The other day bad news came from India. It was not the Russian Mi-28N that won the tender for the purchase of attack helicopters, but the American Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow. The "long-suffering" competition, despite some unfavorable forecasts regarding its outcome, nevertheless ended, even if not in favor of the Russian helicopter builders. Recall, for the first time, New Delhi announced its desire to buy 22 attack helicopters back in 2008. Russia then presented the Ka-50, and the European firms EADS and Augusta Westland acted as competitors. A little later, the Americans from Bell and Boeing joined the competition. In general, the result of the competition was unpredictable. However, it all ended in a way that no one could have expected: less than a year after the start, the Indians curtailed the tender. True, after a few months it was continued, but with a new composition of participants.
The Mi-28N already participated in the renewed competition from Russia, and the United States presented its Apache Longbow. After comparing the documentation and the presented helicopters, the Indian military took a specific position. On the one hand, they were satisfied with the Russian Mi-28N. On the other hand, it was clear from the statements and actions of potential customers that they were unlikely to buy this helicopter. The reluctance of Indians to buy weapons and military equipment from only one country is sometimes cited as an explanation for these "double standards". This is understandable: India is currently the world's largest arms buyer. Naturally, New Delhi does not want to order weapons only from Russia and receive a number of specific problems related to spare parts, etc. As a result, as already mentioned, the American project was chosen as the winner. In the coming years, Boeing will receive about one and a half billion dollars and will send more than twenty brand new attack helicopters to India.
The outcome of the Indian tender looks sad for the Russian public. Naturally, the expected gossip and comparisons of our Mi-28N with the American Apache began immediately. As a matter of fact, these discussions have been going on for more than one year, and now their next "round" has just begun. Let's try to compare these machines, which are rightfully the embodiment of the most advanced technologies in the helicopter industry of the two countries.
Technical specifications
First of all, it is necessary to touch upon the concept of application, in accordance with which the Mi-28N and AH-64 were created. The American helicopter was designed to carry high-precision weapons designed to attack enemy equipment and objects. In the future, it was planned to equip it with equipment for all-weather work and new weapons. All this directly influenced the appearance of the finished car. The Soviet / Russian helicopter, in turn, continued the concept of an attack aircraft, a helicopter for direct support of troops. However, unlike the previous attack Mi-24, the Mi-28 was not supposed to carry soldiers. Nevertheless, the Soviet project implied the installation of a wide range of weapons, designed both to combat enemy manpower and to defeat armored vehicles. The main work on both projects was started at about the same time, however, a number of technical problems, and then economic difficulties, "spread" the timing of the start of serial production of helicopters by more than twenty years. Since the beginning of production, several modifications of both helicopters have been created. Of these, only the AH-64D Apache Longbow and Mi-28N went into a large series.
AH-64D Apache, 101st Air Regiment of the U. S. Army in Iraq
Let's start comparing helicopters with their weight and size parameters. The empty Mi-28N is almost one and a half times heavier than the "American" - 7900 kg versus 5350. A similar situation is observed with the normal takeoff weight, which is equal to 7530 kg for the Apache, and 10900 for the Mi-28N. The maximum takeoff weight of both helicopters is approximately a ton more than normal. And yet, a much more important parameter for a combat vehicle is the mass of the payload. The Mi-28N carries almost twice as much weight on its suspension as the Apache - 1600 kilograms. The only drawback of a larger payload is the need for a more powerful engine. Thus, the Mi-28N is equipped with two TV3-117VMA turboshaft engines with a takeoff power of 2,200 horsepower. Apache engines - two General Electric T-700GE-701C, 1890 hp each. on takeoff mode. Thus, the American helicopter has a high specific power - about 400-405 hp. per ton of normal take-off weight than the Mi-28N.
