Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters

[Manticore]

The world's 10 best anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters
2 January 2014
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The world's 10 best anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters - Naval Technology

Helicopters with anti-submarine warfare (ASW) systems are widely deployed by naval forces as a means to counter submarines at long ranges. Naval-technology.com lists the 10 best anti-submarine warfare helicopters based on ASW equipment, range and endurance.

MH-60R Romeo
The MH-60R Romeo is a next generation Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) helicopter produced by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. It is currently one of the most advanced naval helicopters available.

The MH-60R, with a maximum takeoff weight of 10,659kg, is capable of operating from frigates, destroyers, corvettes and aircraft carriers. It has the ability to conduct fully independent or coordinated ASW missions and can find, track and destroy all modern subsurface threats.

The first MH-60R completed its maiden flight in July 2001 and about 298 helicopters are currently in operation with the US Navy. The helicopters are equipped with a Sonobuoy launcher, forward looking infrared radar (FLIR), multi-mode radar, dipping sonar, integrated self-defence suite and four weapon stations to carry homing torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.

NH90 NFH (Naval Frigate Helicopter)
The NH90 NFH, offered by NHIndustries, is an advanced ASW helicopter built by Thales. The helicopter is operated by the Italian Navy, French Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Norwegian Navy, and Belgian Navy.

The NH90 NFH features a wide cabin to accommodate special operation troops or wounded personnel along with ASW/ASuW systems such as mission consoles, Sonobuoys, electronic support measures (ESM) and countermeasures. It has a takeoff weight of 11t and can operate from a variety of vessels day and night and in all weather conditions.

The helicopter is installed with FLASH (Folding Light Acoustic System for Helicopters) dipping sonar/sonics systems to detect quiet submarines operating in the open ocean and in littoral waters. The helicopter can be armed with two MU90 / Mk46 or Stingray ASW torpedoes, has a range of 982km, and can conduct ASW missions for up to four hours.

Ka-27/Ka-28
Ka-27 or Ka-28 (export designation) can conduct missions from variety of naval vessels to counter modern sub-surface and surface threats.

The Ka-27 helicopter made its first flight in December 1973 and is used by the naval forces of Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, and India. The helicopters are equipped with VGS-3 dipping sonar and sonobuoys to track and detect submarines.

The helicopter is capable of firing torpedoes and anti-submarine missiles and can also be armed with PLAB-250-120 anti-submarine bombs and OMAB bombs. The Ka-27 has a flight range of 900km.

AW159 Lynx Wildcat
The AW159 Lynx Wildcat is an advanced multi-role, maritime and utility aircraft produced by AgustaWestland for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). Based on the Lynx family of helicopters, the AW159 Wildcat will replace the Lynx fleet in the British Army and Royal Navy.

The airframe design of the Lynx Wildcat is built to operate off the smallest frigates and offshore patrol vessels and corvettes. The helicopter integrates AESA radar, active dipping sonar, electro-optical device, ESM and defence aids suite making it one of the best ASW helicopter in the world.

Onboard sensors and mission systems enable the Lynx Wildcat to autonomously find and track surface and sub-surface targets, while its air-to-surface missiles, torpedoes, depth charges, rockets and guns ensure the engagement of such targets. The AW159 Lynx Wildcat has a maximum endurance of two hours and 42 minutes.

Super Lynx 300
The Super Lynx 300 ASW/ASuW helicopter is a multi-role naval helicopter produced by AgustaWestland. It is a successor to the combat proven Lynx helicopter already deployed by 15 nations across the globe.

The Super Lynx 300 is designed to operate day or night from small-sized warships in all weather conditions. The onboard mission equipment such as 360° multi mode surveillance radar, electro-optical surveillance system and active dipping sonar ensure the autonomous detection and pursuit of surface and submerged targets.

