Raytheon is offering varied helicopter-based weapon suites for India’s armed forces

In a briefing conducted on September 21, in New Delhi, Raytheon officials spoke about a large number of weapon suites for employment on attack/armed helicopters on offer to India.

Stinger Air-to-Air (ATA)

Stinger ATA is the helicopter-mounted version (developed from FIM-92) which provides defence against air attacks to the helicopter as well as to ground troops, including convoys and other ground assets. It can be easily installed and integrated on helicopters, UAVs and fixed-wing aircraft. Each launcher can fire two Stinger missiles and multiple launchers can be mounted onto the platform. Air-to-air Stinger’s all-aspect, fire-and-forget advanced technology allow aircraft to rapidly fire, move, mask and manoeuvre, or engage new targets immediately after firing.

Stinger ATA is accurate and lethal against helicopters, fixedwing aircraft, cruise missiles and UAVs. It is a light-weight, fireand-forget, two-colour infrared/ultraviolet (IR/UV), short-range air defense missile. Its speed coupled with advanced guidance and control system maximise missile accuracy. Superior lethality is derived from hit-to-kill accuracy, a high-explosive warhead and the impact force of Stinger at speeds up to Mach 2. The combination of speed, lethality and a proven greater than 90 per cent success rate in reliability makes Stinger a formidable lethal weapon in the combat zone.

Stinger has been combat proven in four major conflicts and has more than 269 fixed-wing and rotary-wing kills.

Due to its accuracy, lethality and all-weather capability, it has been selected as the only missile to be integrated with the US Army helicopters. It is integrated on OH-58C Kiowa, H-58D Kiowa, and MH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, and is planned for the AH-1Z and AH-64D helicopters.

Indian Perspective

It is understood that Stinger ATA is coming along with the Apache attack helicopter, 22 of which India is planning to acquire through the FMS route. It is also a suitable ATA Missile which is war-proven for India’s light combat helicopter and Rudra attack helicopter programme.

TOW RF (ATGM and Bunker Buster)

The tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireless-guided (TOW) weapon system, with the multi-mission TOW 2A, TOW 2B, TOW 2B Aero and TOW Bunker Buster missiles, is a long-range, precision anti-armour, anti-fortification and anti-amphibious landing weapon system.

TOW 2B Aero Missile

Over 2,100 units have been delivered and helicopters fitted with the TOW missile include the AgustaWestland Lynx, Bell Textron 206L, Hughes 500MD, AH-1 Cobra attack, etc.

TOW Bunker Buster

The TOW Bunker Buster missile is a recent development in which its fragmented, high-explosive warhead can breach or destroy a multitude of target sets, especially in the urban environment. The warhead’s configuration enables it to breach 8 in (20.3 cm) thick, double-reinforced concrete walls and provides overmatch against earth and timber bunkers.

RF Version

RF links replace the legacy wire-guided system with it becoming a command data link missile.

Indian Perspective

The RF version is being offered to India with opportunity to develop the launcher with the Indian industry. It is a suitable for India’s light combat helicopter and Rudra armed helicopter programme.