Nowadays, few people remember the first Western anti-tank guided missile, the Nord SS.10, which was adopted by the French army in 1955. The world's first serial ATGM was created on the basis of the German Ruhrstahl X-7 and was controlled by wire. In turn, on the basis of the SS.10, specialists of the French aircraft manufacturer Nord-Aviation in 1956 created an improved SS.11 ATGM. The aviation version of this missile received the designation AS.11.
ATGM AS.11 with a starting weight of 30 kg had a launch range of 500 m to 3000 m and carried a cumulative warhead weighing 6, 8 kg. Armor penetration for the late 50s was very high - 600 mm of homogeneous armor. In addition to the cumulative warhead, there were variants with fragmentation and "anti-material" warheads. The flight speed was low - 190 m / s, which was largely determined by the aerodynamic design and control system. Like many other first-generation ATGMs, the rocket was guided manually by the operator, while the burning tracer installed in the tail section had to be aligned with the target.
The first carrier of AS.11 missiles was the Dassault MD 311 Flamant light twin-engine transport aircraft. These vehicles were used by the French Air Force in Algeria for reconnaissance and bombardment of rebel positions. The aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 5650 kg developed a speed of up to 385 km / h. The practical flight range is about 900 km. At least one vehicle was prepared for the use of AS.11 missiles. The guidance operator's workplace was in the glazed bow.
When the missiles were launched, the flight speed was reduced to 250 km / h. At the same time, any maneuvers were excluded until the end of the missile guidance. The target attack was carried out from a gentle dive, the launch range did not exceed 2000 m. It is reliably known that AS.11 were used during the hostilities in Algeria to destroy warehouses and shelters equipped in caves.
Simultaneously with the adoption of the AS.11 ATGM, the serial production of the Alouette II helicopter began. It became the world's first production helicopter with a turboshaft engine.
It was a fairly light and compact machine with a maximum takeoff weight of 1600 kg, equipped with one Turbomeca Artouste IIC6 engine with a power of 530 hp. The helicopter developed a maximum speed of 185 km / h. Ferry flight range - 560 km. Aluet II could carry up to four wire-guided missiles. The ATGM operator and guidance equipment were located to the left of the pilot.
Although the Algerian partisans did not have armored vehicles, helicopters equipped with ATGMs were actively used in hostilities. "Missile carriers", as a rule, operated in conjunction with Sikorsky H-34 and Piasecky H-21 helicopters armed with NAR, 7, 5 and 12, 7-mm machine guns and 20-mm cannons. The targets for the ATGM were the strongholds of the partisans and the entrances of the caves.
During the fighting in Algeria, the "turntables" began to protect the fuel tanks and the power plant, and the pilots wore body armor and helmets during combat missions. Although the first combat helicopters and their armament were still very far from being perfect, their use in combat operations made it possible to gain experience and outline ways for further development. Taking into account the experience of military operations in Algeria, the SA.3164 Alouette III Armee fire support helicopter was created. The helicopter cockpit was covered with anti-bullet armor, and the armament operator had four ATGMs, a movable machine-gun mount or a 20-mm cannon at his disposal. The helicopter did not pass the tests, as the installation of body armor caused a drop in flight data.
In 1967, a modification of the AS.11 ATGM was developed, known as the Harpon with the SACLOS semi-automatic guidance system. When using this system, it was enough for the operator to keep the target in the crosshair of the sight, and the automation itself brought the missile to the line of sight.
Thanks to this, it was possible to significantly increase the likelihood of ATGM hitting the target, and the effectiveness of the use did not depend so much on the skills of the guidance operator. The use of a semi-automatic guidance system breathed a second life into the aging AS.11 rocket, and its production continued until the early 80s. In total, about 180,000 missiles were produced, which were in service in more than 40 countries. The AS.11 ATGM was also carried by French Alouette III helicopters, early versions of SA.342 Gazelle and British Westland Scout.
Back in the years of the Korean War, the Americans tested in battle an armed version of the light Bell-47 helicopter with a 7.62 mm machine gun and two 88.9 mm M-20 Super Bazooka anti-tank grenade launchers. Also in the United States, after the end of hostilities in Korea, the Bell-47 was tested with the SS.10 ATGM, but things did not go beyond experiments.
The first American experimental carrier of the AS.11 ATGM, apparently, was the Kaman HH-43 Huskie synchropter. This light helicopter was used during the Vietnam War in rescue operations, but its armed version was not developed.
