AH-99 Katlan Attack Helicopter

[Nachmere]

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General Characteristics
Origin: The Kingdom of Nachmere | The Empire of Greater Nihon
Manufacturer: Schwerpunkt | Tsukumo heavy industries
Crew: 2(Pilot, Co-Pilot/Gunner)
Length: 16.15 meters
Rotor diameter: 14.3 meters
Height: 5.4 meters(Including radar mast)
Empty weight: 8,200kg
Loaded weight: 11,270kg
Power plant: 2 NTF-888E Turbshaft, 3,000shp (2,237kW) each
Performance:
Top Speed: 435km/h (235 knots)
Cruise Speed: 405km/h (218 knots)
Ferry Range: 3,000km (1619 nautical miles)
Combat Radius: 1,000km (540 nautical miles)
Service ceiling: 21,000ft
Rate of climb: 3,346 feet per minute (17 meters per second)
Armament (multi-role):
*Gun: 30mm automatic cannon with 1,200 rounds
6 hard points and 2 pylons(total payload capacity 2,300kg)
*12XTLFFR 150 “Assassin” ATGM
*32 HLLCRS 70mm rockets
*2 AAM
*Avionics:
RADAR: NPSEA HWM-230
Radar Warning Receiver: NPSEA FRWR100C
EW and Countermeasures: NPSEA CEWS-1C
Cost per unit: 42,000,000 USD
DPR cost: 20,000,000,000 USD (highly restricted)


General

The AH-99 Katlan(translates as Orca or Killer, depending on context) was developed by Shwerpunkt to meet Royal Nachmerean Army specifications for a replacement to it's fleet of Ah-64 Apache helicopters. The specifications demanded better range, performance, and equal or greater firepower. To acquire further research funding, as well as access to advanced aerodynamics technologies, Schwerpunkt reached out to Tsukumo heavy industries, a primary maker of aerial military systems in The Empire of Greater Nihon. The helicopter is now made by both companies. In Nihonese service the AH-99 is known as the KV-214.

A highly advanced design, the AH-99 is one of the fastest and longest-ranged helicopters in the world. It has been described by one Nachmerean high ranking Army officer as "Per unit, the most expensive, lethal, and technically complicated platform ever to have entered Royal service". A Royal Air Force general, expressing the unhappiness of his branch with the Army operating what is nearly a full blown CAS aircraft, quipped "The Katlan is a fighter-bomber wearing a rotor as a mask for the budgetary committee".

The AH-99 is well suited for close air support operations, anti-armor interdiction missions, and other typical attack helicopter mission profiles. It combines extraordinary performance with highly accurate and advanced targeting and weaponry systems to engage enemy armor, infantry, and even rotary aviation.


Aerodynamics and Layout

The AH-99 is a compound helicopter (or gyrodyne), combining a coaxial rotor set up with a pusher-propeller and short wings. It also has fully a retractable landing gear.

The coaxial composite rotors are rigidly mounted, greatly simplifying the rotor assembly. The coaxial set up was chosen for its advantages in performance. Coaxial rotors generate greater lift, speed and maneuverability for the same engine power. Combining the coaxial rotors with a pusher propeller, the AH-99 essentially eliminates the problem of retreating blade stall, which prevents conventional helicopters from reaching speeds in excess of 370km/h. Thanks to its extremely powerful 3,000shp turboshaft engines, the AH-99 is indeed capable of reaching an air speed of 435km/h.

The ability to reach such speeds is owed not only to the rotor/propeller combination, but also to the small wings and extremely streamlined aerodynamic fuselage. The wings offer an 8.2 wingspan and at high speeds provide roughly 85% of the lift for the aircraft. This not only allows high speeds, but also very long range. In fact the AH-99 is capable of more than twice the flight distance of the AH-64 it replaced in Nachmerean service. This especially important when the helicopter is needed for emergency air support (and the combination of high speed and long range makes the AH-99 a very strong CAS package compared to the Apache). Another small pair of winglets is located on the "tail" of the helicopter for improved lift as well as protection of the pusher propeller.

As mentioned the AH-99 is powered by two 3,000shp turboshaft engines. The engines are a dual spool design, and are mounted on either side of the upper fuselage, encased in titanium and Kevlar protection. The engines power both the coaxial rotors and the propeller, and are capable of operating in extreme temperatures and starting without an auxiliary power unit.

