here is the specs, compare them urself
AH-1Z UPGRADE PROGRAMME
The Bell Super Cobra is currently in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase of a major upgrade known as the H-1 Program. The programme calls for the remanufacture of the US Marine Corps fleet of 180 AH-1W Super Cobra and 100 UH-1N utility helicopters to an advanced four bladed configuration. The existing two-bladed semi-rigid, teetering rotor system is replaced with a four-bladed, hingeless, bearingless rotor system. First flight of the AH-1Z took place in December 2000. In May 2003, the helicopter completed completed initial operational assessment and a total of 500 hours flight time for the program. Low rate initial production (LRIP) of six helicopters is scheduled to begin in 2004, with initial operating capability in 2007. The improvement in flight characteristics provided by the four bladed configuration has led to increases in flight envelope, maximum speed, vertical rate-of-climb, payload and rotor vibration level.
Lockheed Martin is developing a longer range Target Sight System (TSS) for the AH-1Z to replace the NTS. TSS includes a FLIR based on a 3-5 micron staring array, CCD TV and eyesafe laser rangefinder/designator.
In June 2002, Thales Avionics' TopOwl helmet-mounted display system was chosen for the USMC AH-1Z. The first system was delivered in January 2003. TopOwl, also fitted on Tiger, NH90 and Rooivalk helicopters, has integrated Gen IV image intensifier and FLIR capability and provides transition from day to night use at the push of a button.
The Turkish Army selected the AH-1Z King Cobra in July 2000 with a request for 50 out of a total requirement for 145 helicopters. The initial contract has not yet been signed but, in August 2003, a conference was held in Fort Worth Texas between Bell and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to finalise the subcontracts. The helicopters will be built in Turkey by TAI and will have a fire control system by the Turkish company, Aselsan, and T700-GE-701 engines instead of the T700-GE-401. They will be armed with Hellfire and Stinger missiles.
Longbow International (a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman) are to develop the Cobra Radar System for the AH-1Z, based on the Longbow millimetre wave radar on the AH-64D Apache. Cobra will be a pod-based radar that can be mounted on a wingtip or in a stores position. Cobra will automatically search, detect, classify and prioritise multiple moving and stationary targets.
WEAPONS
The Super Cobra can carry both TOW and Hellfire anti-armour missiles and is being qualified to carry the Maverick missile. The Raytheon BGM-71 TOW missile has a range of more than 3km and semi-automatic command-to-line- of-sight guidance. The AGM-114 Hellfire missile is manufactured by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. It is equipped with a semi-active laser seeker and has a range of 7km. The Super Cobra has fire-and-forget capability when firing the Hellfire missile in co-operative mode with laser target illumination.
The Super Cobra was the first attack helicopter to qualify both the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the Sidearm anti-radiation missile. Both missiles can use the same LAU-7 rail launcher. Sidearm has a range of more than 15km. AIM-9L Sidewinder is an all-aspect short range air-to-air missile produced by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The missile has a range of 15km.
The Super Cobra can also fire a range of rockets, for example 70mm rockets armed with submunition warheads or the larger 12.7cm Zuni rocket bombs.
The Super Cobra carries a three-barrel 20mm Gatling gun for close range (up to 2km) engagement and 750 rounds of ammunition. With the gun in a fixed forward position, the pilot can aim by manoeuvring the helicopter. Either crew member can slave the turret to the helmet-mounted sight, and aim the gun by looking at the target.
The Night Targeting System (NTS), jointly produced by Tamam Division of Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd and Kollsman, integrates a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) which provides automatic target tracking with a laser designator/rangefinder and video recorder.
COUNTERMEASURES
The H1 Super Cobra upgrade includes provision of a new electronic warfare suite. A new radar warner, the AN/APR-39(XE2) from Lockheed Martin replaces the Lockheed Martin AN/APR-39(V)2 pulse radar warner and the AEL Industries AN/APR-44 continuous wave radar warner. The ATK AN/AAR-47 missile warning system has been included in the upgrade suite. AN/AAR-47 uses infrared detectors to detect the missile plume. The Goodrich (formerly Raytheon) AN/AVR-2A laser warning receiver has also been added. The infrared countermeasures system is the AN/ALQ-144A developed by BAE Systems IEWS (formerly Sanders, a Lockheed Martin company). The helicopter is equipped with the AN/ALE-39 chaff and infrared flare dispenser manufactured by BAE Systems Integrated Defense Solutions (formerly Tracor) and Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems.
ENGINES
Twin General Electric T700-GE-401 turboshaft engines provide a total of 2,410kW or 3,380shp (shaft horsepower). In standard conditions, with an air-to-air ordnance load the Super Cobra can take off and climb out at more than 4.1m/sec on only one engine. It can hover Out of Ground Effect (OGE) at 914m with a load of four TOW and four Hellfire missiles, full turret ammunition and rockets.
