Anti-tank helicopter

Anti-tank helicopter / Anti-armor helicopter

Anti-tank helicopter (ATH), or anti-armor helicopter, is a type of armed helicopter, predominantly intended for anti-tank duties.[1]

Description

Dedicated anti-tank helicopters are usually outfitted with an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)-system with an integrated optronic targeting system. While such helicopters may be equipped with radar warning receivers (RWR), electronic countermeasures (CM), or other warning and protection systems, etc., they mainly avoid danger through evasive doctrine. The targeting system is often a roof-mounted sight (RMS / roof sight), or mast-mounted sight (MMS / mast sight) above the rotor, which allows the helicopter to scout targets largely from behind cover, while the ATGM:s allow the helicopters to engage targets at ranges beyond small arms fire, and with the margin needed for evasive action against long range weapons.

Anti-tank helicopters are often cheap and readily available scout or utility helicopters, outfitted with anti-tank systems, as opposed to more expensive multi-purpose attack helicopters, culminating in a more cost-effectivene solution to aerial anti-armor duties. Attack helicopters are also used as anti-tank helicopters periodically, but there are also dedicated anti-tank versions of certain attack helicopter models. The Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter has a dedicated anti-tank version equipped with a mast-mounted sight, in French designated Tiger HAC (Hélicoptère Anti-Char, "anti-tank helicopter"), in German originally designated PAH-2 (Panzerabwehrhubschrauber 2, "anti-armor helicopter 2").

Anti-tank helicopters after country

CountryDesignationAbbreviationHelicopterSighting systemWeapon systemNotesImage
BelgiumA109BA–Agusta A109HeliTOW (FLIR variant)4 × HeliTOW-launchers (8 × TOW)Belgium Air Force
DenmarkAS 550 C2–Eurocopter Fennec AS 550 C2HeliTOW (day variant)2 × HeliTOW-launchers (4 × TOW)Danish Army Air Corps
FranceSA.313B–Aérospatiale Alouette II SA 313 B–4 × Nord AS.11French Army Air Corps
FranceSA.316B–Aérospatiale Alouette III SA 316 BAPX-Bézu 260[2]4 × Nord AS.11French Army Air Corps
FranceSA.3164 Alouette-Canon–Aérospatiale Alouette III SA 3164APX-Bézu 260[2]4 × Nord AS.11Export
FranceSA.341F–Aérospatiale Gazelle SA 341 FAPX-Bézu 334[2]2 × HOT-1
2 × HOT-2		French Army Air Corps
FranceSA.342M–Aérospatiale Gazelle SA 342 MBendix-SFIM APX M 397[2]4 × HOT-1
4 × HOT-2		French Army Air Corps
FranceSA.342M1–Aérospatiale Gazelle SA 342 MViviane[2]4 × HOT-2
4 × HOT-3		French Army Air Corps
FranceSA.365–Aérospatiale SA-365 Dauphin/PantherBendix-SFIM APX M 397 / Viviane[2]4 × HOT-2
4 × M65 TOW-launchers (8 × TOW)		Export
FranceTiger Hélicoptère Anti-CharTiger HACEurocopter Tiger EC-665 HACOsiris[3]2 × HOT-3 twin-launchers (4 × HOT-3)
8 × HOT-3
8 × AC 3G TRIGAT-LR		French Army Air Corps
GermanySA.313B–Aérospatiale Alouette II SA 313 B–4 × Nord AS.11Bundeswehr
GermanyPanzerabwehrhubschrauber 1PAH-1MBB Bo 105Bendix-SFIM APX M 3976 × HOT-1Bundeswehr
GermanyPanzerabwehrhubschrauber 1 A1PAH-1A1MBB Bo 105Bendix-SFIM APX M 3976 × HOT-2Bundeswehr
GermanyPanzerabwehrhubschrauber 1 A2PAH-1A2MBB Bo 105Pietzsch Automatisierungstechnik ELVIS6 × HOT-2
6 × HOT-3		Prototype
GermanyPanzerabwehrhubschrauber 2PAH-2Eurocopter Tiger EC-665 UHT/KHTOsiris[3]8 × HOT-3
8 × PARS 3 LR		Bundeswehr
GermanyBo 105 PanzerabwehrhubschrauberBo 105 PAH / Bo 105 PMBB Bo 105 CBBendix-SFIM APX M 3976 × HOT-1Export
GermanyBo 105 TOW-MBB Bo 105 CBHughes/British Aerospace TOW roof sight[2]4 × M65 TOW-launchers (8 × TOW)[2]Export
GermanyBK 117 A-3M-MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 A-3MBendix-SFIM APX M 397 roof sight + Hughes/British Aerospace TOW mast sight[2]4 × M65 TOW-launchers (8 × TOW)[2]
Export
ItalyA 109A–Agusta A 109ASFIM APX M 3972 × M65 TOW-launchers (4 × TOW)Export
North Korea*H-500E–Hughes 500E–4 × AT-3 Sagger clonesNorth Korean Army
RomaniaIAR-316B–Aérospatiale Alouette III–6 × MalyutkaRomanian Army
RomaniaIAR-317 Skyfox–Aérospatiale Alouette III–6 × MalyutkaPrototype
Saudi ArabiaAH-6 Little Bird–McDonnell Douglas 530chin-mounted sight4 × TOW
4 × Hellfire		Saudi Arabian Army
Saudi ArabiaMH-58D Combat Scout–Bell 406CS Combat ScoutHeliTOW2 × HeliTOW-launchers (4 × TOW)Saudi Arabian Army
South Korea500MD Defender–McDonnell Douglas 500 Defendernose-mounted sight4 × TOWSouth Korean Army
South Korea520MK Black Tiger–McDonnell Douglas 520MK Black Tigerchin-mounted sight4 × TOW
4 × Hellfire		South Korean Army
South KoreaLAH-1 Miron–KAI LAH-1 Mironnose-mounted sight4 × TAipersSouth Korean Army
Swedenpansarvärnshelikopter 3Apvhkp 3AAgusta-Bell 204/205reflector sight6 × robot 53 Bantamdemonstrator 1966
Swedenpansarvärnshelikopter 9Apvhkp 9AMBB Bo 105 CBSHeliTOW (day variant)2 × HeliTOW-launchers (4 × TOW)Swedish Army Air Corps
UKScout AH.1–Westland Scout–4 × Nord AS.11British Army Air Corps
UKLynx AH.1 (TOW)–Westland LynxHughes/British Aerospace TOW roof sight4 × M65 TOW-launchers (8 × TOW)
8 × Hellfire		British Army Air Corps
USAUH-1B Iroquois–Bell UH-1 Iroquois–6 × AGM-22 ATGM:sUS Army
USAUH-1C Iroquois–Bell UH-1 Iroquois–6 × AGM-22 ATGM:s
6 × TOW		US Army
USAMH-6 Little Bird–McDonnell Douglas 530chin-mounted sight4 × TOW
4 × Hellfire		US Army
USAAH-6 Little Bird–McDonnell Douglas 530chin-mounted sight4 × TOW
4 × Hellfire		US Army
USAOH-58D Kiowa WarriorKWBell 406mast-mounted sight4 × M65 TOW-launchers (8 × TOW)[2]
4 × Hellfire[2]		US Army
USAAH-58D Kiowa WarriorKWBell 406mast-mounted sight4 × M65 TOW-launchers (8 × TOW)[2]
4 × Hellfire[2]		Task Force 118 (4th Squadron, 17th Cavalry)
USATexas Ranger–Bell 206L Texas RangerHughes/British Aerospace TOW roof sight2 × M65 TOW-launchers (4 × TOW)Export
USAHughes 500MD/TOW Defender–McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defendernose-mounted sight4 × TOWExport
USAHughes 500MD/MMS-TOW Defender–McDonnell Douglas MD 500 DefenderHughes/British Aerospace TOW roof sight4 × TOWExport

