WURCo. VI-148 Attack Helicopter

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VI-148 Attack Helicopter

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The VI-148 is a five-bladed, twin-turboshaft, tandem-seated multi-role attack helicopter produced by WURCo., a Czaslyudian arms company. It is designed primarily for anti-armor missions, but it can capably take on a short-range air defense role against slow-moving aircraft or UAVs, aid in the suppression of land-based short-range air defenses, or provide support for counterinsurgency and search-and-rescue operations.

Intended to supplant the VI-92 in an attack helicopter capacity, the VI-148 has increased agility (due to the removal of the unnecessary crew, passengers), advanced armament, and interoperability with various platforms, such as drones and ground forces for reconnaissance.

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History
The first modern use of an attack helicopter in the Czaslyudian Armed Forces was in 1990 as part of the suppression of the Korf Dabrowskite Insurgency (1989-1991). The VI-67 armed scout helicopter, a licensed copy of a foreign model, was used to provide aerial support and surveillance for the mixed army regular and police counterterrorist sweeps, and in some instances, direct fire support. The experiences in Korf did not quite highlight the difference between the transport and attack helicopter, as the passenger-capable scout helicopter led to the designing of the heavy VI-92 gunship one year later.

The VI-92 was a much-awaited program by the Czaslyudian Army and Air Forces alike, as it promised aerial mobility to the army and much-needed anti-armor ability to the air force. Upon its introduction, the VI-92 was put into action in highly mobile low-intensity conflicts, in both troop transport and ground support roles where it flourished. However, the VI-92 was prone to mechanical breakdowns when operating at the higher ranges of its purported service ceiling, susceptible to ground-based anti-aircraft guns due to its size, and could not effectively perform an attack role and transport role at the same time due to the distractions to the crew and safety to the passengers (which were less secure than the pilot/co-pilot).

Even in light of those flaws, it was ultimately its performance during the South Seas War that led to the Department of War considering an alternative to the attack helicopter role. With Operational Plan Whetstone taking effect not soon after the conclusion of the war, WURCo.'s Vikentiy Ilyich proposed a newer, slimmer attack helicopter design which at the time was labeled PVI-148.

Production
After initial testing (which was comically delayed due to a nearby Army exercise inadvertently shelling the area), the Harsk Aeronautical Plant began low-rate initial production on October 29th, 2020 to service the land and air branches of the Czaslyudian Armed Forces.

Design

Performance
The VI-148 is powered by twin WU-1626 turboshaft engines, capable of producing 1,280 horsepower each. The engine's fuel consumption of 0.311 kg/(kW·h) allows the VI-148 for a combat range of 380 kilometers at a maximum speed of 287 kilometers per hour and a never-exceed-speed of 362 kilometers per hour. The domestically-made turboshaft engine grants a rate of climb of 12 meters a second, an impressive feat. In total, these characteristics allow the VI-148 the mobility and reach to work alongside ground forces.

Survivability
For crew survivability, the VI-148 is equipped with two EN-521 ejection seats, an unusual feature for a helicopter. Prior to the boost that propels the passenger away, the canopy and rotor blades are detached via a small charge, clearing the way for the pilots.

The VI-148 incorporates several methods of increasing the survivability and lethality of the helicopter; for example, the craft's mobility and small size could be considered the first. The VI-148's survivability is also assisted by a high service ceiling of approximately 6,125 meters, which allows it to get out of reach of ground-based anti-aircraft guns and man-portable air defense systems.

To reduce its visibility, the VI-148's fuselage is made up of a material designated as WURCo. Composite 12, which is a composite mostly made up of carbon-reinforced polymer and aramid fibers as well as 11% aluminum and 6% titanium. WURCo. Composite 12 has shown to favorably reduce radar returns and infrared signatures; although not nearly blot them out completely. The material is arranged in canted panels specially shaped to reduce the VI-148's radar cross section. A Makovsky ELE-737 infrared suppressor is attached to the exhaust of the VI-148, which helps to infuse the exhaust with cool air, reducing the infrared signature caused by the exhaust.

In terms of actual protection, the fuselage composed of WURCo. Composite 12 can withstand rounds of calibers up to 25 millimeters, and the rotors, made of a similar composite that features more plastics, includes resistance to combat damage and protection from bird strikes. The tandem cockpits are shielded by 38mm thick glare-resistant canopies capable of resisting rounds of up to 12.7mm and projectile fragments of up to 23mm. The VI-148 features self-sealing fuel tanks and a crashworthy tricycle landing gear arrangement, capable of surviving falls at speeds up to 12 meters a second. The fuel tanks and engines are protected by additional composite armor.

The SOC-837, imbedded into the lower sides of the fuselage, is a radar warning receiver system to notify the crew of the VI-148 of a potential missile lock-on. In addition, the VI-148 includes the ATA-840 laser warning receiver, as well as the DEL-1010 infrared missile approach warning system, which identifies the infrared signature of incoming munitions. Upon receiving warnings from these various systems, chaff or two-color flares from any of 32 26mm countermeasure dispensers can be deployed to help throw off the incoming missile.

The electronics of the VI-148 are embedded in copper/bronze grid and use copper bonding foil, which gives the attack helicopter EMP protection-- this was a design consideration largely pushed by a faction in the Department of War that were labelled by their colleagues as the "Worst-Case Theorists", due to their goals to have the entirety of the military proofed of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The VI-148 was the only manifestation of their total EMP-hardening beliefs, as it was reasoned that at least some ground attack aircraft would be able to respond in the wake of a nuclear or EMP attack.

Avionics and Armament
The key avionics of the VI-148 include the COSSCUBE battlefield management and map display systems, integrated communication systems and data/data transfer links, and a high-authority flight control system. The navigational suite of the VI-148 is made up of satellite-based radio-navigation, dual-redundant inertial referencing, Doppler radar, radio altimeter and distributed air speed sensors.

For target acquisition and night flying, the VI-148 uses the KAM-2109 sight/sensor, which hosts optical TV and infrared imaging systems, a forward-looking infrared system, and a laser finder/tracker/designator. The KAM-2109 uses multiple gyroscopes for stabilization. The KAM-2109 acts as the primary method of target observation and acquisition, providing firing and targeting data via the weapons computer; KAM-2109 also enables entirely passive target acquisition to be undertaken and was developed to maximize the capabilities of the "Perun" anti-tank missile. The laser designator can illuminate up to four targets, allowing multiple targets to be engaged simultaneously. Even in its passive mode, the sensor module is equipped with an IFF interrogator to reduce blue-on-blue incidents.

The crew, one pilot and one co-pilot/weapons/intelligence, is situated in two stepped compartments separated by an aluminum-polymer armor plate (to protect at least one in case of incoming fire). Both crew members use liquid crystal data displays for flight and navigational equipment; however, the pilot (seated front) has a helmet-mounted display to aid in situational awareness using notification systems, and enhanced optics.; while the co-pilot uses a slightly modified helmet-mounted display which additionally links mission-relevant data and infrared imagery from the KAM-2109 sensors (allowing the pilot to interact with and control onboard weapon systems and targeting data) to their optics, particularly data from linked drone systems.

Weapons
The VI-148 has a chin-mounted WURCo. AM-1030 gas-operated 23mm autocannon in a gunpod, capable of traversing an azimuth of 130^o and fire at rates from 530-750 rounds per minute. The AM-1030 uses a dual-feed system to use up to 460 rounds of either High-Explosive Incendiary or Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot rounds with effective firing ranges of 4,000 meters (HEI) or 2,200 meters (APDS). The APDS rounds can penetrate 25mm of RHA at a flat angle at 1,500 meters, or a 25mm thick (not to be confused with RHA) at 60^o impact at 1,500 meters. Meanwhile, the HEI rounds can be fuzed, using ranging data from the VI-148's sensor pod, to detonate at the optimal point along its flight path. This gives both ammunition types of the VI-148's main gun high lethality against other aerial targets (such as drones or other helicopters), especially ground targets if HEI ammunition is fuzed to engage entrenched or fortified units.

Four hardpoints under the two stub wings and hardpoints on the wingtips allow for a variety of munitions to be carried. The main anti-tank munition expected to be carried on the VI-148 is the "Perun" PRPZ-242 guided missile. The VI-148 can also carry substantial amounts of unguided rockets via the RSK-37 122mm rocket pod, as well as various other munitions like the "Svarog" PKB-750 for enforcing no-drive zones or low-intensity SEAD and wingtip-mounted "Veles" KPD-44 air-to-air missiles or KPUPO-4 repurposed MANPADS missiles.

