American troops in Indochina had more helicopters than all the other armies in the world combined. Military and civilian versions of the Huey were delivered to 70 countries around the world (almost like a Kalashnikov assault rifle).

3rd place - Mi-8

Multipurpose helicopter
First flight - 1961
Built - more than 17,000 units
Load capacity: 3 tons or 24 people
Combat load of shock modifications: 2-3 machine guns and up to 1.5 tons of weapons on 6 hardpoints, including 57 mm unguided rockets, free-fall bombs and the Falanga anti-tank complex.

Created 50 years ago, the helicopter turned out to be so successful that it still receives orders from all over the world. It has three dozen civil and military modifications. It is used as a transport and attack helicopter, used for reconnaissance, as a command post, minelayer, tanker and ambulance helicopter. Civilian versions serve passenger airlines, are used in agriculture and during the liquidation of the consequences of natural and man-made disasters.

Military modification of the Mi-8TV ("heavy weapons")

The helicopter is simple, reliable, operated in any conditions - from the hot Sahara to the Far North. Passed all military conflicts, including Afghanistan, Chechnya and the Middle East. And he won't be able to find a replacement anytime soon.

2nd place - Apache

Boeing AH-64 "Apache" - attack helicopter
First flight - 1975
Built - 1174 units
Built-in weapons - 30 mm automatic cannon. Suspended weapons - 16 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, 76 NURS 70 mm caliber or Stinger missile systems for air combat.

"Apache" is a cult machine that has become the prototype of a whole class of modern combat helicopters. He gained fame during Desert Storm, where, according to NATO representatives, he successfully fought tanks. Regularly used by the Israel Defense Forces Air Force.
Only one helicopter - the Russian Mi-28N "Night Hunter" - was able to openly challenge Apache during the Indian tender for the supply of combat helicopters in the fall of 2011. But the old warrior turned out to be smarter and more agile than the young recruit - the electronics “finished” during numerous conflicts allowed the modern modification of the AH-64D “Apache Longbow” to operate more efficiently in the dark. However, Indian experts noted that the Apache design had exhausted its reserves for modernization, and its flight performance characteristics (static and dynamic ceiling) were inferior Russian helicopter, just starting his battle path.

More recently, in 2002, the Mi-35 (an export version of the Mi-24 with modern avionics) of the DPRK Air Force was "banged" from an ambush by a South Korean Apache. South Korea acknowledged the loss and demanded that the United States conduct a free (!) Modernization of the entire fleet of its Apaches to the Longbow version. They are still judging.

1st place - Black Hawk

Sikorsky UH-60 "Black Hawk" - multi-purpose helicopter
First flight - 1974
Built - 3000 units
Load capacity: 1500 kg of goods and various equipment inside cargo cabin or up to 4 tons on an external sling. The landing version takes on board 14 fighters.
Combat load of shock vehicles: 2 machine guns, 4 suspension points. The standard weapon system is NURSs, anti-tank Hellfires, containers with 30 mm guns. Naval versions are armed with 324 mm torpedoes and AGM-119 “Penguin” anti-ship missiles.

Without any exaggeration, the Black Hawk is a helicopter of the 21st century, despite the fact that it was created 40 years ago. The multi-purpose army helicopter was intended to replace the Iroquois, while its naval version, the Sea Hawk, was being developed in parallel. The result was a universal platform for all branches of the military, and in terms of the totality of characteristics - the best helicopter in the world.
In addition to the basic land version of the UH-60, there are 2 anti-submarine versions SH-60B “Sea Hawk” and SH-60F “Ocean Hawk” (equipped with a magnetometer and a descending sonar station), the HH-60 “Rescue Hawk” helicopter for combat search and rescue and special operations, as well as a line of MH-60 "Knighthawk" models, including carrier-based helicopters, fire support helicopters, special operations vehicles, ambulance versions, jammers, etc. Sometimes they are used as staff helicopters for high-ranking officials and generals. Actively exported.

good appliances

The Black Hawk is saturated to the limit with high-tech equipment, which places high demands on the maintenance personnel and does not allow it to be stored outside the hangar for a long time.
The military plans to make the MH-60 a single type of helicopter for all branches of the military and fleet, which should radically reduce costs and simplify maintenance. With his appearance, he replaced the army "Iroquois" and the sea "Seasprite". Now the Black Hawk is successfully duplicating the tasks of transport helicopters and fire support helicopters, replacing the MH-53 sea minesweepers and SH-3 “Sea King” heavy helicopters.

