Mention the so-called “tank Killer” helicopter gunship
Many people will think of the “Apache” helicopters in active service in the United States Army
It is not only the best aerial anti-tank weapon available
It’s been introduced to nearly 20 countries
And the main equipment of the Russian army today
Played an important role in the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield
Mi-28 “Havoc” gunship
Its shape is highly similar to that of the Apache
So much so that it was nicknamed “Apache Sky” in Western countries.
Today’s video will focus on the Apache
Have a good talk about these two helicopters
Vietnam War period
The US military has developed the AH-1 Cobra gunship
It has laid the basic appearance characteristic of modern attack helicopter
That’s the tandem cockpit
Narrow fuselage
Layout of two turboshaft engines
Fixed machine gun/gun mounted on the nose
Short wings on both sides of the fuselage carry rocket tanks and other weapons
But it was limited by the original design
The Cobra’s overall performance is limited
In 1972, the United States Department of Defense issued a formal tender
A new generation of heavy attack helicopters
In 1976, the Hughes YAH-64 was selected
In the development of the helicopter
The US Army has an urgent need for air anti-tank operations
The “Tao” anti-tank missile at the time
Has proven to be a powerful weapon
But it still uses a wired guidance mode
If it’s launched from a high-speed fighter or attack plane
You can’t strike with precision
The US military has therefore requested a new helicopter gunship
Must serve as an excellent anti-tank missile launch platform
Due to the use of the most advanced technology at the time
The first AH-64 Apache did not enter service until 1986
And because of the Hughes acquisition
And it became the Boeing product of today
But ten years have also allowed the Apache to be built
A very artistic aerial killer
Its length is 17.73 meters
The empty weight is about 5.2 tons
Maximum takeoff weight 10.5 tons
Two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines
It provides a lot of motivation
Giving it a maximum flight speed of 293 kilometers per hour
Using only the fuel carried in two bulletproof tanks
The radius of movement can reach 480 kilometers
After attaching two additional fuel tanks
The transition distance was an astonishing 1,900 km
The Apache’s first commendable feature is its powerful firepower
Can be said to be the basic foothold of its design
Its tandem stairway cockpit front weapons operator
Behind us is the driver.
Unlike the Cobra gunship
Both were wearing helmet sights
The eyes of the weapon operator
With the 30mm cannon under its feet
Achieve a true sense of “target where”
The 30 mm gun was a single-barrel design
But the rate of fire is 695 rounds per minute
The huge bomb bay can carry 1,200 shells
Although the shell penetrates only 70 millimeters
But helicopters can take advantage of their flexibility
Shoot behind the weak armored side of the enemy tank
Its actual anti-armor efficiency
Even higher than the large-caliber guns on tanks
Similar to Cobra
The Apache also has a short wing on each side of the fuselage
The short wing has six external mounting points
The wingtips can carry four Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missiles
During an engagement with an enemy helicopter gunship
It can act as an air-to-air missile
4 underwing points can be carried
Quadruple anti-tank missile launchers
19 rocket tanks or auxiliary tanks
The You.s. Army and Air Force are only equipped
70 mm Hydra rocket
But the rocket has multiple warheads
This allows the Apache to execute simultaneously
Anti-tank and support infantry combat missions
In recent years, the US military has equipped Hydra with a laser seeker
That turned it into a cheap air-to-surface missile
When the Apache project was established
In order to maximize the anti-tank effectiveness of the aircraft
The U.S. Army won
Developed by Rockwell Corporation
AGM-114 Helfa anti-tank missile
It’s the first in the world to get rid of wires
Laser/semi-active radar
Heavy anti-tank missiles used as guidance
Its maximum piercing depth is 1400 mm
Enough to knock out any known main battle tank
To play the “Helfa” anti-tank missile range advantage
The nose of the Apache was installed
The most advanced optical/low light/red sighting system at the time
Weapon operators can operate in inclement weather conditions
Enemy tanks spotted
And use “Helfa” missiles for precision strikes
Low flying US Army helicopters during the Vietnam War
He was often wounded by Vietnamese ground fire
So when Apache started the project
High requirements are also put forward for its protective performance
The fuselage should be able to withstand a direct hit from a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun
Key parts such as fuel tanks should even be able to withstand 23mm anti-aircraft gun fire
Main transmission in the case of oil leakage
It can run for 30 minutes
If one of the two engines is knocked out
The other one can keep it flying
It is very difficult to meet such demanding requirements
American engineers designed through a great deal of innovation
Including the use of the new Kevlar armor
Finally let “Apache” become both offensive and defensive flying tank
“Apache” after the service
Soon he joined the American invasion of Panama
And provide direct fire support to ground forces
The Gulf War began in 1991
The vast Iraqi desert
Making it an ideal hunting ground for the Apache
Before the war
Saddam decided that as long as he could withstand the air strikes of the multinational forces
You can do a lot of damage on the ground
Then came the Apache
Make the Iraqis realize they’re just lambs to the slaughter
The Apache fired a total of 5,000 rounds of Helfa missiles
And rewire the blade with the cannon and the RPG
Became the “terminator” of Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles.
