- Yes
- No
At the start of the 1980s it was becoming clear that the Bo 105 PAH-1, which had been procured a decade earlier, was becoming increasingly outdated in the face of rapidly advancing aircraft technology. To this end, it was decided that the Bo 105 needed an upgrade in order to stay relevant against the expanding conditions it was expected to operate in, such as against new SAM threats, at night and in low visibility conditions, and against increasingly better protected opponents.
The first step of the upgrade was the urgent procurement in 1983 of the AN/APR-39 radar warning receiver to be equipped to all Bo 105s to provide some level of protection against radar guided SAM systems. Following that, a more substantial upgrade was to be carried out, which was to be conducted in two phases; the first phase would see the HOT launchers reconfigured from a straight row to a step like configuration and would be the most visible change, but other changes would include the digitisation of the steering computer, the control unit, and the actuators for the launchers in order to reduce the workload of the crew, a modified inlet protection system on the front air intake, modified engine cowling and oil cooling system and rotor blades that produced around 10 percent more power. Bo 105s that had undergone the Phase 1 upgrade would be accepted into service as the Bo 105 PAH-1A1.
The second phase would include even more substantial changes, the most noticeable of which was the introduction of a Pietzsch Automatisierungstechnik ELVIS helicopter thermal imaging sight to provide the crew with the ability to engage targets at night or in low-visibility conditions. Phase 2 would also see the introduction of the Racal Avionic Management System (RAMS) which included helmet mounted displays for the crew with integrated night vision devices and several multi-function displays. Testing of the Phase 2 variant would begin to be carried by the Army Aviation Test Squadron in Celle, Germany in 1990 and although it was never adopted into service, likely would have been given the designation of Bo 105 PAH-1A2.
At the time that the Phase 2 improvements were undergoing testing, however, an entirely new anti-tank helicopter was also undergoing development, the Tiger PAH-2, or what would ultimately become the UHT. Unlike the Bo 105, the Tiger was a dedicated anti-tank platform and had a feature set that would put any Bo 105 upgrade to shame. While it would be some times before the Tiger could enter service, the decision was made to cancel any future Bo 105 upgrades, putting an end to the Bo 105 PAH-1A2. Despite this, the Bo 105 PAH-1 would soldier on for many more years, being finally retired in 2013.
In-game, the Bo 105 PAH-1A2 would represent the logical follow-on the Bo 105 PAH-1A1, featuring a thermal imager for the gunner, an improved cockpit with MFDs and a helmet mounted display. Had the PAH-1A2 been accepted into service it is likely that it would also be armed with HOT-3 missiles when they became available. Testing to integrate the ATAS on the PAH-1 was also going on at the same time which could provide the PAH-1A2 an option to act as a pseudo-SPAA.
Armament
6x HOT-2 or HOT-3
4x ATAS
2x FN M3P machine gun pods with 400 rnds
30x SURA-D 81 mm rockets
Specifications
Crew: 2
Length: 11.86 m
Height: 3.00 m
Airfoil: NACA 23012
Empty weight: 1,276 kg
Max takeoff weight: 2,500 kg
Fuel capacity: 570 L
Powerplant: 2 × Allison 250-C20B turboshaft engines, 310 kW (420 shp) each
Main rotor diameter: 9.84 m
Main rotor area: 76.05 m2
Maximum speed: 242 km/h
Never exceed speed: 270 km/h
Range: 657 km at 1,525 m (standard fuel, maximum payload)
Ferry range: 1,112 km at 1,525 m (with auxiliary tanks)
Endurance: 3 hr 30 min (standard fuel, maximum payload)
Service ceiling: 5,200 m
Rate of climb: 8.00 m/s