Conclusion

There are exactly 10 places in the top ten. But why didn’t the iconic Ka-50 Black Shark helicopter make it into the rating? Do American experts not even suspect the existence of this machine. Despite the wonderful flight characteristics and unsurpassed maneuverability, only 15 Sharks were produced, the Ka-50 never went beyond the experimental machine. The American AH-56 Cheyenne, an infernal rotorcraft, did not make it into the rating, compared to which all existing Cobras and Apaches are ugly ducklings. On tests, the car showed a speed of more than 400 km / h! Alas, only 10 Cheyennes were produced and the helicopter never hit the troops.
It remains only to summarize - the advanced design and excellent flight performance characteristics do not make the car the best yet. Much more important is its mass appearance in the troops (which allows you to quickly test the car in all modes and cure "childhood diseases" that any design suffers from) and the correct tactics of use.

Deck (ship) aviation is not only airplanes. Launch of anti-ship missiles "Sea Venom" from a helicopter SH-60

Despite the fact that surface ships with guided missile weapons have powerful air defense systems, aviation in war at sea continues and will continue to maintain its importance as a reconnaissance and strike weapon. The presence of carrier-based (ship) aviation significantly increases the enemy detection range, and the search capabilities of a ship or group of ships, and the range at which a ship formation can attack a detected target, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

However, carrier-based aviation, firstly, requires aircraft carrier ships, and, secondly, it costs a lot of money. And it is not known what is more expensive - planes are fighting, pilots are dying and retiring, and maintaining carrier-based aviation "in good shape" requires really large funds, even without regard to the cost of aircraft carriers.

Fleets that are limited in funding or limited by the capabilities of the shipbuilding industry and unable to build a full-fledged aircraft carrier ship (or at least a universal landing ship with the ability to base aircraft) have no opportunity to have their own carrier-based aviation or it is limited.

Alas, but this applies to Russia in full measure. Our naval aviation is going through frankly bad times - the only aircraft carrier under repair, the deadlines for which are very vague, the intensity of combat training leaves much to be desired, the pace of fleet renewal is insufficient. As a class, there are no shipborne AWACS aircraft, shipborne transport and anti-submarine aircraft.

And, most importantly, there are almost no ships for this.

In general, such a heap of problems is simply physically impossible to solve quickly even if the necessary money is available, which is not there and will not be in the foreseeable future. And this means that it is necessary either to abandon naval aviation altogether or to look for some way out that will allow "closing" this direction at a low cost, to look for some kind of "asymmetric" solution.

At present, there is a technical possibility to partly compensate for the lack of full-fledged naval aviation in Russia by the widespread use of special naval combat helicopters that could perform their tasks based on surface ships that are part of the naval strike groups.

Can helicopters aboard URO ships and landing ships available to the Russian Navy take on some of the tasks that, in theory, should be solved in a comprehensive manner by the forces of aviation based on full-fledged aircraft carrier ships - both shipborne aircraft and helicopters?

Answer: yes, they can. And this is confirmed not only by various theoretical studies and teachings, but also by relatively “fresh” combat experience by historical standards. It makes sense to analyze this experience and, through its “prism”, assess what capabilities the Russian Navy has, or rather may have, if a decision is made on the widespread use of helicopters different types in the course of naval operations (and not only about episodic flights of anti-submarine Ka-27s from BODs, corvettes and cruisers). First, some theory and technical details.

