Apache Air To Air Missile

[Lalo Scalf]

AIR TO SURFACE MISSILES APACHE (ANTI-RUNWAY CRUISE MISSILE) Apache is Europe's first operational conventional warhead air-to-ground missile which can be launched from outside of the range of all anti-aircraft defences. It can hit a variety of targets, day or night, and is fired from 140km away thus reducing the dangers for the pilot and crew. This stealthy air-to-ground standoff missile can be launched from the Mirage 2000, or the Rafale, both aircraft of the French Air Forces to neutralise enemy air bases and ensure the control of the skies necessary for troop deployment.

The Apache AP weighs 1,230kg and is powered by a TRI 60-30 turbojet, and is designed for carrying and ejecting ten KRISS sub-munitions to neutralise airfield runways. The detonation of each of the ten KRISS sub-munitions, which are designed to penetrate concrete, can be programmed in order to prevent repair work being carried out and thus neutralise the airfield for a longer period of time. The Apache AP is a stealth missile, with a low level of vulnerability achieved by its radar and infrared profiles (materials, shapes and propulsion), its contour hugging flight at very low altitude (weak signature "drowned out" by ground echoes) and the optimisation of its flight path with regard to defence systems (extremely detailed mission planning). The quality of its navigational abilities combine with its terminal accuracy to make it extremely effective.

I have no clue. I had just fired a Hellfire and destroyed a T-55, then they quit. The message was "MSL NOT RDY". To the best of my ability I did not mess with anything. Basically, one missile fired OK and the next wouldn't.

But IMHO the first and the third would not make much sense cause you want to tell the missile by PRI (standard using Channel 1) to look for that laser code (laser code preset assigned to channel) and on ALT (standard using Channel 2) want to have a different code for Hellfire rippel fire mode (not going into detail here).

Channels 3 and 4 are like 1 and 2 just like "favourites". So you put four different laser code presets on the four Channels to have the most variability. For example: own ship LRFD code; buddy Apache laser code; JTAC laser code; A10 FAC(A) laser code.

There is some condition-based logic that governs whether it can be switched between SAL and RF, but I meant to say that there is no reason why any player should not have it on SAL since there is no other missile type available. It's like if I were to tell the OP they need to switch the missile type to AMRAAM.

The SCALP EG and its variants are a series of French-made air-launched cruise missiles. Variants of the missile have been customized and sold to the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. France has also developed and deployed a sea-launched version for use on its naval ship and submarines.

Missile Threat brings together a wide range of information and analyses relating to the proliferation of cruise and ballistic missiles around the world and the air and missile defense systems designed to defeat them. Missile Threat is a product of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

I am aware that the Wildcat AH1, Merlin HC3/4 and AH1 Longbow share the same defensive systems that can detect IR missile launch. However, I have yet to find any information suggesting any of these aircraft can detect an IR lock from a fire control system of another aircraft.

Visual and Infrared are not easily detectable because they are passive. The IR Launcher or TV-Guided missile only requires the targets emission to lock onto, not its own in the example above, so there is no way you can detect being locked onto.

It took me a little Googling, but I found one: the Netherlands intends to equip their AH-64Ds with the AN/AAR-57A(V)7 Common Missile Warning System, a system that's capable of detecting infrared missile launches. The CMWS can be used in concert with systems like the AN/ALQ-212 to actively jam incoming infrared missiles.

Always identified with state-of-the-art sensors and precision guidance systems, as well as lethal air-to-surface missiles like the Hellfire, the Apache will now boast a precision weapon with more than four times the range of the iconic missile.

Over the course of five days in December 2023, testers fired eight full-up rounds in a variety of test scenarios at the proving ground: day and night shots, against both moving and static targets such as a mock SA-22 and a Dodge Dakota truck, at different distances, from hovers close up to more than 30 kilometers away.

In more than one fire, the Apache dropped down in altitude and even turned 180 degrees as the missile sped toward its target to intentionally lose link with the round to verify it would still hit the target on its automatic track: the link was reestablished before impact in one test and intentionally not reestablished in another.

The Spike missile is also able to disable the warhead mid-flight, and one test verified this, hitting a target board like a slug. The test included acoustic sensors to gather sound data on its impact.

Information gathered during the test will not only validate fielding the weapon, but also contribute new insights into reconfiguring existing pods on the Apache to accommodate more missiles, as well as in training combat pilots on how to use the Spike for maximum effect.

