AH-11 Wildcat

NOTE: This article is about the AH-11 Wildcat in ArmA 2: BAF. For its counterpart in ArmA 3's semi-official Reaction Forces Creator DLC, see AH-11F Hellcat (Reaction Forces).

Wildcat
Faction	British Army
Type	Utility Helicopter
Seats	10 seats: 1× Pilot 1× Co-Pilot/Observer 8× Passengers
Item capacity	Max: 18× Weapons 180× Magazines 5× Backpacks
Top speed	~ 270 km/h
Fuel capacity	1000 fuel units
Primary armament	Main: 1× M621 20 mm 1× CRV-7PG Rocket Pod
Secondary armament	Targeting: 1× Laser Designator Defensive: 120× Countermeasures (Chaff/Flare)
Variants	None
Games

The AH-11 Wildcat is a utility helicopter used exclusively by the British Army in ArmA 2. It was added with the release of the British Armed Forces DLC.

Overview

• Roles:
  • Observation
  • Utility helicopter
  • Laser targeting
  • Troop transport
  • Light gunship

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The Wildcat AH11 is a British multi-purpose military helicopter, designed to serve in battlefield utility, search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare roles. The AH11 is armed with the CRV7 rocket system and with the M621 20mm automatic cannon. Armoury Description

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Design

This is a premium asset that requires ownership of the British Armed Forces DLC.

An upgraded model of the original Super Lynx helicopter, the Wildcat features more powerful engines, uses a wheeled undercarriage instead of skids, a composite tail and nose structure, and has improved avionics. Like its predecessor, the Wildcat is a multi-purpose transport helicopter, though it can also be utilised in search-and-rescue and forward observation roles.

Armament
It is fitted with two stub wings attached to both sides of the fuselage. The stub wings are armed with a single 70 mm rocket pod on the right wing while the left wing is fitted with a forward-facing 20 mm autocannon.

The Wildcat's M621 autocannon feeds from a single belt that has 400 rounds worth of 20 mm shells. The CRV7 rocket pod on the other hand, is pre-loaded with 12 laser-guided 70 mm rockets that have high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads.

Escorting a Merlin transport helicopter.

Features
The Wildcat serves as the primary utility helicopter of British forces operating in Takistan at the height of Operation Crimson Lance. Transporting troops into combat is its main role, though the Wildcat is well-equipped to be able provide fire support for ground troops as a light gunship, while also acting as a forward air control (FAC) asset for dedicated attack helicopters.

In the case of the latter, the co-pilot/observer has access to a laser designator integrated into a fully rotatable targeting pod that is located underneath the nose. It can be used to guide laser guided munitions from other aircraft or its own CRV-7PG rockets, and is also able to toggle between normal day, night, and black-/white-hot thermal vision modes, making it perfectly suited for reconnaissance duties and tracking ground targets.

Although it cannot transport as many troops as the larger Merlin HC3, the Wildcat makes up for it by being armed and can adequately defend itself (and its cargo) from enemy ground forces. It is smaller-sized and can land in areas such as building rooftops where the Merlin would otherwise have difficulty fitting on.

A single Tunguska neutralises three Wildcats with little effort.

Drawbacks
Due to only being a light gunship at best, the Wildcat is soft-skinned and remains vulnerable to autocannon-armed anti-air vehicles that will easily shred the helicopter should it get close enough to their guns. Prolonged contact against AA infantry, particularly those wielding modern surface-to-air missiles, should be avoided unless it is absolutely necessary since the Wildcat will not last long even with its defensive countermeasures suite.

Crew Capacity
The Wildcat can carry up to eight passengers in its rear cabin. The crew consists of both the pilot and the co-pilot, who also doubles as an observer and controls the nose-mounted targeting pod.

Protection

The Wildcat has a base armour value of 60.

Hull

The hull can withstand 60 points of damage.

