SURVIVABILITY OF MILITARY HELICOPTERS

摘要

The vulnerability of military helicopters to enemy action has increased over the years due to their changing roles and the evolving nature of warfare and threats. This has resulted in the military users requiring the installation of Defensive Aids to their helicopter platforms. The attack helicopters first used in the Vietnam War have developed into highly capable platforms such as the Apache. This increase in capability has made the attack helicopter into a more valuable asset that an enemy will attempt to counter by deploying more sophisticated threat weapon systems. The earliest threats to helicopters were conventional guns and relatively simple infra-red homing missiles, both of which could be countered by tactics and unsophisticated infra-red countermeasures. The nature of warfare has also changed such that military helicopters employed in support roles such as the transport of troops and cargo can no longer be assured of operating in friendly airspace. A mission in a peace-keeping operation is as likely to be flying over ground controlled by potentially hostile or guerilla forces. The sophistication of the weapons encountered in such situations is similar to that encountered by the attack helicopters. Thus, all helicopter types may require some form of Defensive Aids system. The detection of modern threats by a military helicopter requires a range of sensors, matched by countermeasures systems that can defeat the threats. However, the expense of fitting all helicopters with all types of sensors and countermeasures is too great, with the result that a flexible, modular Defensive Aids System is an ideal solution. One such system is HIDAS, developed by BAE SYSTEMS for installation in the British Army's WAH-64 Apache helicopter. The need for a Defensive Aids System on modern military helicopter platforms is explored, together with the types of sensors and countermeasures that can be employed. The architecture and capability of HIDAS will be used to illustrate the type of Defensive Aids System that may be found on military helicopters.