Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

installation of millimeter-wave radar, night-meter-28N attack helicopters
US-made AH-64D Apache attack helicopters

Russia” independent military observers’ analysis of recently published articles, said the latest Russian m-28N helicopters were grossly exaggerated the performance of the aircraft are equipped with weapons and electronic systems have to be significantly behind the U.S. AH-64D “Longbow Apache.”

Russian Air Force Commander Alexander Zelin was announced last December, the Russian military have decided to begin volume equipped with “night-hunters,” said Mi-28N helicopters around the clock, and will continue to card -52 test. In other words, m-28N in the future will be the Russian Army Air Force’s main attack helicopter model. Obtained a high evaluation of the Ka-52 military will be used to equip the Army Special Forces. It is estimated that the Russian military equipment will be up in the last 4 years, 100 m-28N.

beginning with m-28N troops, much attention is again focused to the specific operational performance of the machine up, and a new helicopter’s performance depends largely on its avionics advanced degree. Meanwhile, the helicopter-borne radio equipment is the most important parts of weapons, they largely determine the weapon system’s combat effectiveness. Russian Air Force, Army Aviation Authority, Victor Ivanov, On the m-28N and Ka-52 equipped with an electronic device that the two computers on the helicopter and thermal imaging system is mainly imported from France and Sweden, ” Russia is carrying out similar research, we are trying to catch up with the Europeans. ”

in the Russian experts, the main rice-28N defects in its obsolete weapons systems and outdated electronic equipment.

m-28N is the former Soviet Union to deal with the U.S. AH-64 “Apache” and to begin developing, and its development process while undergoing a socialist and capitalist systems in two different countries, but little is on the same, that is in electronic products are behind the West. At the same time, the United States, “Apache” and improve the manufacturing process is used in computers, optoelectronics, microelectronics and communications, the latest achievements.

in any kind of weapon systems and equipment should be equipped with performance compared to similar competitors. Here, it will be rice-28N and the AH-64 to do a comparison.

m-28N’s main flaw

m-28N’s main purpose is to destroy ground and air targets and the enemy’s effective strength. Although it had previously been the on-board radio equipment to conduct an analysis, but this did not assess the performance of the radio equipment and the use of rice-28N combat the association. M-28N in assessing past performance, the attention focused on the machine using the “attack” semi-active anti-tank missiles and other armored vehicles against ground targets on the process. Using the “attack” when the missile hit the target, helicopter weapons control must target their instruction. Control instructions issued by the helicopter by radio transmission to the missile. This process is undoubtedly very dangerous: to guide the missile attack helicopter search and the time required for modern air defense system has been significantly more than the response time – the current portable air defense missile fired from the helicopter to the time required for only 4-10 seconds. For m-28N, in the 6 kilometers away from the target to attack is particularly dangerous: in this case, necessary to enhance its flight altitude to indicate targets for the anti-tank missiles. On price, each Mi-28N approximately 3-4 tanks, in the face of modern air defense systems abroad, it is hard to carry a second-generation anti-tank missiles “night hunter” will achieve a reasonable “price” .

In addition, m-28N is equipped with the “attack” anti-tank missiles to the West’s ability to destroy modern tanks are very low: if it is not from the front to add a reactive armor against the U.S. M1A2 main battle tanks, to achieve so that the latter opened fire on the loss of mobility or ability to effect, the probability of no more than 20%. The so-called “loss of mobility” refers to destroy the tank engine, track, and other critical components, or loss of the driver’s ability to act; and “loss of ability to open fire” is to destroy tanks, weapons systems and aimer. Be noted that, M1A2 front protective armor thickness of 850 mm, while the “attack” is only the thickness of armor-piercing missiles, 800 mm To destroy the M1A2, “attack” the implementation of the missile must hit from the side.

m-28N on the equipment, another important weapon for the “needle” type air to air missiles. Such weapons by the 1983 troops of the “needle” type of improvements made portable anti-aircraft missiles, its speed does not exceed 300 meters/second fighter to destroy the probability of 0.4-0.6. If the interference by infrared decoy the missile hit probability will drop to 0.2-0.3.

m-28N S-8 on the type of equipment, armor-piercing rockets of 400 mm thick, non-armored targets and light armored targets, damage good results. However, when the helicopter in the use of such weapons will be facing the danger of enemy air defenses shot down.

Earlier media reports had said the meter-28N cockpit armor plate being closely guarded, the battlefield has a high survival rate. But is this really true? In fact, any aircraft can not be very effective armor protection. Propeller was damaged in the case of light weapons, no armor protection measures are not used. In addition, 12.7-mm armor-piercing incendiary outside in 750 degree angle of incidence of 20 firing armor-piercing 20 mm thick. The helicopter pilot’s cockpit armor protection is sticky and bulletproof ceramic plate 10 mm thick aluminum. Such protective measures against 7.62 mm bullets only hit.

m-28N is not a major drawback of enemy air defense systems into the scope of previous attacks. Thus, the helicopter may not be in the future of Army combat operations to provide effective support.

AH-64D “Longbow” high survival rate of the secret

“Longbow” airborne radio electronic equipment and their equipment, “Hellfire” anti-tank missiles in the highly developed level of radio and electronic equipment developed on the out. Since its inception, “Hellfire” missiles have continued to accept the improvements, now has the second-generation semi-active laser-guided AGM-114A way of the development of third generation with active radar guidance system of the AGM-114L model.

AH-64D on-board radio system is one of the main strengths in helicopters fired anti-tank missiles rose to the height of the former, the degree of importance depending on the target can be targeted ahead of the location. The system can distinguish between the enemy’s armored vehicles and air defense systems to distinguish between established against the order, so as to enhance the survival rate of the helicopter on the battlefield. “Longbow” radar system’s main features include:

in airborne automatic weapons at a maximum range of mobile and non mobile targets detection; identify the target according to five levels of importance; track the target, If the target in the scope of the missile seeker head, they can also be relative to the coordinates of the helicopter sent to the missile; accurate target coordinates transmitted to other helicopters, attack aircraft or ground command center.

As for the “Longbow” is equipped with “Hellfire” missiles, the armor-piercing capacity of 10 mm, the probability of the destruction of the Russian-made tanks as high as 0.8-0.9, is a very effective anti-tank weapons.

AH-64D’s high survival rates in recent years, several local wars has been well verified: the Iraq war and the Kosovo War, the aircraft are able to suppress the enemy of good and efficient anti-aircraft fire to destroy armored targets.

Overall, AH-64D high survival rate mainly due to two things: First, the airborne radio system can minimize exposure to enemy anti-aircraft fire helicopter within the scope of the role of time; second , using high-precision anti-radiation missiles to suppress enemy air defense system implementation.

On-board weapons, we can not help but contrast m-28N and the AH-64D is equipped with the guns performance. M-28N 2A42-based equipment on the weight of cannon on the AH-64D M230 is twice the latter amount is the former Beitan 4.8 times. Be noted that, M230 is specifically developed for the AH-64, while the 2A42 is to equip the first BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles.

summary, outdated equipment, electronic systems and weapons of m-28N has been unable to meet modern operational requirements. Difficult to understand why the Russian government about its inclusion in 2015 of the state arms procurement program. In the Russian experts, the rice-28N at the time of its birth, is already far behind its major competitors. (Spring)