Anti-tank helicopter


Anti-tank helicopter, or anti-armor helicopter, is a type of armed helicopter, predominantly intended for anti-tank duties.

Description

Dedicated anti-tank helicopters are usually outfitted with an anti-tank guided missile -system with an integrated optronic targeting system. While such helicopters may be equipped with radar warning receivers, electronic countermeasures, or other warning and protection systems, etc., they mainly avoid danger through evasive doctrine. The targeting system is often a roof-mounted sight, or mast-mounted sight above the rotor, which allows the helicopter to scout targets largely from behind cover, while the ATGM:s allow the helicopters to engage targets at ranges beyond small arms fire, and with the margin needed for evasive action against long range weapons.
Anti-tank helicopters are often cheap and readily available scout or utility helicopters, outfitted with anti-tank systems, as opposed to more expensive multi-purpose attack helicopters, culminating in a more cost-effectivene solution to aerial anti-armor duties. Attack helicopters are also used as anti-tank helicopters periodically, but there are also dedicated anti-tank versions of certain attack helicopter models. The Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter has a dedicated anti-tank version equipped with a mast-mounted sight, in French designated Tiger HAC, in German originally designated PAH-2.

Anti-tank helicopter sighting systems

optical sight
  • SFIM/Euromep Osiris – mast-mounted sight with an IRCCD-camera and laser rangefinder
  • Pietzsch Automatisierungstechnik ELVIS – helicopter thermal imaging sight
  • Saab-Scania Helios – gyro-stabilized sight with target marking video camera; could be integrated with : BGM-71 TOW and RBS 70
  • Saab-Emerson HeliTOW – gyro-stabilized sight with laser range finder, optional night vision/FLIR, CCD sensors; designed for BGM-71 TOW
  • / Hughes/British Aerospace TOW roof sight – helicopter roof sight for the BGM-71 TOW; nightvision introduced in 1988