Engine

The engines can survive up to 30 points of damage before failing. A damaged engine will cause the Wildcat to have difficulty gaining lift as a result of its lowered power output.

Instruments

The cockpit's flight instruments can only take 9 points of damage. The pilot's Head Mounted Display (HMD) will also flicker if damaged, but will only be disabled if the instruments are critically damaged.

Main rotor

The main rotor can only withstand 18 points of damage. Disabling the main rotor will prevent the pilot from being able to maintain lift. 10% of damage is always transferred onto the main "health" pool of the Wildcat.

Tail rotor

The tail rotor is limited to taking just 12 points of damage. Disabling the tail rotor will prevent the pilot from being able to control the main rotor's torque. At least 10% of damage will be shared with the main "health" pool of the Wildcat.

Armament

The pilot controls both the M621 20 mm autocannon and CRV-7PG rocket pod, while the co-pilot/observer handles the targeting pod.

The pod's camera is forward-facing and can only be swivelled 120 degrees in both directions horizontally. They can toggle between three fields of view and can switch on/off a day, night or black-hot/white-hot thermal vision mode:

M621

Base damage value	Aerodynamic friction	Initial velocity (m/s)
40	-0.00077	900

20 mm autocannon. Strong against clustered groups of infantry and unarmoured/lightly-armoured ground vehicles.

It can attain a fire rate of up to 800 rounds per minute and has a muzzle velocity of 900 m/s. At distances of approximately ~ 800 metres, the M621 retains a dispersion spread of 0.0012 rad. It takes up to 5 seconds for the M621 to rearm at a logistical vehicle (assuming it has run out of ammunition).

The shells are partially armour penetrating and have a blast radius of 2 metres.

CRV-7PG

Damage type	Base damage value	Maximum speed (m/s)
High-Explosive Anti-Tank	800	425

70 mm precision-guided rockets. The rockets can lock-on via laser or inertial guidance, though the rockets will not be able to adjust their trajectory in mid-flight properly without a laser spot to lock onto.

Rockets are hard launched with an initial velocity of 44 m/s, but will take a further 3.25 seconds afterwards to reach a top speed of 425 m/s. There is always an imposed delay of 1 second in-between launches. The warheads have a blast radius of 2 metres.

Avionics

MAWS

The Wildcat has an integrated Missile Approach Warning System and will alert the pilot of incoming missiles that are locked onto it.

RWR

The Wildcat has a Radar Warning Receiver and will alert the pilot of being locked onto by radar-based targeting systems.

IWR

The Wildcat has an Infrared Warning Receiver and will alert the pilot of being locked onto by infrared-based targeting systems.

Trivia

• The AW159 helicopter in real-life can be armed with a pintle-mounted machine gun which can be fitted to either side of the passenger cabin, though the in-game Wildcat lacks this capability.
• Prior to the latest Steam version patches, the Wildcat's CRV-7PG rockets were not able to lock onto laser targets if auto-guiding was disabled in the player's difficulty settings.
  • Fixes introduced with the CorePatch update also corrected an issue where the pilot was still able to lock onto targets with CRV-7PGs even if there was no co-pilot present.
• The Wildcat's model was one of the few vehicles from ArmA 2 that was deemed to be of sufficient model quality to be reused in ArmA 3. As part of Game Update 1.08, the Wildcat's (upgraded) model was ported over to ArmA 3 and added to the AAF faction's roster of assets.

Gallery

External links

• Wikipedia: AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat

See also

Aircraft of comparable role and configuration

• UH-1Y (USMC counterpart)
• WY-55 Hellcat (AAF successor, ArmA 3 only)

British Army - Vehicles (ArmA 2)
Wheeled	ATV • Jackal 2 MWMIK • Military Offroad • MTVR
Tracked	FV510 Warrior
Rotor-wing	Apache AH-1 • AH-11 Wildcat • Chinook HC4 • Merlin HC3
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Operation Arrowhead | British Armed Forces