A Filipino pilot based in Australia said the ideal
procurement of an attack helicopter for the Philippine military is to buy the Bell
AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopter (AH)
Apache.
than the Bell AH-1 Super Cobra or Boeing AH-64
Denmark Suede told this writer that with a limited budget
of P13.8 billion for a purchase of a squadron of these combat choppers, the
offer of Bell to buy five of its Vipers and the remaining seven funded by soft loan
was the best gesture.
“Plus magbibigay
ang U.S ng Whiskey (Super Cobra) na one squadron (10 to 12 helicopters). The
U.S offer is the best offer,” he said in Filipino.
He cited that Turkey Aerospace Industry (TAI), the maker
of T-129 attack chopper, offers loan too to the Philippines to buy their
product.
A pilot and a pilot-gunner operate each of the attack
helicopters.
ATTACK CHOPPERS FOR PH. Clockwise above: U.S Bell AH-1 Z Viper
Attack Helicopter (AH), U.S Boeing Apache AH, Turkey Aerospace Industry’s T-129 ATAK, and U.S Bell AH-W Super Cobra.
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Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Technical Working Group of the
Philippines Air Force (PAF) recommended in 2018 to purchase the T-129.
“But they could
only get “less than 10” units with their budget,” he said.
Last December 2019, Boeing offered to sell a squadron of
AH-64 Apache to the Philippines.
The country has a budget of P13.8 billions for a squadron of
attack choppers as mandated by the Horizon-I of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Modernization Act (RAFPMA) or what is known as Republic Act 10349, that covered years 2013 to 2017.
.
According to a military website, Super Cobra AH W or
Whiskey, AH-1Z Viper, Apache, and T-129 have price tags of US$10.7 million (2007)/
P535 million (AH-W), US$27 million/P1.350 billion (refurbished Viper) or US$31
million/ P1.55 billion (newly built Viper), $40 million/P2 billion (Apache), $50
million/PP2.5 billion (T-129), respectively.
DefenseTurkey.com cited that the $50, 000 or P2.5 billion
price tag apiece of T-129 includes the comprehensive packages of logistics, munitions, spare parts,
ground support equipment and training.
The publication about the other choppers did not provide
if their prices included as those packages on T-129.
SUPER COBRA
The Bell AH-1 Super Cobra, according to Wikipidea, is a
twin-engine attack helicopter based on the United States Army's single-engine
AH-1 Cobra. The twin Cobra family, itself part of the larger Huey family,
includes the AH-1J Sea Cobra, the AH-1T Improved Sea Cobra, and the AH-1W Super
Cobra. The AH-1W, the backbone of the United States Marine Corps' attack
helicopter fleet for decades, is being replaced by the next generation Bell
AH-1Z Viper.
VIPER
The Bell AH-1Z Viper is an American twin-engine attack
helicopter, based on the AH-1W Super Cobra, that was developed for the United
States Marine Corps as part of the H-1 upgrade program, according to Model
Designation of Military Aerospace Vehicles by the US. The AH-1Z features a
four-blade, bearing less, composite main rotor system, uprated transmission,
and a new target sighting system. The AH-1Z, one of the latest members of the
prolific Bell Huey family, is also called "Zulu Cobra", based on the
military phonetic alphabet pronunciation of its variant letter.
T-129 ATAK
The TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK, according to airforce-
technology.com, is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack
helicopter based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform. Turkish Aerospace
Industries (TAI) developed the T129 with partner AgustaWestland. The helicopter
is designed for advanced attack and reconnaissance missions in hot and high
environments and rough geography in both day and night conditions.
AH-64 APACHE
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft
attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem
cockpit for a crew of two. 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, and four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons for carrying armament
and stores, typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70
rocket pods. The AH-64 has significant systems redundancy to improve combat
survivability.
The United States has lifted out recently its sanction on Turkey thus the supply of U.S made engines LHTEC
T800, made by a consortium of British’s Rolls Royce and U.S Honeywell, for
T-129 have returned to business with foreign
buyers.
The two pilots’ capable helicopter is heavily armored
plated especially on its belly and rotors that could sustain blast against
12.7mm armor-piercing rounds projectiles while it carries its three-barrel
rotary cannon (500 rounds) and hard points.
SUPER COBRA
The performances of the AH-1W Super Cobra, according to the International Directory of Military Aircraft, are maximum speed: 190 knots
(218 mph, 352 km/h), Range: 317 nmi (365 mi, 587 km); Service ceiling: 12,200
ft (3,720 m), and; Rate of climb: 1,620 ft/min (8.2 m/s).
Its armaments are: M197 3-barreled Gatling cannon in the
A/A49E-7 turret (750 rounds ammo capacity); 2.75 in (70 mm) Hydra 70 or APKWS
II[55] rockets – Mounted in LAU-68C/A (7 shot) or LAU-61D/A (19 shot)
launchers; 5 in (127 mm) Zuni rockets – 8 rockets in two 4-round LAU-10D/A
launchers; TOW missiles – Up to 8 missiles mounted in two 4-round XM65 missile
launchers, one on each outboard hardpoint; AGM-114 Hellfire missiles – Up to 8
missiles mounted in two 4-round M272 missile launchers, one on each outboard
hardpoint, and; AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles – 1 mounted on each
outboard hardpoint (total of 2).
Australia based pilot Denmark Suede and author at the latter Talk Radio 101. |
VIPER
The performances of the Viper, according to Wikipidea,
are never exceeded speed of 222 knots (255 mph, 411 km/h) in a dive; Cruise
speed: 160 kt (184 mph, 296 km/h); Range: 370 nmi (426 mi, 685 km; Combat
radius: 125 nmi (144 mi, 231 km) with 2,500 lb (1,130 kg) payload; Service
ceiling: 20,000+ ft (6,000+ m); Rate of climb: 2,790 ft/min (14.2 m/s).