The Super Lynx 300 is armed with torpedoes and depth charges to attack submarines, while pintle mounted 12.7/7.62mm machine guns, anti-ship missiles and rockets ensure the engagement of potential surface threats. The helicopter has a maximum range of 564km and maximum endurance of three hours.

S-70B SEAHAWK ASW / ASuW Helicopter
The S-70B SEAHAWK is an ASW/ASuW helicopter developed by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. The helicopter is capable of operating from frigates, destroyers, corvettes as well as other warships, and its variants are widely operated across the world.

The S-70B helicopter is fitted with search radar, sonobuoy launcher, Helicopter Long-Range Active Sonar (HELRAS) dipping sonar, towed magnetic anomaly detector, acoustic processing unit, forward-looking infra-red (FLIR), and countermeasures.

The S-70B features three weapon stations carrying EuroTorp A244 or MK-46 homing torpedoes, Penguin anti-ship missiles, and Hellfire air-to-surface missiles. The helicopter has a maximum speed of 270km/h and a range of 592km.

Z-9EC ASW Helicopter
The Z-9EC is an ASW helicopter developed by Harbin Aircraft based on Harbin Z-9 helicopter, a license-built version of the French AS365 Dauphin. The Z-9EC is operated by the Pakistan Navy's Naval Air Arm.

The helicopter integrates advanced anti-submarine systems such as search radar, dipping sonar system, and ET-52C anti-submarine torpedoes for hunting submarines. The Harpoon landing/take-off system aboard the helicopter ensures operations from ships.

The Z-9EC enhances the operational range of host platform, while meeting the challenging requirements of modern ASW warfare. The helicopter has a maximum range of 427km and can remain airborne for 2.27 hours.

AW101 (Military)
The AW101 (formerly EH101 Merlin) multi-role helicopter is capable of performing wide range of missions in maritime and littoral environments. The helicopter can be deployed in medium-sized transport, ASW, ASuW, long range search and rescue (SAR), airborne mine countermeasures and ship-based utility missions.

The AW101 helicopters configured for autonomous ASW and ASuW missions integrate a mission system composed of dipping sonar, sonobuoys and electronic warfare suite. The helicopter has four torpedoes/depth charges in its weaponry.

The helicopter can also be armed with anti-ship missiles, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, rockets and gun systems. The typical range and endurance of the AW101 are 1,300km and six hours respectively.

SH-2G Super Seasprite
The SH-2G Super Seasprite is an anti-submarine/anti-surface warfare helicopter developed by Kaman Corporation. It is currently in service with the Egyptian Navy, Polish Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

The SH-2G was primarily developed as an ASW helicopter for the US Navy and the first international SH-2G was delivered to Egypt in 1997. The helicopter was retired from the US Navy in May 2001.

The Super Seasprite can be equipped with a multi-mode radar, FLIR system, active dipping sonar, sonobuoys, and acoustic processing unit. The combination of homing torpedoes, depth charges, air-to-surface missiles and machine gun ensures the engagement of surface and submerged targets. The helicopter has a maximum range of over 830km and endurance of 3.5 hours.

AS565 MB Panther
The Eurocopter AS565 MB is an all-weather multi-role naval helicopter derived from the Panther family of helicopters. The light helicopter can be deployed aboard over 100 classes of NATO vessels to conduct ASW and ASuW missions.

The AS565 MB helicopters are also used to complement shipborne missions such as search and rescue, casualty evacuation, and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). The helicopter is equipped with active and passive sonobuoys as well as MU 90 torpedoes.

The AS565 MB can conduct ASW/ASuW missions for a maximum of four hours while flying at a speed of 140km/h. The helicopter has a maximum range of 792km with standard tanks.