After the failure of the program to create their own SSM-A-23 Dart ATGM, the Americans in 1959 purchased a batch of SS.11 missiles for evaluation and testing. In 1961, the missile was approved as an anti-tank weapon for installation on HU-1B (UH-1B Iroquois) helicopters, the helicopter could take up to six missiles. In June 1963, the US Army SS.11 missiles were renamed AGM-22.
In 1966, the AGM-22 ATGM was tested in a combat situation in Southeast Asia. Guided missiles from helicopters were initially used very limitedly, mainly for "pinpoint strikes" near the positions of their own troops. In 1968, attacks by units of the North Vietnamese army in a number of cases were supported by PT-76 and T-34-85 tanks, later the Vietnamese communists used captured M41, Soviet T-54 and their Chinese copies of the Type 59 in hostilities. In response, the American command organized a hunt for enemy armored vehicles using all available means. The most effective were carpet bombing carried out by F-105 fighter-bombers and B-52 strategic bombers. However, this method of dealing with armored vehicles turned out to be too costly, and the command remembered about the Iroquois equipped with AGM-22 ATGM.
However, the result was not very impressive. Due to the fact that for confident guidance of a manually controlled ATGM at a target, high qualifications and training of operators was required, and the launches themselves often took place under enemy fire, the effectiveness of the use of missiles was low. Of the 115 anti-tank missiles used, 95 went into milk. As a result, the military preferred, albeit relatively expensive, but much more accurate and easy-to-use ATGM BGM-71 TOW (English Tube, Opticall, Wire - which can be translated as a missile launched from a tubular container with optical guidance, guided by wires) and in 1976, the AGM-22 rocket was officially removed from service.
Unlike the AGM-22, the TOW ATGM had a semi-automatic guidance system. After launch, it was enough for the operator to keep the central mark on the target until the missile hit the enemy tank. Control commands were transmitted over thin wires. A coil of wire was located at the rear of the rocket.
The launch range of the BGM-71A rocket, which was put into service in 1972, was 65-3000 m. Compared to the AGM-22, the dimensions and weight of the rocket became significantly less. The BGM-71A weighing 18.9 kg carried a 3.9 kg cumulative warhead with armor penetration of 430 mm, in the first half of the 70s this was quite enough to defeat medium Soviet tanks of the first post-war generation with homogeneous armor.
In the 70-80s, the improvement of missiles followed the path of increasing armor penetration, introducing a new element base and improving the jet engine. So, on the BGM-71C (Improved TOW) modification, the armor penetration was increased to 630 mm. A specific distinguishing feature of the BGM-71C model is an additional bow rod installed in the nose cone. In response to the mass production in the USSR of tanks with multi-layer combined armor and reactive armor units, the USA adopted the BGM-71D TOW-2 ATGM with improved engines, guidance system and a more powerful warhead. The mass of the rocket increased to 21.5 kg, and the thickness of the penetrated homogeneous armor reached 900 mm. Soon, the BGM-71E TOW-2A with a tandem warhead appeared. In September 2006, the US military ordered new wireless TOW 2B RFs with a launch range of 4500 m. The radio command guidance system removes the restrictions on the range and speed of the rocket, imposed by the mechanism of unwinding the control wire from the coils, and allows you to increase acceleration in the acceleration phase and reduce flight time rockets. In total, more than 2,100 sets of control equipment were supplied to arm the combat helicopters.
In the final phase of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese troops very actively used Soviet and Chinese armored vehicles in hostilities, as well as captured tanks and armored vehicles. In this regard, in 1972, an emergency installation of the XM26 system, which was not officially adopted for service, began on UH-1B helicopters. In addition to six TOW ATGMs on an external sling and guidance equipment, the system included a special stabilized platform, with which vibrations that could affect the accuracy of missile guidance were parried.
The effectiveness of the BGM-71A was much higher than that of the AGM-22. ATGM "Tou", in addition to a more advanced guidance system, had better maneuverability and flight speed up to 278 m / s, which was significantly higher than that of the French missiles. Due to the higher flight speed, it was possible not only to reduce the attack time, but also in some cases to fire at several targets in one combat run. Anti-tank helicopters posed the main threat to the first echelon troops, especially at the lines of deployment and attack, as well as to units in the deployment areas and on the march.