The Iraqi army has a small number of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
It has long since been destroyed by air strikes by the coalition
The anti-aircraft machine gun posed little threat to the Apache
Only one Apache was shot down in the entire war
And two members are safe
The number of tanks and armored vehicles destroyed by it was as high as 3,700
Its anti-armor efficiency is far greater than that of the heavily bombarded fixed-wing aircraft
And more tanks and ground artillery
The Apache became famous in World War I
And triggered the “Wuzhi fever” worldwide.
Then in Afghanistan and Iraq
“Apache” has become the star equipment of the US army
Even when American troops were leaving Afghanistan in a shambles
All Apaches at Kabul airport are picking up wave traffic
To the surprise of the American army, the Apache was not long in service
The Soviet Army, its arch-enemy, was equipped
A new generation of heavy attack helicopter Mi-28
Its shape is surprisingly similar to the “Apache”
So much so that some people suspected that the Soviets had stolen Apache data
But this is a classic Cold War illusion
In 1976, the Soviet Ministry of Defense issued a tender for a new generation of helicopter gunships
The Miri Design Bureau refers to the Cobra, which has been widely used by the US army.
And publicly available Apache helicopter information
Combined with the technical capabilities of the Soviet Union at the time
In 1988, the Soviet Army launched a new generation of heavy attack helicopters
It has become the main weapon of Russian land aviation today
At that time, the two sides had similar levels of technology and battlefield requirements
The Mi 28 is highly similar to the Apache in many of its features
It’s not a strange thing from a technical point of view
The amazing thing is that Mi-28 is 17 meters long
It’s not that close to an Apache
But the empty weight is 7.5 tons
That’s about 50 percent heavier than the Apache
But consider the Soviet-style equipment has always been “stupid, black and rough” tradition
And the material gap between the two sides is not surprising
Two from the Klimov Design Bureau
The TV3-117 engine serves as its engine
The power output is also similar to that of the Apache T700
But it was impossible for Soviet designers to copy the Apache directly.
The Mi-28 has a longer nose
The cockpit has a smaller glass area
The overall feel is also more rugged
Put the two together
A discerning eye can see that at a glance
Which one is the beauty
Which one is a Soviet product
Although the two sides have never fought each other
But that doesn’t stop people from comparing the twin brothers
In terms of protection
The Mi-28 is an almost complete copy of the Apache design concept
But it has more empty weight
The armored protected areas are larger
Better damage resistance than Apache
Even the windshield will resist
Close range fire from large caliber machine guns
Let “Apache” feel inferior
And in terms of firepower
The Mi-28 is also under the nose
Armed with a 30 mm cannon
And interacted with the weapon operator’s helmet sight
However, the gun was modified from the main gun of the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle
The rate of fire against the ground is only 300 rounds per minute
And a measly 300 rounds to spare
Made the weapon operator afraid to open fire
The sustained combat capability is severely weaker than the Apache.