Rotary fighters and their capabilities

The combat instructions of the US Navy OPNAV (Operation Planning, Naval - the American analogue of our Naval General Staff) oblige the Navy helicopter aviation to be able to perform more than two hundred types of combat missions, which can be summarized in the following groups:

1. Air operations to combat naval mines (see article).
2. Attacks on surface targets.
3. Anti-submarine warfare.
4. transport tasks.
5. Search and rescue operations.
6. Performing combat missions during special operations (Direct action - direct action. For example, the evacuation of a special forces group under fire).
7. Evacuation and transportation of the wounded and sick (including during "Operations other than war", for example, during natural disasters).
8. Evacuation of personnel from dangerous areas (without search).
9. Exploration over the surface of the sea.
10. Attacks on ground targets.

As you can see, this does not include the conduct of landing operations, which in the US Navy are carried out by helicopters of the Marine Corps.

In general, it is worth agreeing with the Americans that it is precisely such a “gentleman's set” that the naval helicopter aviation of the Navy should be able to carry out, if its development is brought to the maximum combat capabilities. Let's consider how this is done technically and immediately discuss what restrictions the Navy will face when trying to acquire the same capabilities.

Let's start with anti-mine operations.

In the US Navy, there are two helicopters focused on combating sea mines. The first is the MH-53E, mainly used as a helicopter minesweep towing vehicle, and the second is the MH-60S equipped with anti-mine means, which is part of the anti-mine “module” for LCS ships. The latter carries on board disposable NPA-destroyers of mines, dropped into the sea directly from the air and controlled from the helicopter itself. As a means of detecting mines, a laser system should be used, capable of "viewing" the water column in search of mines at the bottom.

Alas for the Americans, but so far the system has not reached combat readiness. The MH-60S can be based on absolutely any warship, and the MH-53E can only be based on the UDC, DVKD or aircraft carriers in general, however, the latter is not quite typical for a mine action helicopter. Someone may notice that we can generally get by with basic helicopters, but this is not so.

In addition to war, the Navy must be ready to carry out humanitarian operations in any part of the planet, including demining. Thus, shipborne helicopters are definitely needed.

What restrictions do we have?

Firstly, the only serial platform on the basis of which it is possible to quickly create a ship-based trawl towing vehicle is the Ka-27PS. In the future, perhaps, "Lamprey" will take its place, but for now this more project than a real helicopter.

Secondly, the only ships on which you can base anti-mine aircraft without claims from other personnel in terms of habitability are the project 11711 large landing ships, which have a hangar and sufficient internal volumes to accommodate crews and various equipment. There are two such ships in the Navy. Two more completely different ships, but with the same project number, were laid down on April 22, 2019. While they are shrouded in a "fog of the unknown."

It is known that the project has not been completed, there is no clarity on which power plant will be used on ships, and in general, this bookmark was a sham. The joy was somewhat premature. Alas, these are the facts that have already become known today. Therefore, while these ships should not be taken into account. Let them start building them at least first.

However, it is important for Russia to have anti-mine forces independent of any operations away from the coast. So, in any case, we need to make trawl towing helicopters, and make them much more than can be placed on ships.

Thus, the combat use of helicopters as part of the anti-mine forces based on surface ships will simply need to be worked out on the actually available BDKs. They have already been built, and helicopters should be built anyway.

With strikes against surface targets, everything is somewhat more complicated.

On the one hand, Russia has a very good specialized attack helicopter Ka-52K Katran. Without exaggeration, this is a unique machine, moreover, its potential is not fully disclosed. So in order for these helicopters to be used in a war at sea against a more or less serious enemy, they need to replace the radar.

There is a project for integrating radar based on the H010 Zhuk-AE into this helicopter, he generally thought about it, and these developments will need to be implemented, otherwise the role of the Ka-52K as a strike machine will be seriously limited. If the modernization of the helicopter is completed, then it will become a truly deadly "player" in naval warfare. Especially considering the possible use of Kh-35 missiles from this helicopter. However, the use of combat attack helicopters in naval battles will be considered separately.

Ka-52K "Katran" with X-35 anti-ship missiles. They didn’t guess, though with a radar.

However, there is a problem along the way.

Since we have almost no aircraft carriers, then base in a military campaign combat helicopters will have to be on surface ships with guided missile weapons (URO). Moreover, taking into account the fact that it will not always be possible to use the large landing craft together with the missile defense ships (if there is no need for operations against the coast or mine clearance, it is undesirable to include the large landing ship in the operational formation - it cannot break away from the enemy along with the missile defense ships due to low speed and worse seaworthiness). And each place in the hangar occupied by a specialized attack helicopter will mean that there will be one less anti-submarine helicopter in the formation - and in fact it is submarines that are considered today in most countries as the main means of combating surface ships.

Is this acceptable?

It is not for nothing that in the US Navy (in the presence of a variety of attack helicopters) practically only SN / MH-60 of various modifications are based on URO ships. When the Americans needed a means to attack small-sized weakly protected targets from the air, such as motorboats with terrorists, it was these helicopters that the Hellfire ATGM “stood up”. When the US Navy needed the ability to deliver air strikes against armed surface ships from these helicopters, it was on these helicopters that the AGM-114 Penguin anti-ship missiles were installed. Why is that?

"Sea Hawk" with ATGM "Hellfire". Pay attention to the optical-electronic turret.

RCC “Penguin” retriever

Starting the engine anti-ship missile "Penguin"

Because there is no one to count on at sea, and a universal helicopter is more useful than a specialized strike helicopter. So, the same anti-submarine Ka-27 can, if necessary, transport people, a lying wounded, spare part from ship to ship. At the same time, there is no urgent need for armor, a cannon and ejection seats for a “purely” naval helicopter.

Ka-52K, with all its potential, will not be able to perform transport tasks and will not be able to perform the tasks of the PLO. Whereas the Ka-27 variant, armed with missiles and having the appropriate on-board radio-electronic equipment, can do everything. And this is not an exaggeration.

Ka-27 was used to test anti-ship missiles Kh-35. This helicopter is systematically involved in solving transport and even amphibious tasks during naval exercises. It’s not worth talking about anti-submarine tasks - this is its direct purpose, although, let’s be honest, its GAS in modern conditions not good even for the modernized version. The helicopter needs to be redone, but the trick is that the domestic aviation industry is quite capable of doing this. There are all the technologies and developments, the problem is of an administrative nature that is usual for the Navy.

Test launch of the X-35 anti-ship missiles from the Ka-27 helicopter. Alas, but for some reason these works did not receive development.

Model sample of the Kh-35 suspension for the Ka-27 helicopter

This does not mean that the Ka-52K is not applicable in operations in the far sea zone, it means that most often there will be no place for it. But, firstly, sometimes it will still happen, and secondly, there are still joint operations with the near sea zone, and in the coastal zone, where the rotation of helicopters on ships, on the same corvettes, can generally be carried out. There is a submarine threat - on board the Ka-27, there is no submarine threat, we are changing it to the Ka-52K, which is used to strike enemy ships and along the coast. Then we change again.

One way or another, but in order to gain full-fledged capabilities for the destruction of surface targets, it is necessary to modernize the Ka-52K, and create a new modification of the Ka-27 capable of carrying both anti-submarine weapons, sonar, submarine search buoys, and guided missiles of various types, especially anti-ship, and , perhaps, anti-radar, airborne machine guns in the door, and even better - in the doors facing both sides.

For transport and rescue tasks, you need a winch to lift loads and the ability to place a stretcher, you need a thermal imager that can detect a person on the surface of the water and a television viewing system that works in low light levels. Modern electronics makes it possible to “pack” all this into a 12-ton helicopter. It might be worth installing a spotlight.