Although the XM26 helicopter system was not the height of perfection, and the Iroquois can hardly be called an ideal ATGM carrier, nevertheless, the Huey, armed with new anti-tank missiles, achieved good results. The first tank was destroyed by launching the TOW ATGM on May 2, 1972. In total, that day, the helicopter anti-tank group hit four M41 tanks, a truck and an artillery position captured by the Viet Cong. As a rule, the use of missiles was carried out from a distance of 2000-2700 meters, outside the effective fire of 12, 7-mm DShK anti-aircraft machine guns. The next combat success was achieved on May 9, when repelling an attack by North Vietnamese forces on the southern camp in the Ben Hett area. Helicopters armed with ATGMs actually thwarted the attack, destroying three PT-76 amphibious tanks. In total, in May 1972, the helicopter anti-tank air group counted 24 tanks and 23 other targets. In addition to the T-34-85, T-54, PT-76 and M41 tanks, the targets of airstrikes were the BTR-40, trucks, and artillery-mortar and anti-aircraft positions. According to American data, several hundred targets were hit by Tou missiles in Vietnam. However, by the beginning of the combat use of ATGMs in Indochina, the American military no longer had any illusions about the outcome of the war. As for the BGM-71 ATGM itself, it turned out to be very successful and it was destined for a long life.
In the first half of the 60s, the US military announced a competition to create a fire support helicopter. The victory in the competition was won by the project of a combat helicopter from Bell Helicopter, which turned out to be preferable to the complex and expensive Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne. The Lockheed company, which received a contract for the construction of 375 combat helicopters, due to the difficulties in the practical implementation of the requirements laid down in the project, failed to bring it in a reasonable time to a state that satisfied the military.
The Cheyenne, which first took to the air on September 21, 1967, was a rather complex machine even by modern standards, in which many previously unused technical solutions were used. Especially for this helicopter, a General Electric T64-GE-16 turboshaft engine with a capacity of 2927 kW was developed, which rotated the main and tail rotor, plus a pushing propeller in the tail of the machine. Thanks to its clean aerodynamic shape and retractable landing gear, the AH-56 was supposed to reach speeds of over 400 km / h. The built-in armament consisted of a movable six-barreled machine gun of 7, 62-mm or 20-mm cannon. On the external sling could be located NAR, ATGM and 40-mm automatic anti-personnel grenade launchers. The weapon operator had a very advanced XM-112 armament control station at his disposal. The operator was able to carry out tracking and fire at the target during intensive maneuvering. This had to happen thanks to the turntable. The operator's seat and all sighting equipment were installed on a turntable, which provided the use of small arms and cannon weapons in the 240 ° sector. To ensure the possibility of combat use in difficult weather conditions and at night, the avionics included perfect sighting and navigation equipment. However, the development and testing of the promising machine dragged on, and the costs exceeded reasonable dimensions. As a result, after the construction of 10 prototypes in August 1972, the program was closed.
In September 1965, the first flight of the AN-1 Cobra specialized combat helicopter took place. "Cobra" was developed based on the specifics of military operations in Southeast Asia. For all its many merits, the Iroquois was too vulnerable to small arms fire, and especially the large-caliber DShK machine guns, which form the basis of the air defense of the Vietnamese guerrillas. A well-protected, more maneuverable and high-speed combat helicopter was required to carry out fire support for ground units and escort transport-assault helicopters. AN-1G - also known as "Hugh Cobra", was created using units and assemblies of the transport-combat UH-1, which significantly accelerated development and reduced the cost of production and maintenance.
During tests, the helicopter of the first serial modification AH-1G, equipped with a Textron Lycoming T53-L-703 engine with a capacity of 1400 hp, reached a speed of 292 km / h in level flight. On production cars, the speed was limited to 270 km / h. The helicopter with a maximum take-off weight of 4536 kg, when refueling 980 liters of fuel, had a combat radius of about 200 km.
In addition to the bulletproof armor of the cockpit, the developers tried to make the helicopter as narrow as possible. Based on the fact that, in combination with better maneuverability and higher flight speed, this will reduce the likelihood of being hit by ground fire. The speed of the AN-1G was 40 km / h higher than that of the Iroquois. The Cobra could dive at an angle of up to 80 °, while on the UH-1 the dive angle did not exceed 20 °. In general, the calculation was justified: in comparison with the "Iroquois", hits in the "Cobra" were noted much less often. The total weight of the transmission, engine and cockpit armor was 122 kg. However, on the first version of the Cobra, the cockpit did not have bulletproof glasses, which in some cases led to the defeat of the pilot and gunner-operator from small arms. Nevertheless, the AH-1G was greeted by the flight crew very favorably. The helicopter turned out to be very easy to control, its stability in flight at low speeds and in hover mode was better than that of the UH-1, and the labor costs for maintenance were approximately the same.
