Th? Atl?s/D?n?l AH-2 R??iv?lk is ?n ???l? ?x?m?l? ?? h?w S??th A??ic? s?cc?ss??ll? ??ilt ?? its ?wn ??ms in??st??.
Th? Atl?s (n?w D?n?l) AH-2 R??iv?lk (R?? K?st??l) is in m?n? w??s ? l???c? ?? S??th A??ic?’s ?????t t? ??v?l?? ?n in?i??n??s ??ms in??st?? ??? t? th? int??n?ti?n?l ??ms ?m????? th?t w?s in ????ct th????h??t th? 1970s ?n? 1980s. As ? ??s?lt, S??th A??ic?’s in??st?? ???w si?ni?ic?ntl? ?n? t???? th? n?ti?n is ? m?j?? ?l???? in ??ms ?????cti?n.
D?n?l AH-2 R??iv?lk – S??th A??ic?n Att?ck H?lic??t??:
D?v?l??m?nt ?? th? AH-2 R??iv?lk ????n ?t Atl?s ?s th? ?i?st ??m?stic?ll? ?????c?? ?tt?ck h?lic??t?? in th? ???l? 1970s. Th? ??????m initi?ll? inv?lv?? th? XH-1 Al?h? ?n? XTP-2 B?t?, which s??v?? ?s s?st?m t?st-???s ?n? c?nc??t-???vin? ?l?t???ms. This l?? t? th? ??v?l??m?nt ?? th? R??iv?lk ???t?t???, ??i?in?ll? ??si?n?t?? th? XH-2 (Ex???im?nt?l H?lic??t?? 2), which m??? its m?i??n ?li?ht in 1990.
This w?s ????si?n?t?? th? CSH-2 (C?m??t S?????t H?lic??t?? 2) ?????? ? s?c?n? ???t?t???, th? A?v?nc?? D?v?l??m?nt M???l (ADM), w?s ?????c?? ?n? t?st?? with n?w ?vi?nics ?n? w????ns s?st?ms. B? ???????nc? this w?s ? c?m?l?t?l? n?w ?l?t???m, ??t it w?s in ??ct v??? m?ch ??s?? ?n th? S??th A??ic?n O??x ?tilit? h?lic??t??—its?l? ? ??v??s?-?n?in????? ?n? ???????? v??si?n ?? th? F??nch A???s??ti?l? P?m?.
Th? ?in?l ??s?lt ???v?? t? ?? i???l ??? S??th A??ic?’s n???s ?n? w?s ??si?n?t?? th? AH-2 R??vi?lk. Th? S??th A??ic?n Ai? F??c? (SAAF) ??????? ? ??z?n ?? th? ch?????s ?n? th? ?i?st ?? th?s? ?nt???? s??vic? in J?l? 1999.
Whil? S??th A??ic? ?nl? ?????t?s tw?lv? AH-2s, incl??in? ???????? v??si?ns, th? ?l?t???m h?s ???v?n t? ?? ??li??l? ?n? w?ll s?it?? t? th? h??sh A??ic?n ?nvi??nm?nt. A ??si?n ???t??? ?? th? R??iv?lk is its ??ilit? t? ?????t? ??? ???l?n??? ???i??s with??t s??histic?t?? s?????t. T????, th? h?lic??t??s ???m ???t ?? th? N?. 16 S??????n ?t Bl??ms???it Ai? F??c? B?s? n??? Bl??m??nt?in.
Th? h?lic??t?? ???t???s ? t?n??m c?ck?it l????t, st??????? t?il ??t?? with ? ???t t?il?l?n?, ? ?ix?? wh??l?? ?n???c???i??? with wi?? c?tt??s ???v? ?n? ??l?w th? c?ck?it ?n? ?n th? ?n???c???i???. Acc???in? t? Milit???-T????, it is ??w???? ?? tw? T????m?c? M?kil? 1K2 t????sh??ts, which ???vi?? 2,301 h??s???w??. Th? c??is? s???? is 173 m?h (278 km/h) ?n? it h?s ? m?xim?m s???? ?? 192 m?h (209 km/h). Th? wᴀʀ?i??’s ??n?? is 460 mil? (740 kim) ?n? ? s??vic? c?ilin? ?? 20,000 ???t (6,100 m??t??s) with ? ??t? ?? c?im? ?? 2,620 ?t/min. (13.3 m/s).
It ?ls? h?s ? c??sh-??sist?nt st??ct??? ?n? is ??si?n?? ??? st??lth with l?w ?????, vis??l, in?????? ?n? ?c??stic si?n?t???s.
Th? AH-2 R??iv?lk s??v?s ?s ? m?lti??l? ?tt?ck h?lic??t?? th?t c?n ???vi?? ???i?l ??c?nn?iss?nc?, h?li???n? ?sc??t, cl?s? ?i? s?????t, ???? ??n?t??ti?n ?n? ?nti-??m?? ?tt?cks. Th? ?il?t ?n? c?-?il?t/??nn?? h?v? ???l c?nt??ls ?n? m?lti?l? LCD ?is?l??s incl??in? ?n? ??? th???t wᴀʀnin?. Whil? th??? is n? h???-?? ?is?l??, th? AH-2 ???t???s ? ????-st??iliz?? t????t ?t th? n?s?, which ?????s ?n ??t?m?tic t????t ??t?cti?n ?n? t??ckin? s?st?m. It inc??????t?s ? l?s?? ??n???in???, ???wᴀʀ?-l??kin? in???-??? ?n? TV c?m???, whil? th? tw? c??wm?n ??ch h?v? ? h?lm?t-m??nt?? si?ht s?st?m.
Th? ch????? is ??m?? with ? sin?l? F2 20mm c?nn?n (???i???? with 700 ???n?s), ?i?ht ?? sixt??n M?k??? ZT-6 l?n?-??n?? ?nti-t?nk ??i??? missil?s (ATGM)—simil?? t? th? U.S. H?ll?i?? missil?s—???? MBDA Mist??l ?i?-t?-?i? missil?s, ?n? thi?t?-?i?ht ?? s?v?nt?-six 70mm ??ck?ts ??l?in? ?in ???i?l ??ck?ts (FFAR) ?? W???-A???n? (WA) FZ80 70mm WA.
Whil? th? S??th A??ic?n m?n???ct????s h?v? ??????? th? R??iv?lk ??? s?l?—incl??in? t? th? Unit?? Kin???m ?n? B??zil—it w?s with??t s?cc?ss. D?s?it? th? c????iliti?s ?? th? h?lic??t??, incl??in? its ??ilit? t? ??????m ? l??? ?n? ?l? m?m?nt??il? “??si?? ??wn,” it is still ?????t?? s?l?l? ?? S??th A??ic?. It w?s ???l???? with th? SAAF ?s ???t ?? th? Unit?? N?ti?ns F??c? Int??v?nti?n B?i???? t? s?????t th? UN’s O???niz?ti?n St??iliz?ti?n Missi?n in th? D?m?c??tic R????lic ?? C?n?? in 2013, wh??? tw? ?? th? AH-2s t??k ???t in ?cti?n n??? Ch?nz?, th?s ???vin? th? c?m??t c????iliti?s ?? S??th A??ic?’s in?i??n??s “R?? K?st??l.”