A deeper look at America’s ‘Guardian’ and how it sizes up to Russia’s ‘Hokum-B.’

Ka-52 Alligatorvia : Boeing AH-64 Apache

It is certain that there are many capable and dangerous military attack helicopters in the world, but what is the best of the best? The two most capable and lethal attack helicopters are undoubtedly the Boeing AH-643 Apache Guardian that serves for the USAF and the Kamov Ka-52 Alligator that is operated by the Russian Air Force.

It would be pretty interesting to find out which is the most powerful and advanced helicopter out of these two, right?

Apache: The American Hero

The Boeing AH-64 Apache, a twin-turboshaft attack helicopter that made its introduction for the US in 1986. The manufacture companies were the Hughes Helicopters, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing. Production started in 1975 and in 2021 there are still ongoing with more than 2,400 built so far.

The helicopter has a crew of two, and both can fly or engage with weapons independently. The engines used on the helicopters are two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines, although due to a variety of different versions, other countries use different engines like the British Rolls-Royce.

In general, AH-64 brought the next level to the industry of military helicopters. With the helmet mounted display, pilots can see information right up to their eyes. There’s also a system that connects the automatic chain gun to the helmet of the pilot in order to follow its head movement while firing! Fire control and targeting systems are the most advanced in the world, too.

Some systems and sensors used on the helicopter are the Target Acquisition and Designation System, the Pilot Night Vision System, passive infrared countermeasures and the IHADSS. There are Apaches that can track up to 256 targets within 31 miles of range.

When it comes to armament, the Apache looks perfect, too! The helicopter is capable of close combat attacks, and that’s why it has a 30 mm M230E1 Chain Gun mounted on it.

A standard layout of missiles would be the AGM-114 anti-tank missiles and the Hydra 70 general-purpose unguided 70 mm rockets. A battalion of 18 Apaches can carry up to 288 Hellfire missiles, so it’s capable of destroying 288 tanks.

Other options like the Stinger, the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radiation missiles were added after the introduction of the helicopter. In recent years, the AH-64s are also equipped with the MBDA Brimstone anti-armor missiles and the Spike NLOS missiles. It’s worth to note that there have been successful tests on using a small laser weapon on the helicopter.

When it comes to armament, the Apache looks perfect, too! The helicopter is capable of close combat attacks, and that’s why it has a 30 mm M230E1 Chain Gun mounted on it.

A standard layout of missiles would be the AGM-114 anti-tank missiles and the Hydra 70 general-purpose unguided 70 mm rockets. A battalion of 18 Apaches can carry up to 288 Hellfire missiles, so it’s capable of destroying 288 tanks.

Other options like the Stinger, the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radiation missiles were added after the introduction of the helicopter. In recent years, the AH-64s are also equipped with the MBDA Brimstone anti-armor missiles and the Spike NLOS missiles. It’s worth to note that there have been successful tests on using a small laser weapon on the helicopter.

The Kh-31 cruise missile for example is capable enough to hit ships in a range of 800 miles. The Ka-52 has a 30 mm cannon mounted and can carry up to 12 Vikhr anti-tank missiles which can penetrate up to 950mm and 1000 mm of armor in a range of 20 miles. Other options are the unguided rockets or the Igla-V air-to-air missiles.

Which One Is The More Lethal Attack Helicopter?

Both aircraft are excellent helicopters that made a revolution in their military department. With the new features and modern technologies they carry, they set a new standard for the efficiency and reliability of attack helicopters. The AH-64 is the most classic attack helicopter of the US Army, while the Ka-52 is the most iconic one after the Cold War for the Russians.

Although, the Alligator is a very impressive aircraft with many outstanding capabilities and armament, the Apache wins—not by much. The Ka-52 has advanced enough systems that it usually performs as the aerial command post for a group of helicopters, thus it detects targets and coordinates attack operations. But, the most upgraded version of the AH-64, the AH-64E is the best on the game right now and has proved itself in the battlefield.