At first, the Cobras were not considered anti-tank and were used exclusively to defeat manpower and actions to prevent the Viet Cong from delivering reserves and cargo. Very often, at the request of ground forces, helicopters participated in repelling attacks on forward posts and bases, and also accompanied transport helicopters and were involved in search and rescue operations. The armament of the AN-1G was appropriate - on four nodes of the external suspension, 7-19 charging blocks of 70-mm NAR, 40-mm automatic grenade launchers, 20-mm cannons and 7, 62-mm machine guns were mounted. The built-in armament consisted of a 7.62 mm six-barreled machine gun or a 40 mm grenade launcher on a movable turret.
The first combat use of "Cobras" against tanks occurred in Laos in 1971. Initially, helicopter crews tried to use 20mm cannons in overhead containers against tanks. However, the effect of this turned out to be zero, and the NAR had to be used with a cumulative warhead. It soon became clear that it is very difficult to successfully attack armored vehicles well-camouflaged in the jungle with unguided missiles. There were great chances of success when the tanks could be caught while moving in a convoy, but this did not happen often. The launch of the NAR, due to their significant dispersion, was carried out from a distance of no more than 1000 m, while paired 14.5 mm ZSU based on the BTR-40 and 12.7 mm DShK mounted on GAZ-63 trucks often fired at the helicopters. Naturally, in such conditions, rockets could not be an effective anti-tank weapon, and attack helicopters suffered significant losses. Of the 88 AN-1Gs that took part in the operation in Laos, 13 were lost from enemy fire. At the same time, there were combat successes: for example, according to American data, the 2nd squadron of the 17th air cavalry regiment was destroyed in Laos 4 PT-76 and 1 T-34-85.
Taking into account the successful experience of the combat use of BGM-71A missiles with UH-1, it was decided to equip AN-1G combat helicopters with ATGM. To do this, two Cobras were equipped with an XM26 weapon control system, telescopic sights and four TOW missiles. From May 1972 to January 1973, the helicopters passed combat tests. According to crew reports, during this period, 81 guided missiles were used up, 27 tanks, 13 trucks and several firing points were hit. At the same time, the helicopters had no losses. This was largely due to the fact that the ATGM launch range compared to the NAR was significantly higher and was usually 2000-2200 m, which was beyond the effective fire of large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. Soon at the disposal of the "Vietcong" appeared MANPADS "Strela-2M", which affected the growth of losses of "Iroquois" and "Cobras". Faced with a new threat, the Americans were forced to take measures to reduce the thermal signature of helicopters. On the "Cobras" that flew in Vietnam, a bent pipe was installed, which diverted hot exhaust gases into the plane of rotation of the main rotor, where a powerful turbulent flow mixed them with air. In most cases, the sensitivity of the Strela-2M uncooled IR seeker was not enough to capture helicopters modified in this way. By the time the Vietnam War ended, 1,133 AN-1Gs had been built, with combat losses of about 300 vehicles.
A further development option for the AN-1G was the AN-1Q with improved cab armor and a new M65 sighting system. Thanks to the installation of an optical sight with a threefold increase on a gyro-stabilized platform, the conditions for searching and tracking a target have improved. With the use of a helmet-mounted sight, the pilot could fire from a turret weapon in any direction. The number of anti-tank missiles on external sling was brought to 8 units. Several copies, converted from the AN-1G, were sent to combat trials in Vietnam, but due to the evacuation of American troops, the vehicles managed to make only a few sorties, without achieving special results. Nevertheless, the tests were recognized as successful and 92 helicopters of the AN-1G model were converted into this version. Simultaneously with a slight increase in the possibilities of using guided weapons, due to an increase in take-off weight, a drop in flight data occurred. To compensate for the increased takeoff weight in the summer of 1974, a new 1800 hp Textron Lycoming T53-L-703 engine was installed on the AH-1S helicopter. and a new transmission. The external difference of the AH-1S modification from its predecessor was the enlarged fairing of the main gearbox. All AN-1Q helicopters were converted into the AH-1S version.