In addition, the load on the screw needs to be considered. With a rotor diameter of 14.6 meters, the AH-64D has a swept disk of 168 square meters. The larger Mi-28N propeller with a diameter of 17.2 meters gives this helicopter a disk area of 232 sq.m. Thus, the load on the swept disk for Apache Longbow and Mi-28N at normal take-off weight is 44 and 46 kilograms per square meter, respectively. At the same time, despite the lower load on the propeller, the Apache Longbow outperforms the Mi-28N in terms of speed only in terms of the maximum allowable speed. In an emergency, an American helicopter can accelerate to 365 km / h. According to this parameter, the Russian helicopter lags behind by several tens of kilometers per hour. The cruising speed of both rotorcraft is approximately the same - 265-270 km / h. As for the flight range, the Mi-28N is in the lead here. With a full refueling of its own tanks, it can fly up to 450 kilometers, which is 45-50 kilometers more than that of the AH-64D. The static and dynamic ceilings of the machines under consideration are approximately equal.
Mi-28N board No. 37 yellow at the MAKS-2007 exhibition, Ramenskoye, 26.08.2007 (photo - Fedor Borisov,
Barreled and unguided weapons
It should be noted that weight and flight data are actually a means of ensuring the delivery of weapons to the place of their use. It is in the composition of the armament and related equipment that the most serious differences lie between the Apache Longbow and the Mi-28N. In general, the set of weapons is relatively similar: helicopters carry an automatic cannon, unguided and guided weapons; the composition of the ammunition may vary depending on the need. Cannons remain an invariable part of the weapons of both helicopters. In the bow of the Mi-28N helicopter there is a mobile cannon installation NPPU-28 with a 2A42 gun of 30 mm caliber. The automatic cannon of the Russian helicopter, among other things, is interesting in that it was borrowed from the armament complex of the BMP-2 and BMD-2 ground combat vehicles. Due to this origin, the 2A42 can hit enemy personnel and lightly armored vehicles at distances of at least two to three kilometers. The maximum effective range of fire is four kilometers. On the American helicopter AH-64D, in turn, a 30-mm M230 Chain Gun is mounted in a mobile installation. With the same caliber as the 2A42, the American gun differs from it in its characteristics. So, "Chain Gun" has a higher rate of fire - about 620 rounds per minute against 500 for 2A42. At the same time, the M230 uses a 30x113 mm projectile, and the 2A42 uses a 30x165 mm projectile. Due to the smaller amount of gunpowder in the projectiles and the shorter barrel, the Chain Gun has a shorter effective fire range: about 1.5-2 kilometers. In addition, it should be noted that the 2A42 is an automatic cannon with a gas vent system, and the M230, as its name implies, is made according to the scheme of an external drive automatic cannon. Thus, the Chain Gun requires an external power supply to operate the automation. As practice shows, such a system is viable and effective, but in some countries it is believed that the aircraft cannon should be "self-sufficient" and not require any external energy sources. The armament of the Mi-28N helicopter is a product of this very concept. The only parameter by which the Apache Longbow cannon surpasses the NPPU-28 installation is the ammunition load. The American helicopter carries up to 1200 shells, the Russian one - four times less.
The rest of the armament of both helicopters is mounted on four pylons under the wing. Universal holders allow you to hang a wide variety of weapons. It should be noted that of the helicopters under consideration, only the Mi-28N has the ability to use bombs. The fact is that the guided bombs available in NATO countries are too heavy for the AH-64D to take a sufficient number of them. At the same time, the Mi-28N payload of 1600 kg does not allow hanging more than three bombs of 500 kg caliber, which is clearly not enough for most tasks. It is worth noting that even at the stage of development of the Apache project, American engineers and the military abandoned the idea of a bomber helicopter. The possibility of carrying and using guided bombs was considered, but the relatively small payload of the helicopter ultimately did not allow this idea to be fully implemented. For this reason, both the AH-64D and the Mi-28N mainly "use" missile weapons.
A characteristic feature of helicopters is the range of unguided rockets used. The American Apache Longbow carries only 70mm Hydra 70 rockets. Depending on the need, launchers with a capacity of up to 19 unguided missiles (M261 or LAU-61 / A) can be installed on the helicopter pylons. Thus, the maximum stock is 76 missiles. At the same time, the instructions for the operation of the helicopter are advised to take no more than two units with the NAR - these recommendations are due to the maximum payload. The Mi-28N was originally created as a battlefield helicopter, which influenced the range of unguided weapons. In one or another configuration of weapons, the Russian helicopter can carry a wide range of unguided aircraft missiles in large numbers. For example, when installing blocks for S-8 missiles, the maximum ammunition capacity is 80 rockets. In the case of using heavier S-13s, the ammunition load is four times less. In addition, the Mi-28N, if necessary, can carry containers with machine guns or cannons, as well as unguided bombs and incendiary tanks of the appropriate caliber.
