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Vietnam era helicopters
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Note: A blue arrow AN/AAS-25 FLIR. The AN/AAS-25 passive
infrared night equipment was a passive thermal image with sensor,
signal processor, display, compressor, indicator, and power supply
developed for use with the XM112 swiveling gunner's station on the
AH-56A Cheyenne. AN/AAQ-5 Night Vision Sight. The AN/AAQ-5
Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) featured a televised thermal image
to the pilot and copilot providing night vision capabilities to the
UH-1M "Huey" and the AH-1G "Huey" Cobra. The
AN/AAQ-5 FLIR was a component of the Southeast Asia Multi-Sensor
Armament System (SMASH) developed for use on the AH-1G Cobra.
AN/AYG Ballistics Computer Set. The AN/AYG generated the
proper weapon lead angles for flexible weapon systems on the UH-1
"Huey" and the AH-1G "Huey" Cobra. The computer
compensated for windage jump, gravity drop, magnus effect, barrel
spin, aircraft motion, and wind and target motion.
AN/ALQ-144A(V)1 Countermeasures Set (CMS). The AN/ALQ-144A(V)1
infrared jammer is designed jam all known infrared threat missile systems
when operated on helicopters equipped with low reflective paint and
engine exhaust suppressors. MK8 Reflex Sight. The MK8 was a simple
unity power reflex sight used on the UH-1B/UH-1C "Huey"
for rocket firing with the
indicates a photo or line drawing that can be viewed and downloaded.
FIRE CONTROL AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
(listed by model No.)
Following are some fire control systems developed for use with
U.S. Army Helicopter Weapon Systems.
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AN/ALQ-144 on AH-64A Apache attack helicopter (Copyright
Richard G. Marshall)
XM26 Telescopic Sight. The XM26 was a Research and
Development project for a stabilized visual and Infrared line of
sight for use on the UH-1B "Huey".
XM58 Sight. The XM58 was a Research and
Development project for an antioscillation gyro-stabilized monocular
used by the gunner to stabilize and magnify the target for
guidance of the AGM-22B (formerly SS-11B1) missile when using the
M22 guided missile launcher on the UH-1B/UH-1C "Huey". M60A1 Reflex Sight. The M60A1 was a
collimated reticle pilot's sight for use with fixed forward firing
guns and rockets on the UH-1B, UH-1C, and UH-1M "Huey".
The M60A1 was used with the M16 and M21 armament subsystems.
The M60A1 was type classified Standard A. XM70/XM70E1 Sight. The XM70 was a
collimated reticle image pilot's sight for use with the XM8 and
M27 armament subsystems used on the OH-6A Cayuse and OH-58A
Kiowa light observation helicopters (LOH) and with the M11
rocket launcher on the UH-1 "Huey". It was mechanically
driven in elevation. The XM70E1 sight was modified with an azimuth
adjustment. Both the XM70 and XM70E1 saw limited production.
Flexible reflex sighting station (gunner's sight)
(Copyright Jim McDaniel,
174th Assault Helicopter Co.)
Gunner's flexible reflex sight and pilot's sight in stowed position(Copyright
Butch Lottman)
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M73/M73E1 Reflex Sight. The M73E1 sight
consisted of a sight assembly and a tilting reflector head and
support mounted to a rigid bracket located over the centerline of
an AH-1G "Huey" Cobra. The M73E1 was used for sighting
rockets, fixed forward firing guns, and flexible turret weapons.
The sight body contained a day/night reticle and a collimating
lens system rigidly held in alignment and focus. The M73 sight
was used with all AH-1 series Cobras, except for the AH-1F
Modernized Cobra, which uses the XM76 Sighting System. The XM76
antioscillation sighting system is a hand-held image stabilizing
monocular with associated power supply. It was designed to
compensate for vibrations normally experienced with conventional
hand-held viewing devices used in aircraft during flight. The XM76
was used with the OH-23 Raven, the UH-1 "Huey" and the
OH-6A Cayuse. XM110 Helmet Sight. The XM110 was a
Research and Development project for a helmet sight for use on the
AH-56A Cheyenne that permitted the pilot to align the nose turret,
belly turret, and/or the XM112 swiveling gunner's station with a
selected target. The system consisted of a helmet sight and sensor
assembly, two light source assemblies, and a sensor electronic assembly. XM112 Swiveling Gunner's Station. The XM112
was a Research and Development project for use with the AH-56A Cheyenne
to supplement the copilot/gunner's normal field of view with a
periscopic view of nearly the entire hemisphere below the aircraft.