But the Mi-28 weighs 11.5 tons
The maximum takeoff weight brings additional benefits
The amount of short-wing ammo that no one has to this day
Its wingtip pylons are also designed for use
Carries manpads for self-defense
But for now it’s mainly carrying electronic warfare pods
4 underwing external mounting points
Each can carry eight rounds of Tornado anti-tank missiles
This gives it twice the firepower of the Apache on paper
Of course, it’s not really necessary
Let the Mi-28 fire that many missiles at once
So judging from the public images
The Mi-28 usually carries two batteries of 16 rounds of anti-tank missiles
Plus two 20-tube 80mm rocket tanks
Because of the Russian air force’s preference for rockets
The Mi-28 is naturally portable
Larger caliber rockets support ground operations
Even more so in 2015
After Russian troops entered the Syrian war
The Mi-28 carried the Air Force’s 500 kg bombs on several occasions
Hover over a target that has no air defense capability
Drop bombs for vertical precision attacks
The Russian army also attaches great importance to the advantages of its large bomb load
An air-to-surface missile with a range of 100 km is being developed for it
But it follows that the Mi-28’s firepower
Much more than Apache is debatable
First, because of the backwardness of Russian avionics technology
The Mi-28’s viewing system is a long way behind the Apache
The Apache has been upgraded several times since 1991
The Mi-28N has all-weather combat capability
He served in the Russian army until 2006
Even though the Russians stole the Apache
Millimeter wave radar is also installed on the top of the latest Mi-28 rotor
But the Apache integrated it into an anti-tank missile fire control system
So the Apache could hide behind a house or a hill
Just keep the millimeter wave radar above the horizon
It can guide the Longbow Helfa missile
Attack enemy armored targets in groups
In contrast, the Mi-28 lacks this function
After the pilot picked up the target on radar
It still needs to be maintained at a certain height
Weapon operator after “visual” target
In order to launch anti-tank missiles
What’s even more incredible
An early version of the Mi-28
The Tornado anti-tank missile is guided by radio command
Although the limitations imposed on the vehicle by the wire-guided missile are avoided
But it can be easily interfered with by the enemy
Even into the 21st century
The Mi-28 is equipped with a new laser-guided anti-tank missile
Its overall performance is still not
It is comparable to the Apache equipped with the Longbow Helfa
To date, Apache has 13 overseas users
Exporting the aircraft is not just profitable for Boeing
Different user requirements and use feedback
It also provides a basis for further improvement
Compare that with cash-strapped Russia
He has also taken the Mi-28 to international air shows on several occasions
But so far no one outside Iraq has asked
This happens
There is another important reason
The Mi-28 has terrible fuel economy
Although similar to the “Apache” in many features
The maximum flight speed is still stronger than the Apache
But in the case of using only the fuselage tank
The Mi-28 has a radius of only 200 kilometers
This is the mig-29 “Airport fence defender” all over again
So that it encountered many restrictions in practical applications
It’s not that the Mi-28’s designers aren’t good enough
But because of its accompanying
The TV3-117 turboshaft engine uses too much gas
According to public information at the same output power
The TV3-117 consumes about 67 percent more fuel than the T700
Plus, it’s not as streamlined as the Apache.
Not surprisingly, the voyage has shrunk so much
It can be seen that we only need to replace the Mi-28 with a more fuel-efficient “heart”.
Its performance can be close to that of the Apache
But with a new type of engine
Too few of the new generation Mi-28nm are in service
So from a comprehensive point of view
The Apache has been in service since
Or long-term in the field of military straight to maintain advantages
Especially after the cancellation of the Comanche project
The United States Air Force and Boeing
Passionate about improving the Apache
In the next 10 years
It remains the main air strike platform for the US military
Mi-28, on the other hand, has never had a decent record
Its fame was also crushed by the Apache
More bad news
The Russia-Ukraine conflict that began in early 2022
It didn’t turn the Mi-28 around
On the contrary, the news of being wounded and shot down by the Ukrainian army repeatedly came out
Even more desperate for the Russian pilots
Due to chronic military debt
Mi-28 infrared stealth performance is not as good as “Apache”
And it lacks the necessary electronic defense equipment
In the face of an army increasingly armed with Western anti-aircraft missiles
I’m barely able to maintain my current record
At present, the Russian army does not have the money to improve the Mi-28 requirements
And support the Ka-52 gunship
And so it goes
The gap between the Mi-28 and the Apache will only widen
This is probably the common sorrow of Russian equipment
As for how to evaluate the Mi-28 equipment
You are also welcome to comment in the comments section
Thank you for your company
We’ll see you next time
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