In terms of armaments. It has the following: Guns: 1 × 20
mm (0.787 in) M197 three-barreled rotary cannon in the A/A49E-7 turret (750
round ammo capacity); Hardpoints: Up to 6 pylon stations on stub wing; Rockets:
2.75 in (70 mm) Hydra 70 or APKWS II[52] rockets – Mounted in LAU-68C/A (7
shot) or LAU-61D/A (19 shot) launchers (up to 76 unguided or 28 guided rockets
total); Missiles: AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles – 1 mounted on each wing
tip station (total of 2), AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles – Up to 16
missiles mounted in four 4-round M272 missile launchers, two on each wing.
T-129 ATAK
Its performances are maximum speed: 278 km/h (151 knots,
174 mph); Cruise speed: 269 km/h (145 knots, 167 mph); Range: 561 km (303 nmi,
341 mi); Ferry range: 1,000 km (540 nmi, 620 mi)
• Service ceiling: 6,096 m (20,000 ft), and; Rate of
climb: 14.0 m/s (2,750 ft/min).
The T-129 armaments are: Guns: 1× M197 20x102 mm (0.787
in) three-barrel rotary cannon (500 rounds), Hardpoints: Provisions to carry
combinations of: Rockets: maximum 4 pods with 38× 81 mm (3.19 in) unguided
rockets or 76× 70 mm (2.75 in) unguided rockets or 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine
gun pod, Missiles: 8× AGM-114 Hellfire, BGM-71 TOW, Hydra 70, Spike-ER, UMTAS,
OMTAS, anti-tank and anti-armor missiles and Sura D/Snora; 12x Roketsan Cirit,
and; 2× AIM-92 Stinger or Mistral or AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles.
APACHE
The AH-64 Apache performances are never exceeded speed of
197 knots (227 mph, 365 km/h); Maximum speed: 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h);
Cruise speed: 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h); Range: 257 nmi (295 mi, 476 km)
with Longbow radar mast; Combat radius: 260 nmi (300 mi, 480 km); Ferry range:
1,024 nmi (1,180 mi, 1,900 km); Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m) minimum
loaded; Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s); Disc loading: 9.80 lb/ft2 (47.9
kg/m2), and ; Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg)
It has armaments of Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 Chain
Gun with 1,200 rounds as part of the Area Weapon Subsystem; Hardpoints: Four
pylon stations on the stub wings. Longbows also have a station on each wingtip
for an AIM-92 Stinger twin missile pack; Rockets: Hydra 70 70 mm, CRV7 70 mm,
and APKWS 70 mm[71] air-to-ground rockets; Missiles: Typically AGM-114 Hellfire
variants; AIM-92 Stinger and Spike missiles may also be carried.
READ MY OTHER BLOG/COLUMN:
Why PH dawdles on her defense versus China
(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)
Emmanuel Yoractiwel: Bili lang ng bili ng attack helicopter good investment for future threat
ReplyDeleteEmmanuel Yoractiwel: Basta brand new ang bibilihin na attack helicopters updated at upgraded
Genevic Prieto Sumaling: first of all...NO ONE SHOULD DICTATE our military since only our soldiers know what they requires...the australians dont know our battle grounds, way of fighting and enemy fighting attitudes...
Jason DeGuzman: A fanboys for russian vs amboys and other western ewuipments,
Sino nag didikta ? …Ver mรกs
Genevic Prieto Sumaling: there is no dictations within the military but themselves, before they acquire a device. they studied it carefully for its advantages and disadvantages in the field..Our military equipment are mostly NATO standard and this is way back ww2 kaya yan ang gamit ng AFP...
Romeo Acop: He is correct. We must buy the Viper.
Mar C. Ortigoza: Hi general, congressman sir. I used to interview you in Lingayen with Congressman Pol Bataoil.
Mortz C. Ortigoza: @Denmark Suede tama ka daw sabi ni retired General, Congressman Romeo Acop doon sa interview and news article ko sa iyo "Aussie Pilot Cites Ideal Attack Chopper for Ph".
My previous interview with Acop, a lawyer and member of PMA '70:
“Sir, what class are you?” I asked Acop, a lawyer.
“1970”
“Oh, your mistah (classmate) was Julius Javier (living legend and hero of the black panther commando the Scout Ranger). He just reacted last week on my blog I posted at Face Book on my article about former U.S General Colin Powel during his stint at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
“I’m still seeing Julius; we played golf together with my other “mistahs”.
After I narrated to him that I and my family lived at the RFC near the statue of “young boy” General Gregorio del Pilar when they were still firstie (graduating cadets) in the 1970,I asked Acop, a member of the Oversight Committee of Revised AFP Modernization Program, why it takes several years (2018 to 2022 of Horizon 2) for the AFP to buy a squadron or two squadrons of multiple jets like the U.S made $19 million apiece F-16 bloc C/D, Sweden made U.S $ 70 million each Saab JAS 39 Gripen, or U.S$101 million apiece French made Dassault Rafale to buttress the Philippines’ defense of her islands, and reefs at the West Philippines Sea (WPS).
“In case Congress deliberate and fund in 2017 the multi-role jets, funds will be available in 2018, order and delivery of the brand new jets will be on 2019 or 2020, baka ubos na ang isla natin sa WPS in case we keep procrastinating on buying them?"
He told me that the Revised AFP Modernization Act (RAFPMA) or Republic Act 10349 already funded all the items needed by the AFP up to the end year 2028 of the Horrizon-3.
“The ball now lays on the executive department especially the new president whether he/she supports it, " he told me
Mortz Ortigoza