In this article we will discuss the best combat helicopters in the world, make the TOP-10 of the most combat-ready, maneuverable and high-speed vehicles that have repeatedly proved their superiority on the battlefields.
A combat helicopter is an air combat unit with high firepower, the main tasks of which are the destruction of ground targets, providing cover for ground forces and incapacitating enemy armored vehicles.
Let us turn to our list.
Tenth place
Opens our list of "Best Helicopters in the World" the first Chinese attack helicopter Z-10, which was adopted by the Chinese army in 2009.
The armament of this helicopter is a 30-mm machine-gun mount, guided anti-tank missiles of the brand HJ-9 or recently upgraded HJ-10. In addition to this, the helicopter is equipped with a block of unguided missiles and a TU-90 rocket launcher, which is designed to destroy air targets.
The cabin of the car is represented by two steps, in the first there is a shooter, in the second - a pilot.
Ninth place
Continues our TOP-10 of the best Mi-24 helicopters in the world, which is equipped with a cargo compartment, which easily accommodates eight Air Force fighters.
The machine has high mobility, the maximum flight speed is 335 km / h, which is achieved due to the unusual design of the wings.
The machine itself is universal, a variety of military weapons can be mounted on a helicopter, it all depends on the task.
The standard set of armaments is a GUV-1 machine-gun mobile mount with an A-12.7 machine gun (900 rounds of ammunition), a S-5 NURS unit with a set of NAR UB-32A and 4 ATGM 9M17, borrowed from the Phalanx- anti-tank mount M ".
Eighth place
AH-2 Rooivalk with confidence ranks eighth in the list of "Best Helicopters in the World", translated from English the name means "red kestrel".
The maximum speed of the car is 278 km / h.
Guns mounted on a combat vehicle:
- F-2 gun, ammunition 700 rounds, caliber 20 x 139 mm.
- Mokopa ZT-6 air-to-ground missiles (8-16 pieces).
- Air-to-air missiles: Mistral (4 pieces).
- FFAr rockets.
Seventh place
Continues our top of the best helicopters in the world American AH-1W, the so-called "Super Cobra".
Unlike classmates, the machine has two engines, the power of which is 1285 kW. each, the maximum speed of the helicopter is 282 km / h.
The gun mounted on the machine does not stand out, a 20-mm cannon with a capacity of 750 rounds, air-to-ground and air-to-air missile launchers . In addition to this, a set of unguided missiles is installed.
Sixth place
The T129 / A129 helicopter jointly created by Italy and Turkey was fixed in sixth place on the list of “The best military helicopters of the world”. It was the first combat vehicle fully created in Western Europe.
The maximum speed of the car is 250 km / h, installed Royal-Royce engine, take-off power of which is 881 liters. pp., developed by the Italian company Agusta.
The machine guns with which the helicopter is equipped have a caliber of 2 x 7.62 or 12.7 mm.
Like all brothers, the machine is equipped with a complex of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
Fifth place
The next place is occupied by the American attack aircraft AH-1Z.
The machine has good handling and is one of the first places in terms of firing accuracy. The three-barreled gun, whose caliber is 20 mm, is excellent for destroying ground targets.
To conventional guided and uncontrolled rocket launchers in the arsenal of weapons added cannon containers. It is also possible to install 4 ATGM TOW.
The number of engines is two, the brand is AH-1S (-P) (Production). The power of one is 1285 kW.
The helicopter is in service with countries such as the USA, Iran, Thailand, Turkey, China.
Fourth place
In front of the leaders of the list is an attack aircraft created by German-French engineers - Eurocopter Tiger.
It is in service with countries such as Germany, Spain, France and Australia.
Compared with classmates, the car has a better disguise, and the noise emitted in motion is reduced to a minimum.
Engines mounted on the attack aircraft have a capacity of 1303 liters. from. each, and the maximum flight speed is 278 km / h.
The gun is a cannon with a caliber of 30 mm, there are also 4 points for hanging various types of rocket launchers. In addition, the helicopter can be equipped with 12.7 mm machine guns, each store holds 250 rounds.
Third place
Opens the list of leaders "The best helicopters of the world" the Russian development of the Mi-28-N, which received the nickname "devastator".
This model is an in-depth refinement of the Mi-28 helicopter. The maneuverability and complexity of the performed airborne figures in flight makes the attack aircraft difficult to reach. For example, the so-called Nesterov loop or Immelman’s coup can be performed at a speed of 100 km / h.
All the most necessary and vital nodes have a duplicate and are located in different parts of the helicopter, which helps during combat to provide the machine with maximum survivability.
The engine of the machine and the VK2500 has a capacity of 2200 liters. with., the maximum speed of 300 km / h.
The gun, which is equipped with a helicopter, has a caliber of 30 mm, and the helicopter is also equipped with a complex of guided missiles and air-to-air missiles.
Second place
Before you find out the best helicopter in the world, we will discuss the car, which is located in second place.
AH-64 Apache - an American attack helicopter, during the Persian Gulf war proved its worth only from the best side. Its combat power is one of the best among helicopters of all time, this model is universal in its class.
In the conditions of hostilities, being in various weather conditions, the machine performed the most difficult combat missions.
The helicopter is equipped with 16 rocket launchers of various calibers and purposes. The machine gun has a caliber of 70 mm, which makes it easy to hit many weakly armored targets.
Engines have a capacity of 1890 liters. from. each engine brand is AH-64A + / D.
First place
Ka-50/52 - the best helicopter in the world of production in Russia. He received the nickname "Black Shark" because of its extraordinary speed of movement, a formidable form, and the main trump card of the machine is its firepower, which is incomparable with any similar indicator of other helicopters in the world.
This model is a single-seat attack attack helicopter, in the creation of which a lot of effort has been invested. The main task of the designers was to develop the best speed and maneuverability, the size of the helicopter in its class is the smallest, thanks to which it has the highest level of camouflage and is able to quickly change its location.
Ka-50/52 has a top speed of 310 km / h, which is an average of 20-30 km more than the rest of the vehicles on our list. Engine power is 2400 liters. S., his brand is TV3-117VMA.
The maximum mass of weapons that a helicopter can carry in one battle is two tons.
The gun is a cannon with a caliber of 30 mm, the pilot has the ability to quickly switch between high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing shells. You can also adjust the rate of fire from 350 to 550 rounds per minute. The helicopter is equipped with Whirlwind missiles, six on each side.
Possible suspension of missiles X-25 (air-to-air) and P-73 (air-to-air, homing).
Today, the Ka-50/52 remains the 100% leader among attack assault helicopters.
Conclusion
So the list of "The best helicopters of the world" has ended, but we can say with confidence that the best helicopters that have been tested by time and have been used more than once in hostilities have consolidated in our ranking.
The military industry does not stand still, it is possible that new, more modernized helicopters are hurrying to replace the “veterans”, but all the attack aircraft that were mentioned today have already left their mark on history.