Giuseppe Sandro Mela.
2017-08-19.
Al-Jahrah. Cimitero dei carri armati iracheni dopo la guerra del golfo. Si noti come molti di essi abbiano ricevuto un colpo che ha scamottato via la torretta. In gran parte sono stati neutralizzati dagli Apache.
«The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), which approves big-ticket purchases, gave the green light to acquire six additional Apache helicopters after 22 were bought as part of a $2.5 billion deal in 2015»
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«DAC approved procurement of six Apache helicopters along with associated equipment for the army totally about 4,168 crore rupees ($650 million)»
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«It will be the first time the Indian army has received attack helicopters and it hopes to deploy the craft along India’s high-altitude frontiers — particularly its border in the east with regional rival China»
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«India has increasingly turned to the United States and France, rather than traditional ally Russia, for its military hardware in recent years»
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«The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American four-blade, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems.
It is armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 chain gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft’s forward fuselage. It has four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has a large amount of systems redundancy to improve combat survivability. ….
One of the revolutionary features of the Apache was its helmet mounted display, the Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS) ….
The AH-64 was designed to perform in front-line environments, and to operate at night or day and during adverse weather conditions ….
Longbow-equipped Apaches can locate up to 256 targets simultaneously within 50 km (31 mi). ….
In 2014, it was announced that new targeting and surveillance sensors were under development to provide high-resolution color imagery to crews, replacing older low definition black-and-white imaging systems. ….
The AH-64 is adaptable to numerous different roles within its context as Close Combat Attack (CCA). In addition to the 30 mm M230E1 Chain Gun, the Apache carries a range of external stores and weapons on its stub-wing pylons, typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, and Hydra 70 general-purpose unguided 70 mm (2.756 in) rockets. One 18-aircraft Apache battalion equipped with Hellfire missiles is capable of destroying 288 tanks» [Fonte]
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Alcune cose sarebbero da notarsi.
Da un punto di vista economico, l’elicottero Apache AH-64D ha un prezzo di listino di 65 milioni Usd. Sei Apache avrebbero dovuto costare 390 milioni. 260 milioni in pezzi di ricambio, armamento suppletivo, e munizionamento a scorta sembrerebbero essere un investimento giustificabile solo se a ridosso di una qualche operazione a breve termine, tenendo conto della rapida obsolescenza delle armi.
Dal punto di vista politico invece, si nota come l’India abbia iniziato a diversificare i fornitori, tra i quali rientra anche Israele.
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Gli Apaches non sono esenti da critiche.
«While effective in combat, the AH-64 also presented serious logistical complications. Findings reported in 1990 stated “maintenance units could not keep up with the Apache’s unexpectedly high work load… To provide spare parts for combat operations, the U.S. Army unofficially grounded all other AH-64s worldwide; Apaches in the theater flew only one-fifth of the planned flight-hours» [Fonte]
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