Mi-28N board No. 08 blue at the airbase in Budennovsk, 2010. The helicopter is equipped with a full set of onboard defense systems - containers with IR traps, ROV sensors, etc. (photo - Alex Beltyukov,
Guided weapons
This preponderance in relation to unguided weapons is due to the original concept of using helicopters. Apache, and then Apache Longbow, was created as a hunter for enemy armored vehicles, which influenced its entire appearance and armament in the first place. In the early stages of development, the intended use of the future attack helicopter was seen as follows. The helicopter compound is on the intended path of the enemy mechanized convoy and is waiting for a reconnaissance signal or is looking for targets on its own. When tanks or other armored vehicles of the enemy approach, the helicopters, hiding behind the folds of the terrain, "jump out" to the launch point and make an attack with anti-tank missiles. First of all, it was necessary to knock out anti-aircraft self-propelled guns, after which it was possible to destroy other equipment. Initially, BGM-71 TOW guided missiles were considered as the main armament for the AH-64. However, their relatively short range - no more than four kilometers - could lead to dire consequences for the pilots. In the mid-seventies, the USSR and its allies already had military air defense systems capable of fighting targets at such distances. Therefore, the attacking helicopter risked being shot down while targeting the TOW missile. As a result, they had to look for a new weapon, which was the AGM-114 Hellfire rocket. In early modifications of this missile, semi-active radar guidance was used, but then, for various reasons, experiments began with other types of homing. As a result, in 1998, the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire rocket was adopted, designed specifically for the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. It differs from previous modifications primarily in homing equipment. For the first time in the Hellfire family, an original combination of inertial and radar guidance has been used. Immediately before launch, the onboard equipment of the helicopter transmits data to the rocket regarding the target: the direction and distance to it, as well as the parameters of the movement of the helicopter and the enemy vehicle. For this, the helicopter is forced to "jump out" for a few seconds because of its natural shelter. At the end of the "jump", the rocket is launched. Hellfire Longbow independently goes to the approximate target area, using the inertial guidance system, after which it turns on the active radar, which captures the target and final guidance on it. This method of guidance actually makes it possible to limit the launch range only by the characteristics of the rocket's jet engine. Currently, Hellfires fly at a range of about 8-10 km. A characteristic feature of the updated Hellfire missile is that there is no need for constant target illumination by a helicopter or ground units. At the same time, AGM-114L is much more expensive than previous modifications of this missile, however, the difference in the cost of ammunition is more than compensated for by the destruction of an enemy armored vehicle.
The Mi-28N helicopter, in turn, was created as a vehicle for air support, including by destroying armored targets. For this reason, its weapons are more versatile than specialized. To combat enemy armored vehicles, the Mi-28N can be equipped with Shturm guided missiles or a newer type of Attack-B. The helicopter pylons accommodate up to 16 missiles of one model or another. Russian anti-tank missiles use a different guidance system than American ones. "Shturm" and its deep modernization "Attack-B" use radio command guidance. This technical solution has both pros and cons. The positive features of the applied command system relate to the simplicity and low cost of the rocket. In addition, the absence of the need for heavy equipment for self-guidance allows you to make either more compact missiles, or equip them with a more powerful warhead. As a result, the base missile of the Attack complex, model 9M120, delivers a tandem cumulative warhead with a penetration of at least 800 mm of homogeneous armor at a distance of up to six kilometers. There is information about the existence of new modifications of the rocket with better armor penetration and range. However, these qualities come at a price. Radio command guidance requires the installation of relatively sophisticated equipment on the helicopter to capture and track the target, as well as to generate and send commands for the missile. So, for escorting and guiding the missile, the helicopter does not have the ability to use anti-tank weapons in a "jump" way. Radio command guidance requires a relatively long stay in the enemy's line of sight, which exposes the helicopter to the danger of a retaliatory attack. For this, the onboard equipment of the Mi-28N helicopter has the ability to change the direction of the control radiation. The rotary unit of the transmitting antenna and missile tracking equipment allows the helicopter to maneuver in yaw within 110 ° from the launch direction and tilt up to 30 ° from the horizontal. Of course, such capabilities in certain circumstances may turn out to be insufficient, which, however, is compensated by the sufficient range of the rocket and its high speed. In other words, with a successful combination of circumstances, the Ataka-V anti-tank missile will be able to destroy the enemy anti-aircraft gun before it has time to launch the missile in response. At the same time, one should not forget about the trends of recent years, implying a complete transition to the concept of “fire and forget”.