The two crew members are positioned in a tandem cockpit with a bubble canopy affording excellent visibility. The gunner is seated to the front and the pilot behind him, in a slightly raised position. The canopy is sadistically protected to protect against 7.62mm caliber rounds, while the rest of the cockpit is protected against fire from kinetic threats up to 23mm cannons.
External rmament is carried on 4 wing hard-points (typically used for ATGMs or rocket pods), two underbelly hard-points (generally used for fuel tanks), and 2 wingtip pylons (for short range AAMs). The 30mm auto cannon is mounted in a 360 degree rotating turret on the underbelly, with ammunition fed from a magazine inside the helicopter.

Cockpit and Interface

The AH-99 features an all glass cockpit with HMD (Helmet Mounted Display) for both crewmen. The helmets also have a helmet mounted sight, allowing the crew to direct weapons to targets by simply looking at them. In most situations the gunner will operate the weapons while the pilot controls the aircraft, but both crewmen can control all of the systems.

Each cremen has 3 LCD screens coupled with a central control touch screen allowing him to choose what information to display where. All warnings appear on a selected warnings screen and announced by a voice system.

The helicopter has standard flight controls with a fly-by wire system which allows the pilot to take full advantage of the AH-99s abilities while maintaining safety. Both pilot and gunner are seated on ejections seats. Before ejection the rotor blades are blown off by a special system followed by the canopy at which time the crew is safely ejected.

Avionics and Sensors

The AH-99 has a variety of avionic systems installed, allowing it to identify and engage targets, and to avoid threats.

1) TIES: Target Identification and Engagement System. This system is a fire control computer which collects information from the different sensors and helps the gunner direct munitions towards targets. The system gives automatic lock on radar and infrared targets, gives automatic fire solutions for the 30mm chain gun and the 70mm rockets, and allows ”slaving” the gun or AAM to the gunners helmet mounted gunsight.

2) NPSEA HWM-230: this is millimeter wave radar located in a rotating dome above the rotor shaft. The HWM-230 allows the AH-99 to detect targets at ranges of up to 10 kilometers even in adverse weather. It is used in combination with the IIR sights to direct both the anti-tank missiles and gun. The radar can track up to 128 targets simultaneously.

3) CEWS-1C: The “Countermeasures and Electronic Warfare System” combines several sub-systems:

* FRWR100C: This is a Radar Warning Receiver which identifies tracks and classifies Radar emissions from possible threats (up to 150 km). The FRWR100 coordinates with other elements of the CEWS-1 system to allow the crew to engage and engage or evade threats quickly.

* Friend/Foe Identification system

*Electronic Countermeasures System, which automatically jams radar threats detected by the FRWR100C and missile approach warning system.

*Infra Red and Ultra Violet Missile Approach Warning System, which warns of approaching missiles and interacts with other systems to defeat them.

*Automatic Flare and Chaff dispensers, cooperates with missile approach system and FRWR to defeat incoming missiles.

3) NINE: Night Integral Navigation and Engagement is an integral all weather/low visibility navigation and ground target engagement system. One is coupled to the 30mm gun in the underbelly turret, and the other is located in the "nose" of the helicopter. The AH-99 is equipped with 2 day/night IIR devices, which have a range of 20km. Combined with the radar and a laser range finder they allow the AH-99 to navigate and engage targets at night and in adverse weather.


4) BASTION and GIN: The AH-99 is equipped with the BASTION battle management system. Using the BASTION system the AH-99 is capable of drastically increasing the reconnaissance and firepower abilities of ground forces it is attached to.

5)GIN, or GPS and Inertial Navigation, is a system that combines data from GPS as well as an inertial Navigation system to give navigation information even when the GPS system fails or the satellite signal fails.

Armament

* 30mm L80 autocannon in a rotating turret. The chain gun has a 550 rounds per minute rate of fire, and a 1120 meters per second muzzle velocity. Firing HE-Fragmentation and Armor Piercing Depleted Uranium rounds, the 25mm is capable of engaging light armor and infantry with high efficiency. The gun can be laid onto targets using either the helmet mounted sights or automatically using the radar.

