Suits Of Armour

Helicopter armour that protects aircrew members and passengers from small arms fire is a proven requirement driven by recent, and ongoing, conflicts in the Iraq/Syria and central Asian theatres, meanwhile the drive towards lighter armour will continue.

- Andrew Drwiega

Armouring helicopters, more properly defined as adding ballistic protection, to safeguard crew and passengers when flying in war zones has always been a compromise between installing an extra element of protection, while adding weight and thus sacrificing payload. Weight is an ever important factor, nowhere more than during high altitude operations where engine performance decreases due to the commensurate lack of oxygen. Due to the nature of recent Counter-Insurgence (COIN) operations, helicopters, particularly those involved in troop transport, usually fly at 3000 feet (914 metres) or below depending on aircraft type and tactical requirement. This makes them vulnerable to a variety of ground based weapons, from single shot rifles, to dedicated heavier machine guns that double as Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) that can be broken down and transported into remote locations by insurgent groups. Such weapons have in past conflicts, included the Russian 14.5mm ZPU family towed AAA and DHSK 12.7mm heavy machineguns. When such weapons are present, however, air support in the form of attack helicopters or fighters are usually called upon to eliminate the threat as aircraft ballistic protection against weapons of these sizes is difficult to achieve, much as it is against the explosive power of the surfaceto-air missiles used by Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS).