In terms of British-made stuff there’s also AW101 Merlins that can technically carry rockets and gunpods:
Now a caveat that this is a demo for potential export and no Merlins in British or Italian service (a modified Italian Merlin Mk.410/UH-101A is used for the purpose of the demonstration - in 2009 British Merlins were stretched supporting operations abroad) can reasonably be armed like this because of where the emergency flotation system that is vital for Merlin in both British and Italian service, is located on the wheel sponsons.
In service they also lack both the wiring and software necessary to support installation and firing of such weapons. Also there are other considerations like the current location of defensive aids subsystems (flare dispensers, DIRCM, RWR etc.) that might be damaged by rocket exhausts and muzzle blast, further making it costly to modify them in such a way that would allow it in reality.
But none the less posting it as an example of another helicopter that could be armed for Britain and Italy.
Yeah they don’t really look like AS.11 or AS.12 launchers.
I do think it is a launcher or saddle for mounting missiles though rather than missile tubes itself. Diameter seems too small for ATGMs
To my understanding, the intention was to equip Gazelle with Hawkswing. But the Hawkswing project died (wasn’t as good as TOW and HOT) so the Gazelle ended up unarmed.
The Avimo/Ferranti AF532 sights fitted on the roof of AAC Gazelles since the 1980s is a modified version of the AF530 sight that was developed for Hawkswing, tested on Scout and seen mounted on the WG-13 prototypes before TOW was finally selected for Lynx along with the Hughes M65 sight. Not the same APX 334 “Athos” sight on French Gazelles
Apparently it was being looked at in the mid-to-late after Hawkswing was cancelled https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA035768.pdf
I think the picture in question is probably from several years earlier though.
This video seems to show that very Gazelle mounting those same little missiles. Maybe from the video people can get a better indication of what they are?
Excellent find.
I’m still none the wiser on exactly what they are though. They’re certainly closer in scale to MILAN than HOT, TOW and what little I’ve seen of Hawkswing.
However, can determine from IWM listing for the video that the footage was produced in 1971:
AFAIK 1971 is far too early for air-launch trials for HOT which had quite a protracted development.
TOW was in service in the ground but only just having air-launched demonstration firings for the US military in '71. With operational evaluation starting in Vietnam with XM26 launchers in 1972
First Hawkswing firings were in 1972 using a Scout
MILAN was completing trials and would be in service in France next year
No clue unfortunately, however, those are the same loading bars as the French Gazelles, so it can theoretically get any weapon the early French ones can
Neat find, would still be interesting to see in game. Speaking of Merlin, do we know if any British Merlins ever conducted any missile trials? I know some Italian ones did at some point.
Aye, I was just in the middle of updating my posts with an assessment of the 1971 date against known trials and milestones of other ATGMs in development at the time.
MILAN does actually seem like the most likely candidate for this footage, though Hansard etc. indicates Hawkswing was the preferred missile at the time (along with the Beeswing man-portable variant that competed against MILAN for infantry and light vehicle use) because of the larger warhead. At least until Hawkswing/Beeswing was cancelled in 1975 and better alternatives like TOW and HOT had matured for air-launch, while MILAN was selected for ground use and apparently reconsidered for air-launch according to that US intel document.
I’d definitely endorse a Gazelle with notional armament of SNEB, 8-or-so MILAN or 4-6 Hawkswing (judging by the length of the mounting arm and the shorter one used in service) as an addition to the tree
I don’t know much about the Italian AW101, but I’m not aware of the British one having a laser designator, so laser guided rocket’s wouldn’t be much use.
Laser payload on Star-SAFIRE is optional. Not all of them will have it, and not all of the laser options are illuminators/designators, some are simply rangefinders or pointers.
That said, British Merlins are equipped with electro-optic turrets.
Royal Navy Merlin Mk.2s have a Wescam WX15 on the side that likewise has the option for a laser. No idea if it’s actually equipped with one though
Merlin HC.3 and HC.4 transport helicopters also have the option for a nose-mounted electro-optic turret. Various types have been used over the years. Current HC.4/HC.4A sensor appears to be Star-SAFIRE III
In this case, the presence of the white sticker above the green-lensed aperture seems to be a laser warning
