Longbow (Red Alert 1)

The Longbow is an Allied anti-tank attack helicopter in Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Counterstrike, The Aftermath, and Retaliation.
Due to possible legal reasons over the Longbow name owned by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, the unit is renamed to attack helicopter in Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Remastered. References to Longbow are kept on this wiki.
==Background==
It is equipped with heavy armor, sophisticated targeting equipment and several missile launchers. Its powerful missiles and great speed enable it to hunt enemy tanks, particularly fragile V2 rocket launcher. Other units, such as Heavy tanks, are equally vulnerable because of their lack of anti-aircraft armament.
==Game unit==
Longbows are fast and are relatively tough and sturdy but are not exactly armored enough to survive prolonged anti-aircraft fire, and thus commanders were forced to deploy them carefully and are best to be deployed in groups of three or four. However, once deployed, the Longbows prove very effective against armored targets. The downside to the powerful missiles is that the Longbow can only carry 10, and must reload at an intact Helipad before re-engaging the foe. Despite the limitation, packs of longbows are very effective for hit-and-run attacks, close air support and harassment as well as executing strikes on high-valued vehicles and buildings, especially artillery.
Being an air unit, the Longbow, rather illogically, cannot effectively scout terrain, probably for game balancing reasons. The Longbow's armor is heavy enough withstand at least a few volleys of missiles, and allows it to even engage Mammoth Tanks for limited duration with a decent chance of survival.
Because of the guided ordnance used by the helicopter, it has the ability to engage aircraft, while it would struggle to engage Soviet Yaks or MiGs because of their faster speed and the missile's relatively short range, this does give it the ability to engage Hinds, as the Hind cannot engage aircraft and travels slower than the Longbow, this gives them an advantage. Unfortunately this could rarely be conducted, as air to air engagements were rare and due to the Command and Control program of the era not allowing commanders to target an airborne enemy. This has been changed in Red Alert Remastered where the helicopter can target an airborne enemy.
==Appearances==
* In the Allied campaign of Red Alert, Longbows are available to the player starting from Suspicion.
** They are also available as bonus, non-controllable reinforcements in Protect the Chronosphere if the player manages to repair the Radar Dome or Technology Center, depending on the mission variant chosen, in later Remastered patch releases.
==Legacy==
===Tiberium Universe===
Modernized versions were used by the Brotherhood of Nod as the primary attack helicopter in the First Tiberium War with their missiles replaced by chain guns.
===Red Alert Universe===
With the Allied forces expanding their air force by the end of the war, the Longbow's role was taken by the more mobile Harrier, and the only helicopter fielded by the Allies during Third World War was the Nighthawk Transport.
==Trivia==
* In reality, the Longbow is an upgraded variant of the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter.
* The in-game unit and promotional render resembles the AH-64A. It is missing the AH-64D's FCR (fire control radar) mounted above the main rotor, so the "Longbow" nickname seems erroneous. This could simply be due to the altered timeline resulting in the AH-64A coincidentally being named 'Longbow' instead of 'Apache', with no relation to the real-world Longbow FCR.
==Gallery==
File:Apaches.jpg|Render
File:Red-alert-longbow-attacking-heavy-tank-colour.png|Longbows attacking a Soviet tank column
===Cameos===
==Videos==
==See also==
* Hind, Soviet attack helicopter during the Second World War.
* Apache (Tiberian Dawn), attack helicopter of the Brotherhood of Nod during the First Tiberium War.
Category:Red Alert 1 aircraft