Military
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| Weapons
of War: Helicopters Helicopters will play a role as the war in Afghanistan moves closer to the ground. A look at their capabilities: |
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| What it can do: | |||||||
| Can rapidly detect, classify, and engage stationary or moving enemy targets at standoff ranges in nearly all environments. | Capable of providing long-range airlifts far into hostile territory in adverse weather conditions. Can carry 11 combat-loaded, air assault troops, and move a 105 mm howitzer and 30 rounds of ammunition. | Infiltrations, exfiltrations, air assault and resupply over a wide range of conditions. | Can carry up to 38 troops and sling up to 20,000 pounds with its external cargo hook. | An advanced aerial scout with high-powered day TV and infrared optics, laser designator/tracker. The mast-mounted sight feature of the OH-58D allows the aircraft to remain concealed during observation and target designation. | |||
| Armament: | |||||||
| 16
laser-guided precision Hellfire missiles, 76 70 mm rockets, or a combination of both, and a 30 mm automatic cannon with up to 1,200 rounds of higH-explosive ammunition. |
Two 7.62 mm miniguns. | A 7.62 mm minigun and an M-60D 7.62 machine gun. | Up to three 7.62 mm miniguns or .50-caliber machine guns. | Combinations of air-to-ground Hellfire and air-to-air Stinger missiles, 2.75" folding fin aerial rocket pods, and a 0.50 caliber machine gun. | |||
| Specs: | |||||||
| Top speeds of 273 mph. and altitudes of up to 14,650 feet. | Top speeds of 184 mph. and altitudes of up to 19,000 feet. | Top speeds of 161 mph. and altitudes of up to 10,150 feet. | Top speeds of 165 mph. and altitudes of up to 16,000 feet. | Top speeds of 139 m.p.h. and altitudes of up to 19,000 feet. | |||
| Crew: | |||||||
| Two pilots. | Two pilots, one flight engineer and one gunner. | Two pilots. Can carry up to 44 troops. | Two pilots, two flight engineers and two aerial gunners. | Two pilots. | |||