The station was equipped with a wide-angle optical display sight and
periscope that permitted rapid target identification and acquisition.
The station could be rotated in azimuth and was space-stabilized
to permit the gunner to concentrate on a given target area
completely independent of aircraft motion. The XM112 was used with
the XM113 Control Panel. The XM113 external
stores control panel was a Research and Development project for use
on the AH-56A Cheyenne to provide a method of selecting and arming
the 2.75 inch rocket system or droppable stores. It controlled the
amount, sequence, and interval for release of rockets or stores. XM114 Reflex Sight. The XM114 was a Research
and Development project to provide an optical sighting reference for
forward firing and for boresighting the pilot's helmet sight on the
AH-56A Cheyenne. The direct sight was caged when used for direct fire
and uncaged when used for firing 2.75 inch rockets.
OS-1115 Intervalometer. The OS-1115 intervalometer provided
electronically sequenced rocket launching of 2.75 inch rockets from
seven-tube or 19-tube rocket launchers on the AH-1G "Huey"
Cobra. The intervalometer could arms, sequence, space firing intervals,
and safe rockets electronically. It kept track of which rockets had
been fired and initiated a new firing sequence starting with the next
unfired rocket. Safing was provided by shorting each squib to ground
through relay contacts. Two intervalometers were required for use
with each pair of rocket launchers. The OS-115 intervalometer was
a component of the XM119 rocket control and display subsystem.
XM119 Rocket Control and Display Subsystem.
The XM119 was a Research and Development project for firing the 2.75
inch rocket system on the AH-1G "Huey" Cobra. The system had
a 76 rocket capacity and permitted selection of any of four types of
rocket warheads and recorded type and quantity of remaining rockets on a
visual display. The XM119 was used with the
Reticle on M73 reflex sight
CONFICS (AH-1G Cobra). The CONFICS (Cobra
Night Fire Control System) was developted under the Ensure 100 program
to provide the AH-1G "Huey" Cobra with a night vision
capability. It was a low-light-level TV system used for target
acquisition and fire control during night operations. The system
was integrated with the optical sighting station of the INFANT (UH-1M "Huey"). The Hughes
INFANT (Iroquois Night Fighter and Night Tracker) was developed for
the U.S. Army Southeaast Asia Night Operations (SEA NITEOPS) program
office. INFANT used a low-light-level TV (LLLTV) and Infrared searchlights
for targeting of ground targets during night operations. The LLLTV was
installed beneath the nose of the aircraft and was thought to be capable
of seeing men and equipment under starlight or moonlight conditions. The
INFANT was used on the ![]()
FIRE CONTROL AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (listed by
common name)
Mast Mounted Sight (OH-58D Kiowa Warrior). The Mast
Mounted Sight (MMS) is one of the key components of the OH-58D
Kiowa Warrior. Its day/night capabilities allow the crew to scan the
battlefield and acquire, identify, and locate potential targets. The
MMS System Processor (MSP) enables the
Warrior crew can keep the aircraft masked, acquire a threat aircraft
flying while blacked-out, and track it using the Mast Mounted Sight.
The pilot can then orient his weaponry on the target, unmask, and fire
before the threat aircraft can detect the Warrior. The MMS is type
classified Standard A. SMASH (AH-1G Cobra). The SMASH (Southeast Asia
Multi-Sensor Armament Subsystem for "Huey" Cobra) consisted of
a podded Moving Target Indicator Radar, AN/APQ-137 attached to the outboard
right wing bomb shackles, and a
OH-58D Mast Mounted Sight (MMS)
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