When modernizing helicopters to the AH-1P (AH-1S Prod) variant, the main attention was paid to increasing the effectiveness of combat use and survivability on the battlefield by piloting in a mode of following the terrain. To reduce glare, new flat bulletproof glass was installed in the cockpit, the configuration of the dashboards was changed, improving forward-downward visibility. The updated avionics introduced modern communication and navigation equipment. On a significant part of the modernized machines, new composite blades and a three-barreled 20-mm M197 cannon were introduced. The introduction of a cannon into the armament significantly increased the ability to combat lightly armored targets. The firing angles are 100 ° in azimuth, in the vertical plane - 50 ° up and 22 ° down.
The M197 electrically driven cannon weighs 60 kg and can fire at a rate of up to 1500 rds / min. As part of the ammunition on the AH-1S / P / F helicopters, there were 300 fragmentation and armor-piercing 20-mm shells. The M940 armor-piercing projectile weighing 105 g has an initial velocity of 1050 m / s, and at a distance of 500 m along the normal it is capable of penetrating 13 mm of armor.
On the latest version of the AH-1S (Modernised), a laser rangefinder-target designator was placed in the bow near the optical sight, which made it possible to accurately calculate the launch distance of the ATGM and increase the accuracy of firing from the cannon and NAR.
Since 1981, the delivery of the AH-1F modification began. In total, the American army ordered 143 new helicopters, and another 387 were converted from the overhauled AN-1G. On this model, all the improvements characteristic of the later versions of the AH-1S were introduced, a system for displaying information on the windshield was also installed, an IR noise generator appeared in the tail section, in order to reduce the thermal signature on the exhaust nozzle, deflected upward, a casing was installed for cooling the exhaust outboard air gases.
The AH-1F modification helicopter with a takeoff weight of 4600 kg developed a maximum speed of 277 km / h, the dive speed was limited to 315 km / h. In addition to armoring the cockpit and the most vulnerable parts of the engine and transmission, the tail boom is reinforced to withstand the hit of armor-piercing bullets of 12.7 mm caliber.
Although the AN-1 in Vietnam as a whole showed good results, there were significant reserves for increasing combat survivability. First of all, this concerned the improvement of the cockpit reservation, and the use of a twin-engine power plant. In October 1970, the AN-1J Sea Cobra made its maiden flight, commissioned by the USMC. Prior to that, the Marine Corps operated three dozen AH-1Gs in Vietnam.
Thanks to the use of twin Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3 "Twin Pac" engines with a takeoff power of 1340 kW and a new main rotor increased to 14.63 m in diameter, it was possible to improve flight characteristics, increase the safety of operation from aircraft carriers and bring the combat load to 900 kg. The place of the rifle caliber machine gun on the turret was taken by a three-barreled 20-mm cannon. The upgraded twin-engine Cobras took part in the fighting in Vietnam, albeit in smaller numbers than the AH-1G. Subsequently, the USMC received at its disposal 140 AN-1J, at the first stage of operation 69 vehicles were armed with ATGM "Tou". The AN-1J was followed in 1976 by the AN-1T Sea Cobra, an improved model for the Marine Corps with a new weapon control system.
The next twin-engine version was the AN-1W "Super Cobra", which made its maiden flight on November 16, 1983. This machine is equipped with two General Electric T700-GE-401 engines with a takeoff power of 1212 kW each. Serial AN-1W deliveries began in March 1986. The Marines originally ordered 74 helicopters. In addition, 42 AN-1Ts were upgraded to the AN-1W level. The armament of the AN-1W helicopters included the AIM-9 Sidewinder air combat missile system and the AGM-114В Hellfire ATGM (up to 8 units).
To date, the AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles are the most advanced ones used on American helicopters. The first AGM-114A Hellfire ATGM with a semi-active laser seeker began to be supplied to the troops in 1984. The launch weight of the rocket is 45 kg. The launch range is up to 8 km. For the helicopters of the Marine Corps, a modification of the AGM-114B was made, featuring an improved seeker, a safer cocking system and a jet engine running on low-smoke solid fuel. The development and production of ATGMs of the Hellfire family continues to this day. For more than 30 years that have passed since the moment of adoption, a number of modifications with improved characteristics have been developed and about 100,000 copies have been produced. In 1998, the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire model appeared with a millimeter-wave radar seeker, corresponding to the "fire and forget" principle. This 49 kg missile carries a 9 kg tandem cumulative warhead with 1200 mm armor penetration. Hellfire has a supersonic flight speed of 425 m / s. Currently, about 80,000 missiles of various modifications have been produced. As of 2012, the cost of the AGM-114K Hellfire II was about $ 70 thousand.