For self-defense, both helicopters can carry guided air-to-air missiles. For this purpose, the Mi-28N is equipped with four R-60 short-range missiles with an infrared homing head; AH-64D - AIM-92 Stinger or AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles with similar guidance systems.
Crew and protection systems
When creating the Mi-28 and AH-64 helicopters, the customers expressed a desire to receive combat vehicles with a crew of two. This requirement was due to the desire to facilitate the work of helicopter pilots. Thus, the crew of both rotorcraft consists of two people - the pilot and the navigator-operator. Another common feature of helicopters concerns the location of the pilots. The designers of Mil and McDonnell Douglas (she developed the Apache before it was bought by Boeing), together with the military, came to a conclusion regarding the optimal placement of crew jobs. The tandem arrangement of the two cabins made it possible to reduce the width of the fuselage, improve visibility from workplaces, and also provide both pilots with a full set of equipment necessary for piloting and / or using weapons. It is noteworthy that the considered helicopters are united not only by the idea of crew accommodation. On both helicopters, the cockpit is located behind and on top of the weapons operator's cockpit. The compositions of the cab equipment are also approximately similar. Thus, the pilot of the Mi-28N or AH-64D helicopter has at his disposal the entire set of flight instruments, as well as some means for the use of weapons, primarily unguided missiles. Navigators-operators, in turn, also have the ability to control the flight, but their workplaces are seriously equipped for the use of all types of weapons.
Separately, it is worth dwelling on security systems. Being at a short distance from the enemy, the helicopter of the battlefield runs the risk of being hit by enemy anti-aircraft artillery or becoming a target for guided missiles. As a consequence, some protection is required. The main armor element of the Mi-28N is a metal “bathtub” made of 10-mm aluminum armor. Ceramic tiles with a thickness of 16 mm are installed on top of the aluminum structure. Polyurethane sheets are placed between the metal and ceramic layer. Such composite armor can withstand shelling from NATO countries' 20-mm cannons. The construction of doors to reduce weight is a "sandwich" of two aluminum plates and a polyurethane block. The cab glazing is made of silicate blocks with a thickness of 22 mm (side windows) and 44 mm (frontal). The windshields of the cabins withstand the impact of 12.7 mm bullets, and the side windows protect against rifle-caliber weapons. Reservations also have some vital structural units.
In case the armor did not save the helicopter from critical damage, there are two ways to save the crew. At altitudes over one hundred meters above the surface, the rotor blades, doors of both cabins and wings are shot, after which special ballonets are inflated, protecting the pilots from impacts against structural elements. Then the pilots independently leave the helicopter with a parachute. In case of an accident at lower altitudes, where there is no way to escape with a parachute, the Mi-28N has another set of measures to rescue the crew. In the event of an accident at an altitude of less than one hundred meters, the automatics tightens the pilots' seat belts and fixes them in the correct position. After that, the helicopter descends at an acceptable speed in autorotation mode. When landing, the helicopter landing gear and specially designed Pamir pilots' seats, developed by NPP Zvezda, take over most of the overload that occurs when touching. An overload of the order of 50-60 units with the destruction of structural elements is extinguished up to 15-17.
The armor protection of the AH-64D helicopter is generally similar to the armor of the Mi-28N, with the difference that the American helicopter is lighter and smaller than the Russian one. As a result, the Apache Longbow cockpit protects pilots only from 12.7 mm bullets. In case of more serious damage, there is an armored partition between the cabins, which protects against fragments of shells of up to 23 mm caliber. The overload suppression system is generally similar to the set of measures taken on the Russian helicopter. The effectiveness of its work can be judged by several well-known facts. So, at the beginning of this year, a video from Afghanistan was circulated on the Internet, where American pilots on the Apache performed aerobatics in thin mountain air. The pilot did not take into account some parameters of the atmosphere, which is why the helicopter literally drove along the ground. Later it turned out that the crew escaped with a slight fright and a couple of abrasions, and after a short repair, the helicopter returned to service.
