Advanced Attack Helicopter
The Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) was a United States Army program to develop an advanced ground attack helicopter beginning in 1972. The Advanced Attack Helicopter program followed cancellation of the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne. After evaluating industry proposals, the AAH competition was reduced to offerings from Bell and Hughes. Following a flight test evaluation of prototypes, Hughes' YAH-64 was selected in December 1976.
A YAH-64A during a demonstration flight in 1982
Probable axes of attack of the Warsaw Pact through the Fulda Gap and the North German Plains (according to the U.S. Army)
A YAH-63A prototype
An early Hughes YAH-64A prototype with T-tail
An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they are sometimes called helicopter gunships.
A British AgustaWestland Apache helicopter fires rockets at insurgents in Afghanistan, June 2008.
Designed as a transport helicopter, the Mil Mi-4 was in some cases armed as with the Mi-4MU variant.
UH-1N armed with minigun and rocket pods
AH-56 Cheyenne prototype
