7 Most Advanced Combat Helicopters in the World 2024: Apache Guardian Still on Top?

JAKARTA – There will be at least seven most sophisticated combat helicopters by 2024. These helicopters come from various countries and are equipped with powerful capabilities.

Military combat helicopters were initially only used for troop transport. However, as time went by, helicopters began to be developed into a fleet that was as deadly as fighter jets.

7 Most Advanced Combat Helicopters

1. Agusta A129 Mangusta

Agusta A129 Mangusta or A129 is an attack helicopter designed and manufactured by Agusta in Italy. This helicopter is the first combat helicopter designed and produced in Western Europe.

Reporting from Aero Time, this helicopter is equipped with standard NATO weapons such as Hellfire and TOW ATGM. A total of 60 A129 units have been produced, with more than 30 of them still in active service today.

2. Kam’s Ka-52

The Kamov Ka-50 “Black Shark” is a single-seat Russian attack combat helicopter with a coaxial system rotor from the Kamov design bureau. Currently, this helicopter is recorded as having the highest maneuverability in the world.

With its advanced battlefield management system, the Ka-52 can perform a command and control role for the larger group of Mi-24 and Mi-28 helicopters as a detector and target marker. It is not surprising that this helicopter from Russia has many fans, Egypt and North Macedonia are two countries that already have this fleet.

3. TAI T129 ATAK

This helicopter from Türkiye was inspired by the sophistication of the Agusta A129 Mangusta. The helicopter developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is equipped with a 20 mm gatling gun and can carry 70 mm (2.75 in) rockets.

With interest from many countries, such as Qatar, Pakistan and Brazil, the T129 is an international version that appears to be more successful than its Italian predecessor.

4. Eurocopter Tiger

The Eurocopter Tiger is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter that first entered service in 2003. This helicopter, produced by Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter), is the most successful and widespread European design.

The Tiger can be equipped with a variety of weaponry including rockets, cannons, and a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles controlled via a special weapons control computer.

5. Bell AH-1Z Viper

The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the AH-1W SuperCobra. This helicopter, developed by Bell Helicopter, combines new rotor technology with upgraded military avionics, weapons systems, and electro-optical sensors in an integrated weapons platform.

This improvement was successful in increasing survivability and being able to find targets at longer distances and attack them with precision weapons.

6. Mil Mi-28NM Havoc

The Mil Mi-28 is an all-weather, anti-armored attack helicopter made by Russia’s Mill. The helicopter is equipped with a chin-mounted NPPU-28 turret with a Shipunov 2A42 30 mm automatic cannon.

The weapon has selective firing and double feed, allowing a cyclic rate of fire between 200 and 800 rounds per minute. The effective range varies from 1,500 meters for ground vehicles to 2,500 meters for air targets.

7. Top – 1 AH-64E Apache Guardian

The Apache is the most numerous and widespread attack helicopter in the Western world and its allies. To date, more than 2,400 units have been built for the US and its partners, with 18 operators by 2024.

As the most experienced and proven Western fighter aircraft in its category today, the Apache has been involved in every major American and NATO conflict since its introduction.

The AH-64E Apache Guardian is the newest and most advanced variant of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter series. It is an upgraded version of the previous AH-64D Apache Longbow variant with upgraded engines, and new composite rotor blades.

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