Need some ideas.... suggestions welcome

[Shasper]

Watch it now... Dem Fightun' wurds!

Knowing those koots down in N'awlins, that would be the case thou  
Shas B)

[Damian2]

Man on the SAAF Apache you captured my thoughts exactly!!!

All of these profiles are just awesome!!  

[Matt Wiser]

Another possible AH-64 customer: South Korea. They had a deal for 37 Apaches in the early '90s, but the deal fell through. They may have been holding out for the Longbow version instead of the A. The ROKs have a AH-X competition that the Asian Flu of the late '90s put on hold-competitors are the AH-1 (W then, now the Z), AH-64D, Rooivak, Tiger, and the Ka-52.

How about a U.S. Navy Sea Apache? That was pitched in the late '70s by Hughes Helicopter and later by McAir after they bought out Hughes. I can see the Navy establishing HA (Helicopter Attack) squadrons if they'd done gotten the Sea Apache.

West Germany actually sent helo crews and maintenance folks to Fort Rucker to learn the Apache (the Bundeswehr had the AH-64 as their first choice for an attack helo), but the government went for the Tiger. They would've had Apaches in the early '90s had they gone ahead with what the Bundeswehr wanted originally, and would have gotten an upgrade to Longbow standard later on.

Turkey was also very interested in the Longbow (and if they revive their attack helo competition), may still be.

Some of the other ex-WARPAC countries may show additional interest (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria) in the Apache. Their Hinds can't go on forever...

Pakistan may also qualify for the Apache.  

[Iranian F-14A]

Vietnamese Longbow

[Iranian F-14A]

Italian Longbow

[Ollie]

Wicked stuff!

     

[Iranian F-14A]

Slovak Longbow

[Matt Wiser]

That Vietnamese Longbow might just come true: they've been at odds with the Chinese ever since the Vietnam War ended in '75, had a border war with the PRC in '79, and have had disputes over the Spratly Islands with the PRC (and everyone else in the neighborhood). The Viets have made overtures to the U.S. regarding Cam Ranh Bay's Air and Naval Base, and a U.S. return to Vietnam if things get dicey with the PRC over the Spratlys might make sense (all the tanker traffic to Japan and Korea passes thru the shipping lanes in the South China Sea, so the USN, ROK Navy, and the JMSDF would be busy escorting shipping if the Spratlys become a free-fire zone. ROK Navy Sea Apaches, perhaps, along with the USN ones?  

[Son of Damian]

Some of the other ex-WARPAC countries may show additional interest (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria) in the Apache. Their Hinds can't go on forever...

Back many moons ago there were plans for Polish forces to leave Iraq at the end of '05, possible leaving their Hinds behind for use by the Iraqis. But after the election in Poland things changed and they stayed. Considering Polands good relationship with the US, there are plans to build a new US base in either Poland or the Czech republic, it wouldn't surprise me if they chose to replace there Hinds with Apaches.

I would imagine that some of the smaller former Warsaw Pact countries might stick with the Hind a while longer due to the cost of the Apache and relatively small size of there defence bugdets.

Though personnally I think there is still alot of life left in the Hind, and as if to prove my point Algeria and the Ukrain have done some major upgrades to there fleets adding advanced avionics, flir, and all the bells and whistles you find on western helos. Then there is the fact that it can carry 8 troops in it's cabin, an interesting and handy feature.

In the last three years, the South African company ATE and the Algerian Air Force have upgraded around 30 Mi-25s and Mi-35s to Mi-24 Mk.III or so-called "Super Hind" standard. In this configuration the whole spares support and technical documentation, as well as the entire weapons system of the helicopter were replaced, and new weapons - including a 20mm gun and Mokopa ATGMs - were installed as well.  

One of the main weapons of the Algerian Air Force in the anti-terror war are Mi-24 Mk.III - the so-called "Super Hinds". These helicopters are former Mi-24s, Mi-25s, and Mi-35s all of which were upgraded with a completely new navigation and attack system, FLIR-turrets and a 20mm gun, developed by the South African company ATE.

Here are some pics of Polish Hinds over Bablyon incase you want to see them.





Notice the dog.

[Iranian F-14A]

Hungarian Longbow
The nose art was my girlfriend's idea.


As far as the Hind goes,I love it,and some of the upgrades a quite nice.The Mk.III Super Hind you mentioned is great.IAI upgraded the ones from Turkmenistan with Spike ATGMs and FLIR up by the nose,those look pretty nice too.The problem is Whiffing the Hind is hard since almost everone already or has at one time used it.

[rallymodeller]

Link to Ft. Polk OPFOR site: OPFOR Aircraft

Links with pics. Some interesting stuff down in Louisiana...

[rallymodeller]

BTW, poking around the Mil site it would appear that Mil OKB is still looking for customers for the Mi-28...




then there are the amazing attack choppers from Kamov:

[Jschmus]

I'm sure the nose art is cool/funny/cute or whatever, but I'll be darned if I can see more than a smudge in that picture.

As to whiffing the Hind, I think it's just a matter of keeping your ideas ahead of the upgrades that are going on in the real world, as mentioned above.

[GTX]

Their Hinds can't go on forever...

Oh, but they don't have to - I've got a top secret replacement design being planned right now...no hints though !!!

Regards,

Greg

[Son of Damian]

Link to Ft. Polk OPFOR site: OPFOR Aircraft

Links with pics. Some interesting stuff down in Louisiana...

Thanks dude!!! B)