The US State Department has just approved South Korea’s request to purchase up to 36 AH-64E Apache helicopters. Just last week, Poland signed a $10 billion deal to buy 96 Apache attack helicopters from U.S. manufacturer Boeing to upgrade the country’s military capabilities.
The US and Soviet Union extensively used attack helicopters in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. China and India are pushing ahead with dedicated attack helicopters. Turkey has a successful attack helicopter program, along with Italy.
Yet many attack helicopters were shot up in the Ukraine conflict. In Gaza, Israelis have been selective in using attack helicopters due to fear of losing to shoulder-fired man-portable AD systems (MANPADS) and other close-in-weapon-systems (CIWS).
Attack helicopters have to fly low, nap-of-the-earth (NOE), which makes them vulnerable. They don’t come cheap, and they are not easy to develop. It will take time to understand the dynamics and options.
Attack Helicopter Combat Roles
An attack helicopter, also called a helicopter gunship, is meant to have the offensive capability to attack and engage surface targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles, armor tanks, gun positions, radars, communication nodes, urban warfare, and other fortifications. Their two primary roles remain direct, close battlefield support and anti-armor operations.
Attack helicopters are equipped with weapons such as slew-able auto-cannons, guided or unguided rockets, and anti-tank and surface attack missiles, among others. Some attack helicopters are also capable of carrying air-to-air missiles for self-defense and taking on other attack helicopters, light aircraft, or even UAVs.Attack Helicopters: Here To Stay
Serious operational action began in the Vietnam War. The Iran–Iraq War of the 1980s saw very intensive use of the helicopters and the only confirmed helicopter dogfights.
Afghanistan saw Soviet attack helicopters in action. In the 1990s, the U.S. attack helicopter AH-64 Apache was used extensively during Operation “Desert Storm” and “Iraqi Freedom,” destroying Iraqi early warning radar and surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites with their Hellfire missiles.
They were also used for direct attacks against enemy armor and as aerial artillery in support of ground troops. Eurocopter Tiger and AgustaWestland Apache attack helicopters saw action in Libya in 2011. Syria, Armenia-Azerbaijan, and many other conflicts have seen action of attack helicopters.
Attack helicopters did see some initial lapses in the Ukraine conflict. Some analysts started calling them as glorified ducks for hunting by MANPADS & SHORAD operators.
Enemy defenses need to be softened, either by fixed-wing aviation strikes or artillery conducting SEAD. Another view is that attack helicopters aren’t for en masse. They’re for selective targeting on ground targets that are mobile (tanks, IFVs, vehicle-supported infantry) and need suppression—literally hit-and-run. Yet many Ukrainian attacks were mauled by Russian Ka-52 in the early days of the summer counteroffensive.
Some say, why waste money on expensive attack helicopters when modern jet fighters, for just a little more price, are much more versatile. Fighters can do ground attacks with standoff weapons, but they can also do other things. But, warfare exists on a spectrum; an attack helicopter is indeed not a particularly survivable “day one” asset against a peer adversary. In combat against non-peer competitors, they will remain extremely useful for some time as both fire support assets and escorts for assault support aircraft.
But the main reason attack helicopters will not disappear is that they fill a niche that very few platforms can fill. They are the only 350 KMPH missile carriers that can hide behind trees, pop up, and literally shoot and scoot.
Drones have introduced another niche, but they, too, have many counters, such as RF/EM jamming. Drones can best fill the gap between cruise missiles and helicopters. Turkey, one of the significant UCAV operators, has nearly 70 T129 Atak helicopters today. So, the two are exclusive assets.
Apache or Ka-52 are still the most survivable, efficient, and formidable flying anti-tank platforms available to militaries. They also have significant roles as anti-UAV and anti-attack helicopters.
They will continue to have a significant role as escorts to large utility helicopters. Attack helicopters remain under development and under production with major nations and militaries. They are here to stay as significant operational assets.