Probably the most advanced laser-guided model is the AGM-114K Hellfire II. The homing head of this missile has improved noise immunity and can re-capture in case of loss of tracking. In the UK, on the basis of the Hellfire missile, a Brimstone guided missile with a three-mode millimeter-wave radar seeker and a laser seeker has been created. Compared to the previous generation ATGM carrier Tou, the helicopter equipped with Hellfire missiles is much less constrained in maneuver during combat use.
At the moment, the most modern model of an attack helicopter available in the US ILC is the AH-1Z Viper. The first flight of this machine took place on December 8, 2000. Initially, the command of the Marines planned to convert the 180 AH-1W into this version. But in 2010 it was decided to order 189 vehicles, of which 58 should be completely new. The cost of converting the AN-1W into the AH-1Z costs the military department $ 27 million, and the construction of a new helicopter is $ 33 million. For comparison, the single-engine AH-1F was offered to potential customers in 1995 for $ 11.3 million.
Compared to the early modifications of the Cobra, the combat capabilities of the AH-1Z have increased significantly. Two General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines, with a power of 1340 kW each, ensured an increase in the maximum take-off weight to 8390 kg. Combat radius with a load of 1130 kg is 230 km. The maximum dive speed is 411 km / h.
The Viper's most visible exterior feature is the new four-bladed composite main rotor. He replaced the traditional for the family of machines "Hugh" two-bladed. To maintain the increasingly heavy "Cobras" in the air, a more tenacious main rotor with greater lift was required. The tail rotor also became four-bladed. The onboard avionics have been completely transferred to a modern element base. Analog instruments in the Supercobr cockpit gave way to an integrated control complex with two multifunctional liquid crystal displays in each cockpit. The helicopter was equipped with a FLIR infrared vision system for the front hemisphere, similar to that installed on the AH-64 Apache. Also added was the Top Owl helmet-mounted target designation system, combined with night vision goggles, which made it possible to perform combat missions in difficult weather conditions and in the dark.
Due to the increased thrust-to-weight ratio of the twin-engine options, as new modifications appeared, the maximum flight speed increased, and it was possible to slightly increase security. So, in the American reference literature it is argued that the combined metal-polymer cockpit armor of the latest versions of the AN-1 is capable of holding a 12, 7-mm armor-piercing bullet from a distance of 300 m. But at the same time, most foreign aviation experts admit that helicopters the Cobra families are significantly inferior to the Soviet Mi-24.
In the first half of the 70s, Iran acquired 202 AN-1J combat helicopters (AH-1J International). These vehicles had a number of options that were not available on USMC helicopters at the time. For example, the Iranian "Cobras" were equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada Т400-WV-402 forced engines with a capacity of 1675 hp. The three-barreled 20-mm cannon was mounted on a damped movable turret coupled with a stabilized sight.
Iranian "Cobras" proved to be an extremely effective means of fighting Iraqi armored vehicles. According to the Iranians, the Cobras have more than 300 destroyed Iraqi armored vehicles. However, a few years after the start of the Iran-Iraq war, an acute shortage of guided anti-tank missiles began to be felt. The Iranian authorities tried to illegally purchase the Tou ATGM in a number of Western-oriented countries. According to a number of sources, a batch of 300 missiles was purchased through intermediaries in South Korea, and the missiles were also received as part of the controversial Iran-Contra deal. Some of the Iranian AN-1Js were adapted for the use of heavy AGM-65 Maveric missiles. Apparently, Iran has managed to establish its own production of Tou missiles. The Iranian version is known as Toophan. Currently, missiles with the Toorhan-5 laser guidance system are being produced. This missile, according to Iranian data, has a launch range of 3800 m, a mass of 19.1 kg, and an armor penetration of up to 900 mm.
During the Iranian-Iraqi armed confrontation, the Cobras suffered heavy losses. More than 100 helicopters were lost from enemy fire and in flight accidents. Despite the losses and serious age, the AN-1J are still in service in Iran. The vehicles that remained in service underwent major repairs and modernization.