The "Perun" PRPZ-242 is an air-launched, multi-stage guided missile with a high-powered booster, fire and forget capability with laser guidance to the target area and terminal infrared homing. The "Perun" is designed to engage single and multiple targets (including tanks and other AFVs, fortifications) from distances as great as 20 kilometers away. The first booster stage rapidly propels the missile to speeds up to Mach 3.8, after which the second and final sustainer missile stage maintains that speed while maneuvering to impact targets. The 130-kilogram missile's size only allows for five missiles to be equipped to each under-wing hardpoint, typically for a total of 10 missiles. The missile guidance relies on manual targeting via laser beam-riding until the user is assured the missile will reach the target at which point the missile will seek out targets on its own, using infrared homing during its terminal flight to reach its target. The 28-kilogram blast-fragmentation warhead can penetrate nearly 2,000 millimeters of steel armor.

The "Svarog" PKB-750 is used primarily for SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) operations, it can also be used for enforcing no-drive zones and destroying small ships (such as patrol boats), infantry, main battle tanks, and unhardened buildings or structures. The PKB-750 is an air-launched, precision-guided glide bomb that can identify and strike mobile targets in any weather condition at standoff ranges. The 208-kilogram munition initially guides itself to the vicinity of the target using inertial guidance with course corrections supplied by data link via the integrated data links. Then, the "Svarog" can rely on three different modes of target acquisition; MMW active radar guidance, infrared homing using an uncooled imaging seeker, and semi-active laser homing. The PKB-750 can fuse the data from these three methods to classify the target and can prioritize certain types of targets as desired when used in semi-autonomous mode. The shaped charge of the glide bomb has both blast and fragmentation effects with its 48-kilogram warhead. A frequently praised feature of the "Svarog" is its standoff ranges, being able to strike moving targets up to 72 kilometers away, with a maximum range of 110 kilometers. The VI-148 can carry a maximum of four of these munitions, as each takes up a full pylon.

The RSK-37 is a rocket pod of approximately 410 millimeters in diameter that can carry and deploy five unguided rockets of the 122mm caliber. The 98-kilogram (unloaded) weapon system is typically deployed with either "Zmay" MUL-2017 penetration rockets or "Azhdaya" VPBS-2120 thermobaric rockets. The "Zmay" MUL-2017 is a tandem HEAT penetration rocket, able to penetrate 6 meters of earth and 1 meter of reinforced concrete with its 21-kilogram warhead at a range of 4 kilometers. The "Azhdaya" VPBS-2120 is a fuel-air explosive (thermobaric) rocket with a 32-kilogram warhead and 14.6 kilograms of fuel with a range of 6 kilometers.

The VI-148 can be equipped with wingtop-mounted air-to-air missiles, mainly for the purposes of self-defense, though some in the Department of War claim it would allow the attack helicopter to engage in a limited air defense capability, shooting down slow, low-flying reconnaissance manned and unmanned aircraft. Specifically, the VI-148 has provisions for two "Veles" KPD-44 short-range air-to-air missiles or four KPUPO-4 MANPADS.

The hardpoints can also be allocated to EKD-1308 Veresk electronic support/counter-measure pods, which provide additional protection and target acquisition to the aircraft by allowing for the jamming of some oncoming missiles and the passive detection of radio waves for ground attack purposes. A scaled-down version of the EKD-1152 Krykun, the EKD-1308 likewise has two modes; an active electronic warfare mode and a passive ELINT function. With its 6-kilowatt active mode, the Veresk can find-and-jam; it jams along wavelengths its receives, primarily intended for use against tactical surveillance and fire control radars.

Joint Aerial Attack System
The Joint Aerial Attack System was originally intended for upgraded versions of the VI-148's predecessor, the VI-92, but the upgrade program was scrapped and replaced by the VI-148. The system is to increase the versatility and independence of an attack helicopter in the field, allowing to perform its own reconnaissance and engage targets without putting the helicopter and its crew in danger. Using the VI-148's integrated data links, unmanned aerial vehicles like the BR-3 or BR-10 can be manually controlled by the co-pilot in order to explore potentially dangerous locations and even help with target acquisition via laser designator. Transfer of control of a drone between the original ground controllers and the helicopter's crew can happen relatively quickly by means of secure channels, and as the VI-148 would be the new command station of the drone, makes signal range irrelevant so long as the navigational range of the drone is respected and remains relatively nearby (<100 kilometers).

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