Helo News game related.

[Pibwl]

By the way: sorry to pester you, but I've got doubts, if a difference between 2x57mm (HE kill 8) and 4x57mm (HE kill 10 - only 25% better) isn't too tiny, for twice as much rockets... On the other hand, 8x57mm has kill 15.

As for now, two shots of 2x57mm are much deadlier, than a single shot of 4x57mm - and some units had a plethora of 2x57mm (like Russian #965 Mi-8TB with 96 shots - 192 rockets), what gives them some sort of advantage.

I suggest to give:
2x57mm HE kill 6 (or 8),
4x57mm HE kill 12,
8x57mm - some 18 (or more), considering a big number of rockets in a salvo.

Two rockets would be pretty lousy choice then, but 57mm S-5 weren't regarded as highly precise and efficient weapon anyway (and there would be still a worse weapon: French 2x37mm SNEB with kill 5). 4x57mm could be considered a primary way of using these rockets then.

BTW: 2x57mm rockets are used eg. by Soviet #364 Mi-24A, which has 64 rockets as for now, while it carried a standard Mi-24-family load of 128 rockets (4x32, photo http://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/...5680.jpg?v=v40 )

For comparison:
2x RP-2 Rocket has kill 8, 4x RP-2 Rocket has kill 12 (50% better)
2x 68mm SNEB has kill 11, 4x 68mm SNEB has kill 14 (27% better - still not much)
2x 2.75in FFAR has kill 15, 4x 2.75in FFAR has kill 20 (33% better)
2x 70mm Hydra has kill 15, 4x 70mm Hydra has kill 20 (33% better)

With HE kill 12, 4x57mm would be similar to 4x RP-2 (2in), only marginally better than 2x68mm SNEB and worse, than 2x70mm, what might be close to reality.

[Imp]

Ungided rockets HE kill would be fine as it stands or closer than your suggestion.
Firing 4 vs 2 in a salvo just increases the chance you do damage or to catch something in the blast.
Not going to work out the probability but they are not accurate, say 12% more chance per rocket of actually hitting the target.

[Pibwl]

I know, but a difference between 2 and 4 rockets in case of 57mm is much smaller, than in others... And if we fire 4 rockets there is bigger chance, that two will hit.

[Pibwl]

Originally Posted by WilliamB

Slovakia took delivery of 2 UH-60M Blackhawks in August and has 7 more on order.

I wanted to report this as well after reading a Polish article on Slovak helicopters
As for now, UH-60 are not armed, and there are no precise plans to arm them.

Anyway, other Slovak (OOB51) helo news and corrections, basing upon this article and https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vzdu%C...skej_republiky

190 Mil Mi-8 - precisely Mi-8T. Standard Mi-8 weren't armed with guns at all (photo without MG: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...Air_Forces.JPG)

195 Mil Mi-17H - scheduled to be withdrawn by 2020.
Non-Soviet Mi-17 rarely were armed with guns, and Slovak ones weren't, as photos confirm.

They could carry as a standard 6 x 32 S-5 rockets (192 in total), now 64.
Photos showing six hardpoints:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...354108134).jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...ovak_Mi_17.jpg
https://www.aktuality.sk/fotogaleria...m-jastrabom/4/


200 Mil Mi-24V - all Mi-24 were withdrawn by the end of 9/2011 https://www.webnoviny.sk/vrtulniky-m...armade-koncia/ and https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vzdu%C...skej_republiky. Currently Slovakia has no attack helicopters

Mi-24 carry typically 4 x 32 S-5 rockets (128 in total), now 64.

Slovak Mi-24 were camouflaged in several different patterns, so better icon seems 3494 (original pattern), for all terrains.

205 Mil Mi-24P - Slovakia had no Mi-24P, but 8 Mi-24D instead, withdrawn in 2011. Could be copied Czech unit 124.

290 WSK Mi-2 withdrawn by 2013 https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vzdu%C...skej_republiky Better icon is camouflaged 931. After its withdrawal, Slovakia has no light helicopters.

295 Mi-34 - there's no trace they were ever used.

910 Mi-35M - there's no info it was used - the only versions mentioned are 24D and V. Anyway, they surely weren't received in 1993. Photos at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...vakian_service doesn't show 23mm-gun-armed variants.

911 Mil Mi-24 - should be renamed Mi-24V (9M114 missiles), withdrawn in 2011. Better icon is 3494 (BTW, current icon is Mi-24D).

I'm attaching several photos, in case anybody finds them useful.

[Pibwl]

Originally Posted by Pibwl

200 Mil Mi-24V - all Mi-24 were withdrawn by the end of 9/2011 https://www.webnoviny.sk/vrtulniky-m...armade-koncia/ and https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vzdu%C...skej_republiky. Currently Slovakia has no attack helicopters

...unless we'll copy a Mi-17 with 192 57mm rockets to this class to fill a gap. There is also possible configuration with two 23mm GSh-23 guns (weapon 180) and four UB-32 launchers (128 57mm rockets) (I've seen such photo of Polish Mi-17).

[redcoat2]

Maybe something for obat61.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has inducted the first of two new Bell 412 helos seized by customs in November 2016 and handed over to the NAF in January.

http://www.tv360nigeria.com/nigerian...ew-helicopter/

There is a Bell 412 in obat61 already (unit 135). It was available 1/83 to 12/94.

[redcoat2]

Kenya (obat69) has also acquired some Bell helicopters this year. The final two of eight Bell Huey II helicopters were delivered to the Kenyan Air Force in July. The first six were handed over in December 2016.

http://defence-blog.com/news/kenya-r...-from-usa.html

https://ke.usembassy.gov/kdfs-capaci...i-helicopters/

http://www.janes.com/article/72465/f...vered-to-kenya

[redcoat2]

The first six Afghan UH-60 pilots have graduated.

http://www.afcent.af.mil/Units/438th...lots-graduate/

[redcoat2]

The first AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter for Indonesia has arrived from the United States. Indonesia requested eight Apache Guardians under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program in September 2012, along with associated equipment and spares that included the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-78 Longbow Fire Control Radar and 140 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R3 anti-tank missiles.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2017...rives-from-us/

https://lancercell.com/2017/12/18/ti...donesia-photo/

[DRG]

now entered