Attack Helicopter

US Army Attack Helicopter, 1953

The Attack Helicopter is an American twin-engined combat rotorcraft that entered service during the early 1950s; first seeing action with the British Army during World War II, where it would cement itself as one of the most effective tank hunters in the world.

Its replacement, the Advanced Vertical Lift (AVL) program's Medium Attack variant, will begin entering US service in 2017.

## Operational history

### World War II

Attack Helicopters performed much of their pre-production trials in Britain, with the first airframes arriving in 1951 under the codename "Longbow".

Following its entry into service with the British Army Air Corps more than a year later, Attack Helicopters were employed as highly mobile anti-tank platforms and were responsible for blunting much of the Soviet Union's armour superiority in the European Front.

In Asia, United States Army Attack Helicopters often served as escorts for air assault forces and in long-range air interdiction missions, utilising nap-of-the-earth flying and auxiliary fuel tanks.

### Tiberium War

Resulting from Nod infiltration of US defence contractors, Attack Helicopters were among the weapon systems that fell into the hands of the terrorist organisation. Encounters with Nod variants revealed a tactical disposition towards low emissions and increased loiter times.

In a rare engagement between US and Nod forces on the 5th September 1997, US Army Attack Helicopters operating out of Yemen repelled pursuing Nod units near the Ethiopia-Djibouti border in support of Global Defence Initiative forces.

## Variants

### Main variants

*A*

The first production variant was armed with laser-guided air-to-surface missiles, and featured a targetting suite comprising a daylight and night vision television camera, laser rangefinger, and laser designator. It entered production in 1952, and first equipped US and British units that same year.

*B*

The B variant replaced the night vision camera with a thermographic upgrade, and featured a modified forward fuselage equipped with new navigation, survivability, and communications systems. In addition to ASMs, the B variant could also be equipped with infrared-guided air-to-air missiles on the underwing pylons and wingtip launchers. Entered production in 1953 and was known under the codename "Longbow F-A" during trials.

*C*

A prototype fielded at the end of the Second World War, the C variant featured improved sensors, a glass cockpit, a Global Positioning System (GPS), and a mast-mounted fire-control radar with integrated radio modem. By the 1960s, all its upgrades—save for the radar—were applied to the B variant, with the C designation reserved for FCR equipped Attack Helicopters.

### Nod variants

In addition to the conventional variants operated by the Brotherhood of Nod, a number of advanced airframes encountered by GDI during the Tiberium War suggests that Attack Helicopters were also employed as testbeds for various state-of-the-art technologies. These were designated as N variants.

*N1*

Reduced observability in radar and acoustics, and a marked increase in flight performance over conventional variants. Encountered in Sarajevo.

*N2*

Reduced observability in radar and acoustics with advanced ducted tail rotor design. Encountered in Cairo.

*N3*

Armed with directed-energy weapons. Shot down near Trieste.