LONGBOW APACHE
The AH-64D Longbow is fitted with the Longbow millimetre wave fire control radar and the Longbow Hellfire missile. 300 AH-64Ds are in service with the US Army out of a total of 501 procured - 232 new build and 269 US Army AH-64A Apaches being upgraded to AH-64D standard. Deliveries are to complete in 2006. The Longbow has also been ordered by the Netherlands (30, deliveries complete), Singapore (20, first delivered in May 2002), Israel (eight) and Egypt (35). A number of AH-64A helicopters have been upgraded to AH-64D standard for South Korea. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested the upgrade of 30 Apaches to AH-64D longbow standard.
In August 2001, the AH-64D was selected by the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force, with a requirement for 60 helicopters, and in September 2002, Kuwait ordered 16 AH-64D helicopters for delivery from 2005. The Kuwaiti Apaches will be equipped with BAE Systems HIDAS defensive aids system. In September 2003, Greece signed a contract for 12 (plus four options) AH-64D Longbow, also to be fitted with HIDAS.
The first of the upgraded Block II Apaches was delivered to the US Army in February 2003. Block II includes upgrades to the digital communications systems to improve communications within the "tactical internet". Block III improvements, slated for 2008 on, include increasing digitisation, the Joint tactical Radio System, enhanced engines and drive systems, capability to control UAVs and new composite rotor blade. The new blades successfully completed initial flight tests in December 2003.
WEAPONS
A 30mm automatic Boeing M230 Chain Gun is located under the fuselage. It provides a rate of fire of 625 rounds per minute. The helicopter has capacity for up to 1,200 rounds of ammunition.
The AH-64D is armed with the Lockheed Martin/Boeing AGM-114D Longbow Hellfire air-to-surface missile which has a millimetre wave seeker which allows the missile to perform in full fire and forget mode. Range is 8km to 12km. The Apache has been equipped with air-to-air missiles (Stinger, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Mistral and Sidearm) and 2.75in rockets. Thales Air Defence (formerly Shorts Missile Systems) of Belfast, Northern Ireland has trialled the Starstreak missile on the Longbow Apache helicopter, integrated with the Target Acquisition Designation Sight (TADS).
The Longbow Apache carries the combination of armaments chosen for the particular mission. In the close support role the helicopter carries 16 Hellfire missiles on four 4-rail launchers and four air-to-air missiles.
SENSORS
The AH-64D Longbow Apache is equipped with the Northrop Grumman millimetre-wave Longbow radar. The Longbow fire control radar incorporates an integrated radar frequency interferometer for passive location and identification of radar emitting threats. An advantage of millimetre wave is that it performs under poor visibility conditions and is less sensitive to ground clutter. The short wavelength allows a very narrow beamwidth which is resistant to countermeasures.
The Longbow Apache can effect an attack in thirty seconds. The radar dome is unmasked for a single radar scan and then remasked. The processors determine the location, speed and direction of travel of a maximum of 256 targets.
The Target Acquisition Designation Sight, TADS (AN/ASQ-170) and the Pilot Night Vision Sensor, PNVS (AN/AAQ-11) were developed by Lockheed Martin. The turret-mounted TADS provides direct view optics, television and three fields of view forward looking infra-red (FLIR) to carry out search, detection and recognition and Litton laser rangefinder/designator. PNVS consists of a FLIR in a rotating turret located on the nose above the TADS. The image from the PNVS is displayed in the monocular eyepiece of the Honeywell Integrated Helmet And Display Sighting System (IHADSS) worn by the pilot and copilot/gunner.
Lockheed Martin has developed a new targeting and night vision system for the Apaches, using second-generation long-wave infrared sensors with improved range and resolution for the Apache. The new system is called Arrowhead and it has a targeting FLIR with three fields of view, a dual field-of-view pilotage FLIR, a CCD TV camera, electronic zoom, target tracker and auto-boresight. The new system entered production in December 2003 and is planned to enter service with the US Army in 2005.
COUNTERMEASURES
The Apache is equipped with an electronic warfare suite consisting of: AN/APR-39A(V) radar warning receiver from Northrop Grumman (formerly Litton) and Lockheed Martin; AN/ALQ-144 infra-red countermeasures set from BAE Systems IEWS (formerly Sanders, a Lockheed Martin company); AN/AVR-2 laser warning receiver from Goodrich (formerly Hughes Danbury Optical Systems then Raytheon); AN/ALQ-136(V) radar jammer developed by ITT; and chaff dispensers. US Army Longbow Apaches were to be fitted with the ITT AN/ALQ-211 SIRCM (Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures) suite, however the availability of funding for this project is uncertain. UK AH Mk 1 Apaches will have BAE Systems Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (HIDAS), also chosen by Kuwait. HIDAS, which includes the Sky Guardian 2000 radar warning receiver, entered service on the AH Mk 1 in July 2003.
ENGINES
The Apache is equipped with two turboshaft engines each providing 1,265kW. The American AH-64D has General Electric T700-GE-701 engines and the UK Apache is fitted with RTM322 engines from Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca.