 

[Manticore]

An ASW helicopter will traditionally team with a surface ship to prosecute an underwater target. The helicopter will deploy multiple sonobuoys and then utilize tactical sensor systems installed on both the surface ship and the helicopter in order to localize the target. The helicopter's crew can track and, if necessary, attack a submarine with torpedoes.
ASW Helicopters
The ASW mission requires a helicopter crew to track submarines using sonobuoys. Sonobuoys are passive or active sonars that can localize a sound source. Sonobuoys are placed in patterns and provide the direction from which a sound is emanating underwater.Typical sonobuoys used by the Navy include Low Frequency and Ranging (LOFAR) and Directional Frequency and Ranging (DIFAR). Bathythermograph sonobuoys create a profile of water temperature versus depth. ASW aircraft are predominantly equipped with sonobuoy launcher systems which utilize cartridge-activated devices, such as pyrotechnic squibs or high-pressure gas bottles, as the energy source for ejecting the sonobuoys. Gas is discharged at high pressure for high reactive loads at low volume entailing very sophisticated breech and firing mechanisms within separate metal, plastic or filament-wound fiberglass sonobuoy launch containers.

Dipping sonar allows the helicopter to listen for and transmit underwater electronic signals while in a "hover" or stationary mode. The aircraft typically hovers at an altitude of 50 to 300 feet above sea level and lowers the transducer into the water using a powered reel system similar to a fishing reel. The transducer can be lowered to depths ranging from the water's surface to 2,500 ft. Once lowered to the selected depth, the transducer is activated, generating sound signals and receiving echoes from submerged objects. These echoes can then be processed to identify and locate potential underwater threats.

During the early part of World War II, the Navy Department initially visualized the helicopter as an aid in combating German submarines which were seriously menacing United States and Allied shipping. Original plans called for the helicopters, piloted by Coast Guard flyers, to accompany ocean convoys and operate as scout aircraft from platforms constructed on the merchant ships. The Navy accepted delivery of its first helicopter, the R-4 (HNX-1), on 16 October 1943 and assigned it to the United States Coast Guard, Coast Guard Air Station, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, New York.Testing of the helicopter's suitability as an antisubmarine weapon began the following month.

The helicopter could carry a MK IX 200-pound, fast-sinking-type depth charge and drop it after surface contact had been made. The helicopters could be based on destroyers and could be directed by radio to the subs. Then, by hovering until a sonar signature was obtained, they could drop a depth charge and be rearmed by the destroyer. The one thing that had not been considered was that if the helicopter was rushed into mass production, it would inevitably interfere to some degree with airplane production. Thus, the actual value of the helicopter had to be weighed before a production program could be approved. Production scheduling, however, was already a potential problem.

Despite the mounting threat to shipping, the development of helicopters slowed for a year, due to differences between the Army and Navy. The Army felt that it was not its function to develop the helicopter for anti-submarine warfare. The Navy, on the other hand, felt that the Army had been given the job of developing the helicopter and that until this was done, the Navy should not butt in. The Navy based its limited interest in rotary-wing aircraft on the thesis that a helicopter could never be built large enough to carry a sufficient load to be of any value.

To expedite the evaluation of the helicopter in antisubmarine operations, In May 1943 the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet directed that a "joint board" be formed with representatives of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet; the Bureau of Aeronautics; the Coast Guard; the British Admiralty and the Royal Air Forces. The resulting Combined Board for the Evaluation of the Ship-Based Helicopter in Anti-Submarine Warfare was later expanded to include representatives of the Army Air Forces, the War Shipping Administration and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Navy representatives witnessed landing trials of the XR-4 helicopter aboard the merchant tanker Bunker Hill in a demonstration sponsored by the Maritime Commission and conducted in Long Island Sound. The pilot, Colonel R. F. Gregory, AAF, made about 15 flights, and in some of these flights he landed on the water before returning to the platform on the deck of the ship.

In an attempt to make helicopters more proficient in the role of a submarine hunter, a project began in April 1944 to equip them with a "dipping sonar" similar to what blimps carried. The major concern was the noise transmitted to the water by the wash from the helicopter's rotors. Working off the Cobb, it was found that the noise level was insignificant and did not interfere with equipment operation. During flight operations, it was discovered that the HNS-1 helicopter was extremely helpful when used as a target for the alignment of fire-control radar, anti-aircraft radar and loran testing. This use was so helpful, in fact, that it later became the chief operational function during the war.