In an interesting way, the same thermal imager, winch, pylons for rocket weapons and machine guns are needed to use a helicopter in the interests of special forces. Of course, IR interference systems will also be needed to protect against heat-seeking missiles and radio interference systems, but this is a priori necessary on any military helicopter, moreover, all this is already used in the Aerospace Forces, mastered by industry, produced and does not weigh much.

The Vitebsk defense system, for example, performed very well in Syria. During the battles for Palmyra, the Anna-News reports contained footage of militants firing missiles from MANPADS at our helicopters, but they simply flew by without capturing the helicopter equipped with a defense system. There is no problem equipping the Ka-27 helicopter with the same.

Of the other tasks, only reconnaissance and strikes on the ground are worth a separate mention.

Reconnaissance tasks over the sea are not solved without an airborne radar. Moreover, for a ship strike group as a means of reconnaissance, it is not the Ka-27 that is “more interesting”, even if equipped with a modern radar (presumably the same as the hypothetical modernized Ka-52K), but the Ka-31 AWACS helicopter or some its further development.

It is the AWACS helicopter that may not be enough for a shipborne strike group to, for example, detect in advance the work of enemy air reconnaissance or an enemy helicopter at low altitude, preparing to launch anti-ship missiles at ships from a safe distance, and most importantly, it is much easier to repel an air attack with it. Although it unmasks the connection, it is often impossible to do without such a tool.

AWACS helicopter Ka-35. Created, tested in Syria, adopted, but ...

Having AWACS helicopters aboard our surface ships is nothing new. In 1971, the Ka-25Ts helicopter entered service with the aviation of the USSR Navy, capable of detecting a large surface ship at a distance of up to 250 km from the helicopter due to the combination of flight altitude and powerful radar. And these helicopters were based both on Soviet cruisers and on the BOD, providing the naval strike or search-strike groups of the Navy with the opportunity to "look beyond the horizon", and very far even by today's standards. Ka-25Ts provided not only reconnaissance, but also aimed launches of heavy anti-ship missiles of the Soviet fleet over long distances.

Ka-25Ts

At present, the Ka-35 helicopter tested in Syria is ready for serial production in Russia. Its combat capabilities are incommensurably higher than those of the old Ka-25Ts or even the Ka-31 used from the Admiral Kuznetsov. Such a helicopter is indispensable for any shipborne strike group that goes to “work” in a distant sea or ocean zone. And not in a single quantity.

With strikes on ground targets, everything is also not easy. For them, the Ka-52K suits much better than the unarmored and flimsy Ka-27, or any of its modifications, for example, the old Ka-29, which is still preserved in the Navy.

But, as already mentioned, this helicopter is too specialized and it will not always be possible to sacrifice space in the hangar, which could be occupied by the modernized Ka-27, capable of performing ASW tasks and striking surface targets, transporting people and cargo, rescuing those in distress and to land special forces in secluded corners of enemy territory. In principle, it is possible to use the Ka-27 for strikes along the coast. But for this, it will also have to be equipped with the Hermes long-range ATGM and ensure interaction with UAVs, for example, the Orlan type, the combat use of which the Navy has also worked out.

Otherwise, helicopter strikes against coastal targets should be abandoned, and naval artillery should be used for this, and cruise missiles, if possible. Although, if landing ships capable of carrying helicopters participate in the operation, then it will be quite possible to use them as well. Then search and rescue missions will be assigned to the Ka-27, which are based on other surface ships, and strike missions will be assigned to the Ka-52K from landing ships.

At present, without taking into account the possible participation in the operations of Admiral Kuznetsov, the Navy can ensure the combat use of four such helicopters from landing ships of the Ivan Gren type, of which two can take off simultaneously. Everyone else will have to fly from combat or patrol ships.

It is of interest to give the combat group from the BDK also . Not being useful in anything, these ships, however, can provide basing for helicopters and Horizon UAVs. True, there are no conditions for storing aviation weapons in significant quantities on board, therefore, in order to suspend weapons, they will have to fly to some other ship, which, of course, is terribly inconvenient, and to some extent shameful, but we have other ships in there is not enough, so...