In 1982, the Israeli army used "Cobras" (in the Israel Defense Forces, they were called "Tzefa") in battles with the Syrians. 12 AH-1S and 30 MD-500 helicopters armed with Toy ATGMs operated against the Syrian tanks. During the hostilities, helicopters made more than 130 sorties and destroyed 29 tanks, 22 armored personnel carriers, 30 trucks and a significant number of other targets. According to other sources, in 1982 more than 40 tanks were destroyed by Israeli Hugh Cobras.
Perhaps the discrepancies are due to the fact that different sources separately take into account the armored vehicles that were at the disposal of the Syrian troops and Palestinian armed formations. However, it would be wrong to say that Israeli combat helicopters unconditionally dominated the battlefield. The American-made TOW ATGM did not always function reliably. Rockets of the first modifications in some cases could not penetrate the frontal armor of T-72 tanks. And the Cobras themselves turned out to be very vulnerable to the Syrian military air defense, which forced the crews of anti-tank helicopters to act very prudently. The Israelis have acknowledged the loss of two AH-1S, but how many helicopters were shot down is not really known.
One way or another, but the expectation of unpunished low-altitude attacks using the Tou ATGM was not justified. At an altitude of more than 15-20 meters, the helicopter was most likely detected by the surveillance radar of the Kvadrat self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance system at a distance of 30 km. The Osa-AKM self-propelled short-range air defense system could detect a helicopter at a range of 20-25 km, and the ZSU-23-4 Shilka ZSU radar detected it at a range of 15-18 km. All these mobile military air defense systems of Soviet production in 1982 were very modern and posed a mortal danger to the anti-tank "Cobras". So, at a distance of 1000 m, a standard 96-round burst of four Shilka barrels hit the Cobra with a probability of 100%, at a distance of 3000 m the probability of hitting was 15%. At the same time, getting into a rather narrow frontal projection of a helicopter is very difficult and 23-mm shells most often destroyed the rotor blades. At a flight speed of 220-250 km / h, a fall from a height of 15-20 m in most cases was fatal for the crew. The situation was aggravated in areas where the Cobras could not hide behind natural heights. In the event that the air defense calculations in advance detected combat helicopters, reaching the ATGM launch line was fraught with the loss of the helicopter and the death of the crew. So the response time of the crew of the ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" after detecting the target before opening fire was 6-7 seconds, and the rocket launched at the maximum range flies for more than 20 seconds. That is, before the missile hit the target, the helicopter, which was very limited in maneuver, could be fired at several times.
At the end of 2013, due to budgetary constraints, Israel decommissioned the remaining three dozen combat "Cobras" in service, their functions were assigned to two squadrons of AH-64 Apache. After agreement with the United States, 16 refurbished AH-1S were handed over to Jordan, which uses them in the fight against Islamists.
The same problem as the Israelis faced the army crews of the American "Cobras" involved in the winter campaign of 1990-1991. radar guidance and ZSU-23-4. Also, the Iraqi army had a large number of MANPADS, 12, 7-14, 5 ZPU and 23-mm ZU-23. In these conditions, the AH-64 Apache helicopters, armed with ATGMs with laser seeker, had a significant advantage. After the missile was launched, the pilots could withdraw from the attack with a sharp maneuver, without thinking about aiming the missile at the target. In a combat situation, the more modest capabilities of the avionics of the army "Cobras" and the lack of night vision equipment on them, similar to the TADS / PNVS system installed on the "Apaches", were negatively manifested. Due to the high dustiness of the air and smoke from numerous fires, visibility conditions, even in the daytime, were often unsatisfactory. Night vision goggles could not help in these conditions and were used, as a rule, only for en route flights. The situation improved after the installation of a laser designator on the non-rotating part of the 20-mm cannon, which projected the aiming point of the gun onto the terrain and reproduced it on night vision goggles. The range from the action of the designator was 3-4 km.
At the disposal of the pilots of the Marine Corps flying on the AN-1W, there was a more advanced sighting and surveillance equipment NTSF-65, and they had fewer problems when attacking targets in poor visibility. According to American data, combat helicopters destroyed more than 1,000 Iraqi armored vehicles in Kuwait and Iraq. Subsequently, the Americans admitted that the statistics of Iraqi losses were overstated by 2.5-3 times.
Currently, AH-64 Apache helicopters have supplanted Cobras in the ground helicopter units. There is no alternative to the AH-1Z Viper combat helicopters in the Marine Corps. The sailors considered that the relatively light Vipers were more suitable for basing on UDC decks than the technically more advanced Apaches.