Had the submarine menace increased rather than declined in 1942, more resources might have been poured by the United States into the development of the helicopter as an anti-submarine-warfare weapon. The allies eventually solved the problem of the air-gap in the Atlantic Ocean with long-range bombers and escort carriers. Planes from the escort carriers in particular played the role that had originally been envisioned for the helicopter. Rotary-winged aircraft appeared on the scene about two years before the helicopter could be adapted for any type of active anti-submarine warfare role.

As it was, helicopters remained largely untested and undeveloped and thus never played the role that many envisioned for them during the war. Given the declining submarine threat, those that wanted to develop the helicopter found it difficult to shift national policy. Perhaps more important was the fact that technology is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The helicopter could not be developed fast enough to be effectively used and, so it sat out the war.

In 1946 the Anti-Submarine Helicopter Dipping Sonar program was run by the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. Helicopters were used during the successful testing of a special "dipping" sonar, a device that is still in use today by Navy ASW helicopter squadrons.

Beginning in the 1950s, the carrier-based air ASW community was one of the driving forces behind helicopter development, and within the HUK groups, HS squadrons deploying active, dipping sonars became a key new addition to the combined arms ASW team. HS squadrons gave the HUK group an active sonar platform with the speed and mobility of an aircraft. The original attraction of an airborne dipping sonar was in cooperative operations with radar-equipped aircraft in operations against snorkelers. The latter would often detect a snorkel, but the submarine would submerge and be lost when it went on battery because no destroyers were within range to hold the contact with active sonar. The ASW helicopter with a dipping sonar filled this gap by holding the contact until destroyers with the endurance to hold the submarine down until its batteries were exhausted arrived.

As ASW against nuclear submarines became more important, HS squadrons also were useful because they could operate in noisy environments where passive acoustics were much less effective, but where screening forces were still necessary, as in the inner screen of a carrier battle group or within a convoy.

Lightweight torpedoes became the weapon of choice for the air ASW community, while heavyweight torpedoes were developed for submarines. Surface ships initially carried both, but came to rely mostly on "thrown" (ASROC) or air-delivered (DASH, LAMPS) lightweight torpedoes.

The culmination of this first phase of the helicopter's use as an ASW platform was the SH-3 Sea King. The Sea King was too big to be deployed on all but the largest surface combatants of its time, which limited the ASW helicopter to being a carrier-based platform. Smaller ships, such as destroyers, deployed with the the Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) system.

This would change in the early 1970s with the development of LAMPS (Light Airborne Multipurpose System) ASW helicopters. The Light Airborne Multipurpose System combines the SH-60B helicopter with a computer-integrated shipboard system to extend the range and overall capabilities of surface combatants for antisubmarine and antisurface warfare, surface surveillance, and over-the-horizon targeting missions. To enhance littoral warfighting capabilities, the Flight IIA design of the DDG-51 included the capability to support SH-60Bs.

By the late 1990s the F version of the SH-60 was replacing the obsolete carrier-based SH-3H as naval battle groups' inner-zone ASW helicopter system. The SH-60F employed a new, longer-range active dipping sonar to localize and track submarines, particularly in littoral areas. Future plans call for the conversion and reconfiguration of both the SH-60 B and F classes into a common SH-60R model. The SH-60R program includes a service life extension as well as avionics upgrades, such as the addition of an advanced low-frequency sonar and multimode radar. The aircraft also will be outfitted with gun and missile systems, to enhance performance in littoral regions.

 

[black-hawk_101]

I think an amphibious aircraft are better to used against such roles as they have much longer ranges, can land on sea and use propellers to move like boats and can easily use sonars of all kind to detect and engage submarines. and move out quickly.