It is a completely different matter when you need to attack targets on the coast near your territory. Then, the combat ships of the Navy operating near the coast will in fact be for the Ka-52K helicopters a kind of analogue of reserve airfields or jump airfields. To work out this kind of action, everything is already there.

Let's summarize

In order for shipborne helicopters to take over part of the tasks of shipborne aviation based on an aircraft carrier when this aircraft carrier is not present, the Navy needs:

1. Modernize the Ka-52K, bringing its performance characteristics to the originally desired ones (full-fledged radar).

2. Create new version Ka-27 helicopter, similar in its capabilities to the American Sea Hawks - PLO, strikes against surface and coastal targets using anti-tank systems, strikes against surface targets using anti-ship missiles, transport and search and rescue tasks, delivery of Special Forces groups to the coast and back. Such helicopters should be equipped with modern defensive systems and sighting and search systems.

3. Create a modification of the trawl helicopter based on the Ka-27 and a trawl for it.

4. Produce enough AWACS helicopters.

5. Work out the main possible scenarios for the combat use of shipborne helicopters in a naval war and fix this development in the charters.

All these tasks do not look unsolvable.

The carriers of helicopters for various purposes in operations in the DMZ will be URO ships, amphibious assault ships and patrol (if they are) ships.

In general, the Black Sea Fleet is now capable of deploying 4 helicopters on full-fledged URO ships in the far sea and ocean zones (one on the Moskva cruiser and one each on three Project 11356 frigates). A couple more helicopters can be carried by inferior and non-combat patrol ships of project 22160, and in a few years there will be six of them. Unfortunately, due to problems with speed, the "patrolmen" cannot operate in conjunction with full-fledged warships, but, nevertheless, we will fix an early opportunity for the Black Sea Fleet to deploy ten helicopters in the DMZ.

There are also five helicopter carriers in the Baltic Fleet - TFR Yaroslav the Wise and. The destroyer Persistent, which will soon be out of repair, can only be considered a helicopter carrier, although in an emergency you can deploy a helicopter on it, if you have temporary shelter.

After the Neustrashimy TFR is out of repair, another carrier will be added, and approximately by the end of 2022 two more corvettes, in total there will be eight warships capable of carrying helicopters and ensuring their combat use, and one ship that is limitedly suitable for this. Provided, of course, that one of the listed ships will not be on the next long-term repair.

From the very beginning, attack helicopters were created to support various types of ground forces, as well as to provide superiority over the enemy on the battlefield.

From the very beginning, attack helicopters were created to support various types of ground forces, as well as to provide superiority over the enemy on the battlefield. Using its impressive arsenal and advanced radar systems, the helicopter carries out orders of any level of complexity in the minimum time allotted to it. Whether it is the destruction of manpower and armored vehicles of the enemy, or the coordination of the combat units of an ally - for a modern attack helicopter There are practically no unachievable tasks.

Given the fact that relations between Russia and the NATO bloc are by no means warm, a military scenario here will be, although undesirable, but, you see, appropriate. That is why I would like to compare the combat potential of military equipment, and in our case, the combat potential of attack helicopters on both sides.

EC 665 Tiger/ Eurocopter Tiger (NATO)

Let's start with the fact that the constructor great attention here they paid survivability. Thanks to materials such as carbon fiber, fiberglass and Kevlar, the Tiger has good composite armor. The helicopter can withstand hits of 23-millimeter shells without any problems. The cabin is double, tandem: the pilot sits in front, behind him is the operator. And the transmission gearbox is able to work for 30 minutes without lubrication. The combined threat alert system is sensitive to both radar radiation and laser beams. Well, of course. The helicopter uses stealth technology to improve its noiselessness.

Although "Tiger" is produced to this day, it still remains a small-scale helicopter. Its problem is that the developers could not find a middle ground between survivability and high technology.