Helicopter Mi-28N board number 50 yellow from a batch of helicopters transferred to the Air Force at the air base 344 TsBPiPLS AA October 8, 2011, Torzhok, Tver region (photo by Sergey Ablogin,
Electronic equipment
One of the main elements of the Mi-28N and AH-64D Apache Longbow projects is electronic equipment. An increase in the characteristics of military air defense systems led to the fact that another point appeared in the concept of an attack helicopter: the new machines had to be able to quickly detect and identify targets at relatively long ranges. This required equipping the helicopter with a radar station and new computer systems. The first such modernization was carried out by the Americans, who installed the Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman AN / APG-78 Longbow radar on the AH-64D.
The most visible part of this station is its antenna, which is located in the radome above the propeller hub. The rest of the Longbow radar equipment is mounted in the fuselage. The radar station can operate in three modes: for ground targets, for air targets and for tracking the terrain. In the first case, the station "scans" a sector with a width of 45 ° to the right and left of the direction of flight and detects targets at distances of up to 10-12 kilometers. At these distances, the station can track up to 256 targets and simultaneously determine their type. By the characteristic nuances of the reflected radio signal, the AN / APG-78 station automatically determines which object it is coming from. The radar memory contains signatures of tanks, anti-aircraft self-propelled guns, helicopters and airplanes. Thanks to this, the weapons operator has the ability to pre-determine priority targets and pre-configure the AGM-114L missile, transferring the parameters of the selected target to it. In case it is impossible to accurately determine the danger of an object, an antenna of a radio frequency interferometer is mounted in the lower part of the radome of the Longbow radar. This device receives signals emitted by other combat vehicles and determines the direction to their source. Thus, by comparing the data from the radar station and the interferometer, the weapons operator can find the most dangerous enemy armored vehicle with high accuracy. After detecting and entering the target parameters, the pilot makes a "jump", and the navigator launches the rocket.
The operation mode of the AN / APG-78 radar for air targets implies a circular view of the surrounding space with the definition of three types of targets: aircraft, as well as moving and hovering helicopters. As for the terrain tracking mode, in this case, the Longbow provides low-altitude flight, including in adverse weather conditions. It is interesting to display information about the surface: so that the pilot is not distracted by the mass of designations, only those obstacles are displayed on the radar screen, the height of which is approximately equal to or higher than the helicopter's flight altitude. Thanks to this, the pilot does not waste time identifying those objects and landscape elements that can simply be ignored due to their safety.
It is worth noting that in addition to the new AN / APG-78 radar station, the Apache Longbow avionics includes other, more familiar systems. The integrated weapon control system, if necessary, allows the use of TADS, PNVS, etc. equipment. In addition, the AH-64D helicopters have a new “friend or foe” identification system, which, among other things, automatically blocks attempts to attack an object identified as one of our own. This feature was added in connection with repeated cases of strikes against own and allied forces due to the fault of reconnaissance and target designation. According to various estimates, the combat effectiveness of the AH-64D helicopter equipped with the Longbow radar is up to four times higher than that of the base vehicle. At the same time, the survival rate increased almost sevenfold.
