Laser Guided Attack-Heli Rockets?

Lunatik

Lunatik

Active member
Not missiles! But rockets! Need to arm your attack helicopters? Don't pay a fortune for overrated Hellfires, buy the new Cirit laser guided rockets! Will destroy targets up to 8 kilometers away! A cheaper solution to low-altitute precision strike. Versions that can be launched from IFVs/APCs are being developed too. :smil:

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roketsan_Cirit

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http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=147680
 
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Yeah, been following the development of that for quite some time.
It's the trend of a lot of explosives. Smaller and guided.
 
Maybe im wrong here but by definition if it has means of changing course and an engine it is a missile not rocket?
 
I followed something like as well and sure I posted it here months ago. Turning low cost rockets into laser guided smart weapons, I'll hunt.
 
SHERMAN said:
Maybe im wrong here but by definition if it has means of changing course and an engine it is a missile not rocket?
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Well, by that definition we could call the Space Shuttle or Soyuz missiles too, no? But most people will refer to them as (space) rockets. The difference between a rocket and a missile has never been clear to me either, different sources will give different descriptions. But these really are "rockets" at a traditional sense. Even though the munition is laser-guided and can change course during flight, it has a diameter of 70 mm and is launched from the traditional unguided rocket pads.

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The laser seeker on the tip of the rocket is a light-weight passive unit, and the fligth control surfaces are foldable.

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A very efficient design.
 
 
Yes, these type of low-cost guided rockets/missiles are gaining enormous popularity. I'm glad Roketsan is in the market with the Cirit. It was developed primarily with the Turkish attack helicopter T-129 (Mangusta) in mind, but the export potential is huge. It can be used on all helicopters that can carry the standard 70mm rocket launchers and a simple Aselsan laser target designator, which I'm sure Aselsan would be more than happy to export as well. :smil:

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The new chopper will get an engine upgrade that'll increase the flight ceiling by 20% compared to that of the original Italian A-129. It'll be retrofitted with a new Turkish flight/mission control computer, digital glass cockpit & avionics, a millimeter-wave mast radar, as well as UMTAS anti-tank missiles (Hellfire 2 equivalent) by Roketsan. Almost on a par with the Apache, but much cheaper.
 
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