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Warmatrix

War Matrix - Attack helicopter

Cold War 1945 CE - 1991 CE, Weapons and technology

AH-64 Apache firing a missile
AH-64 Apache firing a missile
An attack helicopter, sometimes called a 'gunship', is a helicopter specifically designed for ground attacks. It carries a lot of firepower and is often armored too.
The first armed helicopters appeared in the late 1950's CE. These were transport helicopters equipped with machine guns and/or rockets. In 1967 CE the first dedicated attack helicopter was developed, the Bell AH-1 Cobra. Others followed. In the Vietnam War they played a vital role for the USA in fighting its enemy on the ground. They saw extensive use in the Yom Kippur War, the Soviet-Afghan War and the Gulf War.
Modern attack helicopters have cruising speeds of about 250 - 300 kilometers per hour, with maximum speeds 15% - 30% higher. They have a combat range of 450 - 800 kilometers and carry a few tons of fuel and weaponry, including cannons and rockets. At first these were suitable against 'soft' targets, but around 1970 CE specialized anti-tank missiles were added to the arsenal. Several types of attack helicopters were designed as tank-killers. By the 1990's CE they had become the primary anti-tank weapon.
Because they fly relatively low and slow, they are vulnerable to even small anti-aircraft fire and attacks by airplanes. Therefore attack helicopters are armored, though this does not make them invulnerable. Battle simulations have shown that gunships have the potential to destroy more expensive enemy tanks a lot faster that they themselves are destroyed, but these simulations are yet to be tested in large scale battles.