Lockheed Martin and the US Army have demonstrated the integration of Rafael Spike non-line-of-sight (NLoS) multi-purpose, EO missile system with Boeing Apache AH-64E V6 as part of the process to achieve Airworthiness Release (AWR) to meet Long Range Precision Munitions Directed Requirement (LRPM DR).

In mid-2024, Lockheed Martin will work with the Army to train pilots to use the system on the Apache V6 platforms. The Army said it expected the Spike NLOS LRPM DR system to be fully integrated onto all 18 Apache Echo Model V6 platforms by September 2024.

According to Shephard Defence Insight, the US Army has plans to acquire 791 AH-64Es (a combination of new and remanufactured aircraft) to fulfil its attack helicopter requirements. The service has the intention to sustain the Apache fleet through to 2040.

An AH-64 Apache helicopter assigned to the 4-2 Attack Battalion, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, fires a Hellfire missile towards a target at an air-ground range 20 miles outside of Kunsan Air Base during a Joint Air Attack combat readiness training session, June 3, 2010. Several Apache crews fired Hellfire missiles, 30mm rounds and rockets during the four day training mission. Overall, a total of 155 Hellfire missiles, 152 HE 2.75 inch rockets, 50 illumination 2.75 inch rockets and 1,560 rounds of 30 mm HE rounds were fired by the 26 Apache crews involved in the training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Pomeroy)

Three AH-64 Apache helicopter assigned to the 4-2 Attack Battalion, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, sets to fire Hellfire missiles toward a target at an air-ground range 20 miles outside of Kunsan Air Base during a Joint Air Attack combat readiness training session, June 3, 2010. Several Apache crews fired Hellfire missiles, 30mm rounds and rockets during the four day training mission. Overall, a total of 155 Hellfire missiles, 152 HE 2.75 inch rockets, 50 illumination 2.75 inch rockets and 1,560 rounds of 30 mm HE rounds were fired by the 26 Apache crews involved in the training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Pomeroy)

An AH-64 Apache helicopter assigned to the 4-2 Attack Battalion, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, fires a Hellfire missile towards a target at an air-ground range, 20 miles outside of Kunsan Air Base, during a Joint Air Attack combat readiness training session, June 3, 2010. Several Apache crews fired Hellfire missiles, 30mm rounds and rockets during the four day training mission. Overall, a total of 155 Hellfire missiles, 152 HE 2.75 inch rockets, 50 illumination 2.75 inch rockets and 1,560 rounds of 30 mm HE rounds were fired by the 26 Apache crews involved in the training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Pomeroy)

Three AH-64 Apache helicopter assigned to the 4-2 Attack Battalion, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, get ready to fire Hellfire missiles towards a target at an air-ground range, 20 miles outside of Kunsan Air Base, during a Joint Air Attack combat readiness training session, June 3, 2010. Several Apache crews fired Hellfire missiles, 30mm rounds and rockets during the four day training mission. Overall, a total of 155 Hellfire missiles, 152 HE 2.75 inch rockets, 50 illumination 2.75 inch rockets and 1,560 rounds of 30 mm HE rounds were fired by the 26 Apache crews involved in the training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Pomeroy)

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Private First Class Caleb Caulder, AH-64 Crew Chief, ensures clearance on his side of the Apache during flight here March 14. Fifteen Apaches from the Army's 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade trained with live fire over Chikdo Range, an island in the West Sea, during a joint "buddy laze" training with Kunsan F-16 pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Steven R. Doty)

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- An Apache AH-64 launches an AGM-114 Hellfire missile at a target range here March 14. Fifteen Apaches from the Army?s 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade trained with live fire over Chikdo Range, an island in the West Sea, during a joint "buddy laze" training with Kunsan F-16 pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Steven R. Doty)

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Smoke is confirmation that the AGM-114 Hellfire missile has made impact with its target here March 14. Fifteen Apaches from the Army's 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade trained with live fire over Chikdo Range, an island in the West Sea, during a joint "buddy laze" training with Kunsan F-16 pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Steven R. Doty)

The Army successfully tested the Israeli Spike non-line-of-sight (NLOS) missile system by firing two rounds from the Apache Echo Model V6 -- the most recent upgrade to the Apache helicopter, Lockheed Martin announced last week.

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