Maximum takeoff weight - 6000 kg

Maximum speed - 280 km/h

Static ceiling - 2000 m, dynamic ceiling - 3500 m

Range - 800 km

Mi-28N Night Hunter (Russia)

Having replaced the honored veteran of MI-24, the Night Hunter immediately proved that he is an excellent successor to the legendary Crocodile.

The Mi-28N is the only helicopter in the world that can carry out automatic flight with terrain avoidance at an extremely low altitude ("shaving flight") up to 5 meters. And thanks to the presence of the Arbalet radar station, the helicopter can attack the enemy from an ambush. As for weapons, the Night Hunter has a powerful tank cannon, Ataka supersonic missiles and NURs - that's probably all that is needed to surprise the enemy and win the battle.

Maximum takeoff weight - 12100 kg,

Maximum speed - 300 km/h

Static ceiling - 3700 m, dynamic ceiling -5700 m

Range - 450 km

AH-64D "Apache" (NATO)

Probably one of the most popular helicopters in the world. In the 70s, the leadership of the Pentagon needed not just a combat helicopter, but a promising machine capable of serving and performing operations of any complexity at any time of the day and in any weather.

The body of the helicopter is made of high-strength materials, but they are high-strength only on paper. Tandem seating arrangement, where the gunner pilot sits first, and a little higher for better view the pilot is located. The cockpit of the helicopter is "decorated" with Kevlar and polyacrylate in order to increase the survivability of the crew. But in fact, it made its way through a machine-gun burst from a Kalashnikov.

On 4 suspensions, you can install homing anti-tank missiles "Healfire", tape measures with NUR, air-to-air missiles "Stinger" and a 30-mm machine gun.

Maximum takeoff weight - 8006 kg,

Maximum speed - 276 km / h

Static ceiling - 3206 m, dynamic ceiling - 4465 m

Range - 480 km

KA-52 "Alligator" (Russia)

Maneuverable, all-weather, well-armored, high-tech, armed to the teeth and just plain good-looking. KA-52 is a truly successful continuation of the line of Kamov Design Bureau, where earlier, during the years of "perestroika", the forefather of the Alligator, the KA-50 Black Shark, was so undeservedly buried.

Thanks to the coaxial scheme, where two propellers rotate in opposite directions, the KA-52 can perform truly unique aerobatics, becoming inaccessible to enemy air defense or enemy helicopter guidance missiles.

Its body is made of high strength composite materials, which can easily withstand the queue, both small-caliber and large-caliber guns. If, however, the Alligator was nevertheless hit and the car crashed, then in such a case, the designers provided for a unique pilot ejection system.

Given the fact that underwing mounts can withstand a load of 2000kg, a wide range of weapons are opened up for KA-52 pilots, which they could install on a helicopter. Here we have a laser-guided Ataka ATGM, and air-to-air missiles, and a mobile 30-mm cannon, as well as a couple of roulettes with NUR.

Maximum takeoff weight - 10800 kg, armament weight - 3000 kg, of which on pylons - 2000 kg

Maximum speed - 315 km / h, dive speed - 390 km / h

Static ceiling - 4300 m, dynamic ceiling - 5700 m

Range - 545 km

Compared to Western counterparts, domestic vehicles are superior in maneuverability and combat performance. Yes, we are certainly inferior to NATO attack helicopters in terms of avionics and technological support. However, in all other "disciplines" our machines are firmly in the lead.

Ivanov Erema

American military helicopters are among the best helicopters in the world.

Since 1942, the US military has used thousands of helicopters for reconnaissance, transportation and combat support. Developed in the 1930s and used in military operations a decade later, the main difference between a helicopter and an airplane is the blades for vertical takeoff and landing, hovering, the ability to fly forward, backward, and side to side - in a word, providing more convenient movement in space .

Between the very first R-4 used during World War II and the futuristic S-97, we've rounded up 12 of the best US military helicopters that support the army from the sky.

UH-60 "Black Hawk" (Black Hawk)

The Army began delivering UH-60s to the troops in 1978. The task of Black Hawk is the transportation of troops and rear support. However, he also participated in medical evacuation, search and rescue, and armed escort missions. Over 2,000 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are in service with the US Army.

