The US Army has demonstrated AH-64E’s capabilities to handle UAV threats using different types of armament, with concerns over C-UAS being ground-focused.
A team from the US Army demonstrated the idea of using the attack helicopters as flying (Thus, very mobile) effectors for C-UAS missions on AH-64E armed with AGM-179 JAGM, AGM-114 Hellfire ‘variant’, AGR-20 APKWS, and 30x113 mm proximity-fused ammunition.
During the demonstration, AGR-20 APKWS scored three out of four, while the M230 chain gun with 30x113 mm proximity-fused ammunition took down its share of UAVs.
While it may sound strange to some to hear about the test of AGM-114 Hellfire and its successor AGM-179 JAGM against UAVs, it would not be the first time.
AGM-114L-7A variant based on the mmW radar guided AGM-114L was developed for and tested from littoral combat ships against UAVs with a fragmentation sleeve. It is possible that AGM-114L-7A was loaded on AH-64E for the demonstration. On the other hand it is safe to assume that AGM-179 JAGM, as a multi-seeker missile that combines multiple engagement modes, can do what the aforementioned Hellfire variant does.
The feasibility of both missiles compared to AGR-20 APKWS, which is cheaper and has more magazine depth against UAVs, is something to be questioned.
However, giving AH-64E the XM1211 proximity-fused 30x113 mm ammunition is not as questionable as having heavy hitters as C-UAS missiles. The same kind of ammunition has already been tested on different ground-based systems like Stryker M-SHORAD. Deploying AH-64E as a mobile turret which employs a gun with a higher firing rate and can carry up to 1200 30x113 mm ammunition might provide an edge when gaps in defences are exploited. However, the ammunition type could be described as not so ideal for lightly armoured targets, while the legacy HEDP ammunition is.
While these effectors show promise in giving AH-64E a more prominent role in keeping the airspace clean, the logistical burden of alternative ammunition or the operational tradeoffs in using them are things to be figured out.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
