Spitting fire, literally

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With IT and electronic gadgets calling the shots in the armed forces worldwide, Indian armed forces are going hi-tech too. Latest to join the fighting machines are helicopters, complete with the acquisition of latest helicopters for combat duty and transportation purpose.

Recently, the Indian Air Force issued a tender to acquire 22 combat helicopters to replace the same number of 1980s Soviet vintage Mi 35 helicopters. The tender, or request for proposals, has been issued among others to Boeing for Apache AH 64, Eurocopter for Tiger, Russian Mi helicopters for Mi 35 (new version), and Bell for its AH 1Z Super Cobra. The vendors have been given three months to submit their proposals. After that, field trials of those helicopters that are short-listed would be carried in line with the defence procurement policy.

That’s not all, India plans to acquire 312 light military helicopters and 18 choppers in a separate global tender. The rationale of the acquisition frenzy stems from the fact that like its combat jets, all the helicopters in the Indian Air Force inventory are old. And, in about 10 years time, the helicopter fleet would be transformed fully. A Bell Helicopter survey points out that the helicopter market in India will be worth $4 billion over the next few years.

What is heartening to note is that this time around, the emphasis has been on acquiring the best available platforms, sensors and weapon systems with glass cockpits and beyond the visual range capability for engagement of hostile targets. Having declared 2008 as the year of helicopters, the defence ministry feels helicopters are the future of combat and that the quantum leap in technology has brought about a sea change in the perception about these rotor machines.

“We want the best, with digital net-centric connectivity as well as onboard sensors and weapons, so that we can use them for long, while periodically upgrading their systems or parts,” inform officials. As per the requirements, the helicopter should weigh 2,500 kg or more when empty and have two engines. It must be highly agile, have advanced anti-armour capability, and include provision for a turret gun of 20 mm or higher calibre and be able to fire 70 mm rockets at a range of 1.2 km.

In addition, the combat helicopter should be able to employ air-to-ground, fire-and-forget missiles with a range of at least 7 km. To survive in the modern battlefield, Indian Air Force wants the new helicopters to carry an electronic warfare protection suite and a radar-warning receiver capable of intercepting, identifying and prioritising multiple airborne and ground-based radio frequency emitters.

Hard-selling their machinery, each vendor claims that they have the best technology available in their armoury. US aircraft maker Boeing has offered the latest version of the Apache AH64 to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Apache’s chief function is to take out heavily armoured ground targets, such as tanks and bunkers. To inflict this kind of damage, you need some heavy firepower, and to do it from a helicopter, you need an extremely sophisticated targeting system.

The Apache’s primary weapon, the

Hellfire missile, meets these demands. Each missile is a miniature aircraft, complete with its own guidance computer, steering control and propulsion system. The payload is a highly explosive, copper-lined-charge warhead powerful enough to burn through the heaviest tank armour in existence.

Another cool feature of the Apache is its sophisticated sensor equipment. The helicopter detects surrounding ground forces, aircraft and buildings using a radar dome mounted to the mast. The radar dome uses millimeter radio waves that can make out the shape of anything in range.

Eurocopter’s Tiger is an air-to-air combat and fire support medium-weight (6 tonne) helicopter fitted with two engines. It is daytime and night combat capable and three basic parameters were taken into account right from the start of the development phase: low (visual, radar and infrared) detectability, which provides superior survivability on the battlefield, maximum efficiency of the weapons and the associated fire control systems without heavier workload for the crew, and an optimised logistic concept offering minimum possession costs. The Tiger is fitted with a 30-mm gun turret; 68-mm submunition rockets, and air-to-air

Mistral missiles. Bell’s AH-1Z comes from the proven AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter line. It features higher loads, maneuverability, flexibility, full digital glass cockpit, helmet mounted displays, advanced electronic warfare protection suite, and a crashworthy fuel system to reduce risk of fire over current AH-1Ws.