Anti-tank helicopter sighting systems

  • France APX-Bézu 260 – day sight[2]
  • France APX-Bézu 334 – day sight[2]
  • France Bendix-SFIM APX M 344 – day sight[2]
  • France Bendix-SFIM APX M 397 – day sight for Euromissile HOT[2]
  • France SFIM Viviane – day/night thermal sight for Euromissile HOT[2]
  • France SFIM/TRT Strix – gyro-stabilised roof-mounted infrared sight with CCD TV (charge coupled device television camera), laser rangefinder and direct

optical sight[3]

  • France SFIM/Euromep Osiris (Optical Stabilised InfraRed Integrated System) – mast-mounted sight with an IRCCD-camera (infrared charge coupled device) and laser rangefinder[3]
  • Germany Pietzsch Automatisierungstechnik ELVIS – helicopter thermal imaging sight
  • Sweden Saab-Scania Helios (1976) – gyro-stabilized sight with target marking video camera; could be integrated with (among others): BGM-71 TOW and RBS 70
  • Sweden Saab-Emerson HeliTOW (1980) – gyro-stabilized sight with laser range finder, optional night vision/FLIR, CCD sensors; designed for BGM-71 TOW
  • USA/ UK Hughes/British Aerospace TOW roof sight (1981) – helicopter roof sight for the BGM-71 TOW; nightvision introduced in 1988

See also

References

  • "Letzter Schuss" (in German). Bundeswehr. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  • "Classix: Rotor und Rakete (1982) - Bundeswehr" (in German). Bundeswehr. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  • "Classix: Panzerabwehr aus der Luft (1992) - Bundeswehr" (in German). Bundeswehr. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  • "Panzerabwehrhubschrauber" (in German). Brockhaus Enzyklopädie. Retrieved 19 December 2025.

Notes

  1. ↑ Militärisches Studienglossar Englisch Teil II/ Teil III, Deutsch – Englisch, Abkürzung Begriff, Bundessprachenamt (Stand Januar 2001) (in German). p. 283. Panzerabwehrhubschrauber (PAH) – antiarmor helicopter, antitank helicopter (ATH)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Bill Gunston, Mike Spick (1991). Modern Fighting Helicopters. pp. 84, 85, 92, 93, 97, 98, 128, 130, 131, 172. ISBN 1855011646.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "TIGER ATTACK HELICOPTER, GERMANY" (PDF). aviatorsdatabase.com. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
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