AH-64 "Apache" (Apache)

Apache for 2014 was the most common attack helicopter in the world. As of January 2015, the Apache fleet has accumulated more than 3.9 million flight hours since its initial delivery in 1984, according to information from its manufacturer Boeing. Apache has four main rotor blades and also four tail rotors. The AH-64's "baptism of fire" took place during the American invasion of Panama in December 1989.

Boeing CH-47 Chinook

The development of the Boeing Chinook began in 1956. The twin-rotor medium transport helicopter was delivered for first use in Vietnam in 1962. And although many perfect options have already appeared, it is still used in the army, and is not expected to be reduced, its service life until 2060 - possibly the first 100-year-old helicopter

The first flight of the H-34 was in 1954, and was acquired by the Army and Navy in 1955. According to the Pacific Aviation Museum, it is one of the most recognizable helicopters in military history. He had unusual shape, with the engine behind the cab. Also called "Choctaw", and mostly known for its multipurpose use in Vietnam. Unfortunately, its manufacturers have decided that future military helicopters require more space than the seahorse allows.

MH-6 "Little Bird"

Nicknamed the ‘Killer Egg’, its main task is to deliver special forces over rooftops or into narrow spaces. It was originally developed for reconnaissance, but it was also used for special operations and proved to be effective in combat.

Bell UH-1 "Iroquois"

More affectionately named 'Huey', one of the most famous and massive helicopters in helicopter history. Serially produced since 1960. The total number of helicopters of all modifications is more than 16,000 units. The current helicopter variant used by the US Marine Corps is the UH-1Y. It was first used in Vietnam to move infantry. The DEA continues to use Huey for anti-drug raids in Afghanistan.

S-61/SH-3 Sea King

Sea King was the first amphibious helicopter in military service. It was used by the Navy to locate, classify, track and destroy enemy submarines. It consists of a boat-like body-hull and a pontoon with floating bags that give S-61 the ability to land on water. Although it is no longer in production, it still serves the President of the United States.

Bell V-22 Osprey

The Osprey Bell-Boeing is a combat multi-role helicopter that uses tiltrotor technology combined with the best aircraft and helicopters in one helicopter. With this technology, the V-22 takes off and lands like a helicopter, but transforms into a turboprop in flight. The Air Force uses the CV-22 iteration for special operations. Overall, the Osprey has been deployed in transport and evacuation operations throughout Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Kuwait.

The CH-53, manufactured by Sikorsky, is both the largest and heaviest helicopter used by the military. It has been used for almost three decades, and has seven blades. rotor. The Marine Corps has been using them since 1980 for hard work, as they can carry 13,000 kg of cargo. The CH-53E is expected to be in service until 2025.

Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight

Vertol Aircraft produced the first Sea Knight for the Marine Corps and entered service in 1964. The helicopter began military service in Vietnam, where it transported troops and cargo from the Navy ships in the China Sea. It was a medium civilian and military transport helicopter used in Beirut, Operation Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan for attack, transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment. Dismissed in 2014 from the Navy and in 2015 from the Marine Corps.

Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior

Produced by Bell, Kiowa is used for reconnaissance and close fire support of ground troops. The equipment includes television and infrared devices, a laser rangefinder-target designator, a Doppler radar system and a night vision device mounted on the pilot's helmet. The Kiowa fleet logged 800,000 combat hours. It was to be replaced by the RAH-66 Comanche, which was revised in 2004. The OH-58D is expected to retire from service at the end of 2016.

Bell AH-1 "Cobra"

The world's first specially designed combat helicopter, as it was successfully used in the Vietnam War and other armed conflicts. The military has used it since 1967, deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. The Super Cobra variant is armed with both air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles and can also be equipped with Hydra rockets. All four helicopter squadrons of the Marine Corps, equipped with Super Cobras, took part in the operation against the army of Saddam Hussein.