*70mm HLLCRS: The High Lethality-Low Cost-Rocket System was originally developed for use on ground vehicles. The system is based on 70mm rockets that can hit targets as far as 8000 meters away from the. There are several warheads available for the HLLCRS: HE, White Phosphorous, Anti-Personnel Fleahette, HEAT (140mm RHA penetration), and Thermobaric. Each rocket pod carries 16 rockets, and the AH-99 carries 2 or 4 pods. Each pod can be loaded with different amounts of each warhead for specific missions. The gunner can select to fire a single rocket or a 4 rocket burst. The gunner can select which rockets to fire at what order. To allow fast firing, a default 4 round burst exists for any possible load. The pod continues to update the fire control about available rockets until it is empty.

*TLFFR-150 ATGM- the Tube Launched Fire and Forget or RADAR-150 “Assassin” is based on the “Hunter” GLATGM, but has many modifications. The Fire and Forget system, IIR seeker, and RADAR jammer are identical to the ones used on the “Hunter”. The RADAR system was developed for the “Assassin”, as was the radio command system. The AH-99 carries 8 or 16 missiles.

The TLFFR-150 missile is made of these main components:

1) Flight rocket engine- A solid rocket engine which is used to propel the missile out of the tube and to its target

2)A primary HEAT charge, which is used to penetrate the target.

3) A precursor HEAT charge, used to trigger NERA or ERA plates on the target and clear the way for the main charge.

4) RADAR Jammer- A combined Barrage Jamming and Digital Radio Frequency Memory jammer installed on the front of the missile.

5) A radio receiver used to receive guidance from the fire control system.

6) Imaging Infra-Red Seeker: Used to detect emissions from the target and provide information for guidance. The IIR is cooled by compressed gas.

7)Electronics Package: This includes the processing units that receive target data from the fire control, process data from the IR seeker, and control the flight of the missile.

8) Batteries: Two batteries power the electronics, seeker and servos.

9) Servos and fins: 4 fins are located at the back of the missile each controlled by a servo.

RADAR jammer:

The Jammer combines two jamming methods, the first is barrage jamming. The jammer powers up 150 meters above the target and jams in all known frequencies used by APS systems. The second is Digital Radio Frequency Memory. When a receiver on the jammer receives the first signal from the APS radar it stops jamming in all frequencies and instead sends a false return to the APS, showing multiple targets at different locations. This causes the APS to expend ammunition while still not intercepting the missile.

Operation:

The “Assassin” has 5 modes of operation. The modes are: Fire and Forget, Radio Command, Simultaneous Launch, TMOT, and Anti Helicopter

Fire and Forget- The missile is aimed by the thermal imaging system prior to launch. The fire control system transmits target data to the missile through a physical connection on the launcher. The missile is launched and the IIR seeker identifies the target. The missile than guides itself to the target and attacks it in a top-attack path. This is the standard launch mode.

Radio Command- The missile is aimed by the RADAR. The operator locks the RADAR on target and the RADAR than guides the launched missile to its target via a radio link. The missile attacks in a top-attack approach. This mode is used to engage targets at longer ranges, targets using thermal decoys, or targets using thermal reducing materials.

Simultaneous Launch- A mode meant to allow firing two missiles simultaneously. One weapons operator uses the Radio Command mode while the other uses the other uses the Fire and Forget mode. Each aims at a different target. This allows firing both missiles at the exact time. This mode is very useful in ambushing armor, as it allows destroying many tanks in the first moment of engagement.

Anti Helicopter- Essentially similar to the simultaneous, launch mode. The difference is that in this mode one weapons operator uses both systems to engage a single target. This means that two missiles are launched at the same time at the helicopter using two different guidance systems. The missiles engage the helicopter in a direct attack approach. This mode increases the chances of hit against a helicopter considerably.

TMOT- Two Missiles One Target. This mode is used against targets with very advanced countermeasures and active protection systems. It is similar to the anti-helicopter mode but the missiles engage the target in the normal top attack approach.

In addition to its arsenal of air-to-ground munitions, the AH-99 can carry 2-4 short range air-to-air missiles on wingtip pylons.

Export

The AH-99 is an immensely competent platform, and regarded as a Uniquely Advantageous Technology under the 1978 amendment to the Defense of the Realm Act. As a UAT, Shcwerpunkt is somewhat limited in ability to market the AH-99 internationally, and each sale must be approved by the authorities. Domestic production rights are available, however they are tightly controlled.

All purchases should be addressed to our main storefront.