| AH-64 Apache |
versus |
Challenger 2 |
|
Picture Author: Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army - by Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway
Wikimedia Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AH-64D_Apache_Longbow.jpg
Main Source: US Army Official Website - www.army.mil - via Web Archive (web.archive.org)
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| Attack helicopter |
Type |
Main battle tank |
|
|
|
| April 1986-present |
Service Period and Status |
1998–present |
|
Unit cost:
AH-64A: US$20 million (2007)
AH-64D: US$33M (2010)
AH-64E: US$35.5M (FY2014) |
Program & Unit Cost |
Unit cost
£4,217,000 |
|
| 1983–present |
Production Period |
1993–2002 |
|
| 2,000 as of June 2013 |
Number Built |
~446 |
|
| AgustaWestland Apache |
Variants |
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|
| 30 September 1975 |
First Flight |
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|
Empty weight:
11,387 lb / 5,165 kg
Loaded weight:
17,650 lb / 8,000 kg
Max. takeoff weight:
23,000 lb / 10,433 kg |
Mass / Weight / Displacement |
62.5 tonnes / 61.5 long tons / 68.9 short tons
75.0 tonnes / 73.8 long tons / 82.7 short tons combat ready weight with add-on armour modules |
|
Fuselage length:
49 ft 5 in / 15.06 m
Length with both rotors turning:
58.17 ft / 17.73 m |
Length |
8.3 m / 27 ft 3 in
13.50 m / 44 ft 3 in with gun forward |
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|
Width / Beam |
3.5 m / 11 ft 6 in
4.2 m / 13 ft 9 in) with add-on armour modules |
|
| 12.7 ft / 3.87 m |
Height |
2.49 m / 8 ft 2 in |
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|
Ground Clearance |
0.5 m / 1 ft 8 in |
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| 2 (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner) |
Crew |
4 (commander, gunner, loader/operator, driver) |
|
2 × General Electric T700-GE-701 turboshafts, 1,690 shp (1,260 kW)
upgraded to T700-GE-701C (for AH-64A/D from 1990), 1,890 shp (1,409 kW) each |
Powerplant |
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|
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Fuel Capacity |
1,592 litres / 350 imp gal / 421 US gal |
|
| 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor in non-orthogonal alignment |
Rotor Systems |
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| 48 ft 0 in / 14.63 m |
Rotor Diameter |
|
|
| 1,809.5 ft² / 168.11 m² |
Disc Area |
|
|
| 9.80 lb/ft² / 47.9 kg/m² |
Disc Loading |
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|
Never exceed speed:
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 |
Speed |
59 km/h / 37 mph on road
40 km/h / 25 mph off road |
|
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 |
Operational Range |
550 km / 340 mi on road
250 km / 160 mi off road on internal fuel |
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| 21,000 ft / 6,400 m minimum loaded |
Service Ceiling |
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|
| 2,500 ft/min / 12.7 m/s |
Rate of Climb |
|
|
| 0.18 hp/lb / 0.31 kW/kg |
Power-to-Weight Ratio |
19.2 hp/t (14.3 kW/t) at 62.5t
16.0 hp/t (11.9 kW/t) at 75.0t |
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|
Armament |
Main armament:
L30A1 120 mm rifled gun with 47 rounds
Secondary armament:
Coaxial 7.62 mm L94A1 chain gun EX-34 (chain gun)
7.62 mm L37A2 Operator/Loader's hatch machine gun |
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Armor |
Chobham / Dorchester Level 2 (classified) |
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Engine |
1,200 bhp (890 kW) Perkins CV12-6A V12 diesel 26.1 litre |
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Transmission |
David Brown TN54E epicyclic transmission (6 fwd, 2 rev.) |
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Suspension |
Hydropneumatic suspension |
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