US conducts tests on advanced $300,000 helicopter missile system

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Vluktas channel. Attack helicopters are versatile war machines specifically designed to engage a wide range of ground targets from heavily armored military vehicles to enemy infantry and even the most formidable military fortifications. It's... Equipped with an arsenal of weaponry such as autocannons, rockets, anti-tank missiles, Attack helicopters are the swift and deadly guardians of the skies. During the Vietnam War, the United States lost several helicopters to ground fire and thus a need for an armed gunship to protect unarmed helicopters quickly became apparent. In 1965, Bell developed the world's first armed attack helicopter, the AH-1 Cobra, to protect transport helicopters in contested environments. The AH-1 Cobra is equipped with stubwings capable of carrying 70mm unguided rockets, which are effective against unarmored targets and light vehicles. The AH-1 also features a chin-mounted gun turret, which offers versatile mounting options for miniguns, cannons, or grenade launchers. Can be operated by both the pilot and co-pilot stationed within the AH-1's armored tandem cockpit. The development of the AH-1 Cobra opened a new era Leading to the development of advanced helicopters like the AH-1Z Viper. Though similar in experience, the Viper features a contemporary design including four rotor blades, composite rotor system, a four-bladed tail rotor, upgraded landing gear, and a fully integrated glass cockpit. It is also equipped with an integrated advanced fire control system and the capacity to support multiple weapons configurations. In addition, the Viper has a more extensive range and higher top speed, ultimately increasing its maximum takeoff weight by 4,000 pounds, which allows it to carry a heavier payload, including rockets, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, grenade launchers, Utilizing all of these features, the Viper offers invaluable reconnaissance and ground support for combat troops in various scenarios. We can bring double the ordnance, we can extend 20 to 30 percent on both the range and the fly time for a time on station for a ground commander. On the deployment of the Viper, it is expected to find a UH-1Y Venom hovering nearby, as the two helicopters generally travel in pairs on a mission. However, only the Viper can deploy a Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, JAGM a precision-guided weapon used against stationary, moving, and relocatable land and maritime targets. Loading a JAG-M onto one of these whirlybirds is quite simple. The aircrew unpacks the missile and carefully mounts it on the stub wing pylon. After mounting the JAG-M physically, the aircrew integrates it with the helicopter's avionics and weapons systems to ensure it is ready to be deployed on the battlefield. On October 19, 2022, the US military conducted joint air-to-ground missile testing using AH-1Z Viper and UH-1 Venom aircraft. The helicopters fired joint air-to-ground missiles at stationary targets on the ground repeatedly to destroy them. The JAG-M can also be used to neutralize a wide range of targets, including trucks with a high degree of precision. Making it a valuable asset in modern warfare for targeting and eliminating stationary as well as mobile targets. While the AH-1Z Viper is mainly operated by the US Marines, the US Army relies on helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache for their air-to-ground operational needs. AH-64 can carry a dozen AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, as well as Hydra-70 or APKWS-2 rockets that are loaded onto the helicopter's rocket pods. The aircrew ensures that each rocket is carefully aligned and secured in place to prevent any movement in flight. The Apache crews frequently participate in aerial gunnery and live-fire exercises. The pilots launch Hydra-70 rockets and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles from airborne Apaches onto specified targets. Despite the high cost of these missiles, the U.S. military conducts these exercises to ensure their pilots receive comprehensive training across all their weapon systems. The AH-64 Apache is the go-to platform for the US Army during wartime. On the other hand, the US Air Force uses aircraft like the A-10 Warthog to provide close air support to ground personnel. A-10 Warthog, also known as the Flying Gun, is one of the greatest marvels of American engineering. A-10 has proved effective against all ground targets, including tanks and other armoured vehicles. It can deploy a wide range of conventional munitions, including laser-guided bombs, general-purpose bombs, AGM-65 Maverick, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, rockets, and illumination flares. Moreover, It features a GAU-8 Avenger 30mm Gatling gun mounted on its nose, capable of firing 3900 high explosive incendiary rounds per minute, making it a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. The sound of the A-10, you just know that whistle when it's flying over, and you know that that means someone's got your back. Loading the A-10's cannons is a tough procedure. The ground crew members use specialized machinery to feed these massive rounds into the A-10's drum-type ammunition magazine. The drum can hold up to 1,174 rounds of ammo, but can only be filled using a specialized loader machine and interlinked ammunition belts. Like most military aircraft, the A-10 can also carry missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder, An air-to-air missile. And the AGM-65 Maverick, an air-to-ground missile. These missiles are first aligned with the pylons located under the wings of the aircraft and then attached using hooks and other locking mechanisms. Additionally, the GBU-38 GPS guided bomb and GBU-12 laser guided bomb are also mounted onto hardpoints under the wings. The A-10 was the first production-made U.S. aircraft specifically built to provide close air support to ground forces by striking armored vehicles, tanks, and other hostile ground forces. A-10 locks on to the ground-based targets nearby, then proceeds to deploy a barrage of bombs, rockets, and missiles until the target is completely nullified. A-10 will likely continue its current role as a close ground support aircraft. However, rumors exist that it could be utilized for a new mission. Recently, an A-10 was tested as a mothership for special drone decoys that could be deployed to confuse the enemy. Only time will unveil whether this application aligns seamlessly with the A-10's capabilities, or if it's just speculation. Throughout the history of aviation, the air forces around the world have been dropping bombs out of cargo planes as a common measure of desperation against ground threats. However, in 2009, the U.S. Marine Corps developed Harvest Hawk, a kit that allowed the KC-130J refueling tanker to deploy missiles mid-air. With the addition of the Harvest Hawk, the aircraft serves as a reconnaissance aircraft while still being able to provide ground support in the form of Hellfire or Griffin missiles, precision-guided bombs, and 30-millimeter cannon fire. The weapons systems operator uses a fire control console located inside the cargo compartment to operate the munitions. In addition, the Harvest Hawk features the AN/AAQ-30 Target Sight System that uses an infrared and television camera to detect targets up to 10 miles away. A similar target sight system has also been featured in the latest models of the AH-1Z Viper. What's more intriguing is that even after the Hawk system is integrated with the KC-130J, the aircraft retains its original capabilities in refueling and transportation. And one of the advantages of having the Harvest Hawk on the KC-130 is that we have a long loiter time and we have the ability to carry a lot of munitions. The United States Air Force conducts several exercises for pilots and crews to get hands-on training on the Harvest Hawk system. The squadron operates the Harvest Hawk system mounted on the KC-130J to improve its ability to support ground troops. While communicating with each other throughout the process, they launch Hellfire and Griffin missiles, providing air support for troops on the ground. Harvest Hawk uses a video camera attached beneath the wing of the aircraft to stream live video footage to the pilot and Harvest Hawk controllers within the aircraft. The controllers monitor the live stream on the screens and coordinate with the pilots and crew to identify and launch munitions on the ground targets. From the development of precision-guided munitions, advanced targeting systems, stealth technology, and real-time data sharing, it is easy to deduce that the weapons systems in aircraft have evolved quite rapidly. These advancements not only enhance the offensive capabilities of aircraft, but also contribute to improved safety and reduced collateral damage. Like, like a star. The aircraft weapon system will become even more sophisticated in the upcoming decades, leading to a new era of aerial warfare.