The basis of the onboard radio-electronic equipment of the Mi-28N helicopter and its main "highlight" is the N-025 radar developed by the Ryazan State Instrument Plant (GRPZ). It is worth noting that there is some confusion regarding the radar for the domestic helicopter. Due to the rather complicated history of the choice of equipment for the Mi-28N, a number of sources mention the use of the "Arbalet" radar, created at the NIIR "Phazotron". As in the case of the AN / APG-78 Longbow, the antenna of the H-025 station is located inside the fairing on the main rotor hub. At the same time, there are differences. First of all, they relate to methods of application. Unlike Longbow, the domestic station has only two modes of operation: on the ground and in the air. The developers of the station from the GRPZ are proud of its characteristics when working on the ground. Station Н-025 has a wider field of view of the underlying surface in comparison with AN / APG-78, its width is equal to 120 degrees. The maximum "visibility" range of the radar is 32 kilometers. At the same distance, the automation of the radar station is able to draw up an approximate map of the area. As for the detection and identification of targets, these parameters of the H-025 are approximately equal to the corresponding characteristics of the AN / APG-78. Large objects like bridges are "visible" from a distance of about 25 kilometers. Tanks and similar armored vehicles - from half the distance. The radar operation mode "air-to-surface" provides aerobatics at low altitudes in all weather conditions and at any time of the day. To do this, the H-025 has the ability to detect small objects, such as trees or poles of power lines. Moreover, at a distance of about 400 meters, the Mi-28N radar is capable of recognizing even individual power lines. Another interesting feature of the mapping system is its function of creating a three-dimensional image. If necessary, the crew can use the radar to “shoot” the terrain ahead of the helicopter and carefully study it using the example of the 3D model displayed on the screen.
Mi-28N serial No. 07-01 board No. 26 blue in Rostov on the Day of the Russian Air Fleet, 2012-19-08 (photo - ErikRostovSpotter, When the on-board radar is switched to the "air-to-air" mode, the antenna begins a circular rotation, scanning the entire surrounding space in azimuth. The vertical field of view is 60 ° wide. The detection range of aircraft-type targets is within 14-16 kilometers. Anti-aircraft and aircraft missiles are "visible" from a distance of about 5-6 km. In the "over the air" mode, the N-025 radar can track up to twenty targets and transmit data about them to other helicopters. A reservation should be made: information on air targets, both on the Mi-28N and on the AH-64D, is used only for analyzing possible risks and transferring data to other combat vehicles. The R-60 or AIM-92 air-to-air missiles, designed for self-defense, are equipped with infrared homing heads and, as a result, do not require preliminary data transmission from the helicopter systems. In addition to the N-025 radar, the Mi-28N has an integrated armament control system that allows the use of all available types of weapons in various conditions.
Who's better?
Comparison of the AH-64D Apache Longbow and Mi-28N helicopters is a rather specific and difficult matter. Of course, both rotorcraft belong to the class of attack helicopters. However, they share both similarities and differences. For example, for an uninformed person, both helicopters look quite similar. But upon closer examination, the difference in size, weapons, etc. is striking. Finally, when studying the history of the helicopters in question, it turns out that they differ even at the level of the concept of application. In this regard, two quite different helicopters were created. If you do not go into technical details, the Apache Longbow is a relatively small and light helicopter, the task of which is to "shoot" enemy tanks from a long distance. In addition, the newest version of the AH-64 helicopter received the ability to conduct operations at any time of the day and in any weather conditions, of course, when it is possible to take off. The Mi-28N, in turn, was created as a significant reworking of its "big brother" Mi-24, which did not receive a cargo compartment, but acquired new weapons. As a result, the Mi-28N turned out to be rather large and heavy, which made it possible to increase both ammunition and the range of available weapons. At the same time, the Russian helicopter, taking into account the current trends in the development of rotary-wing aircraft and foreign experience, received its own radar station, which significantly increased its combat potential. At the same time, despite the new capabilities in terms of target attack range, the Mi-28N retained the ability to "hover" over the enemy's head and attack from short distances. As for the combat potential of helicopters, it is generally impossible to compare it - of the machines under consideration, only the Apache Longbow took part in real battles.
Thus, the AH-64D Apache Longbow and the Mi-28N are both similar and not at the same time. It is not hard to guess that the main differences relate to weapons and the way they are used. Accordingly, it is precisely these qualities of helicopters that should be the main factor influencing the selection of the winner in tenders for the purchase of equipment. It seems that the Indian military, torn between two wonderful options, still decided to acquire lighter helicopters, "sharpened" to deal with enemy armored vehicles. But Iraq, unlike India, apparently preferred a more versatile attack vehicle in the form of the Mi-28N. Recently, official sources from the administrations of Russia and Iraq confirmed that in the coming years the Arab country will receive three dozen Mi-28N helicopters in export modification and more than forty Pantsir-C1 anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems. The total volume of contracts exceeded four billion US dollars. As you can see, the AH-64D and Mi-28N helicopters are good. And each is good in its own way, which, however, does not prevent them from finding new customers.
