NOTE: This article is about the baseline AH-99 Blackfoot gunship in ArmA 3. For its naval counterpart in the semi-official Expeditionary Forces Creator DLC, see AH-99J Python (Expeditionary Forces). |
The AH-99 Blackfoot is a reconnaissance/medium attack helicopter used exclusively by NATO forces in ArmA 3.
Overview[]
- Roles:
- Observation
- Reconnaissance
- Light gunship
- Medium gunship
- Laser targeting
« | A two-seat attack helicopter armed with 20 mm Minigun, ASRAAM and DAGR missiles. Even though the construction dates back some time and the program faced cancelation in the first years of the 21st century, the project was finished successfully and the Blackfoot became the first attack helicopter with stealth technology applied even to the main rotor. The Blackfoot is extremely fast, agile and hard to detect even by contemporary sensors, but it's slowly becoming outdated. Field Manual[1]
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Design[]
The Blackfoot is a five-bladed, rotary-wing stealth helicopter designed for both armed reconnaissance and ground attack duties.
Armament
By default, both configurations of the Blackfoot are armed with a 20 mm rotary cannon that is mounted to a turret located under the cockpit.[CfgVh 4][CfgVh 8] It is pre-loaded with a single 1,000-round linked belt[CfgVh 5][CfgVh 9] loaded with armour-piercing high-explosive (APHE) shells.[CfgAm 1][CfgAm 2][CfgAm 3]
On the baseline Blackfoot gunship, it has six pylons (three on each wing) stored within retractable internal bays on either side of the fuselage that support dynamic loadouts:[CfgVh 6][CfgVh 7]
- The outermost and central hardpoints are fitted with 4× ASRAAM short-ranged, infrared-guided air-to-air missiles
- The innermost hardpoint is equipped with 2× DAR unguided air-to-ground rockets (each pod is loaded with 12× rockets for a combined total of 24× DARs)[note 1]
For Blackfoots that have external stub wings attached, the loadout consists of the following munitions:[CfgVh 10]
- The outermost and central hardpoints are fitted with 4× ASRAAM short-ranged, infrared-guided air-to-air missiles
- The innermost hardpoint is equipped with 2× DAR unguided air-to-ground rockets (each pod is loaded with 12× rockets for a combined total of 24× DARs)[note 2]
- The external stub wing hardpoints are equipped with 8× Skalpel infrared-guided air-to-ground missiles (each wing carries 4× missiles)
The gunner's turret also has a laser designator that can be used to mark targets for its own DAGR rockets or for precision guided bombs dropped from fixed-wing jets like the GBU-12.[CfgVh 4]

The Blackfoot's air-to-ground weapons suite works best against light/medium armour.
Features
The Blackfoot's rotors are modified so that they operate much more silently. It is more difficult to hear a Blackfoot flying in compared to the Mi-48, which can be easily heard from many kilometres away.
Meanwhile, its stealth coating provides the baseline Blackfoot with electronic stealth capabilities against both active radars and infrared-based sensors.[CfgVh 15][CfgVh 16] This ensures that fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft vehicles like the ZSU-39 will have difficulty detecting it from afar; provided that the crew do not activate the Blackfoot's own radar whilst within range of their sensors.
Mobility
Unlike its bulkier and cumbersome CSAT counterpart, the Blackfoot is highly agile and very fast for its size. It can gain lift and generate thrust rapidly at almost any angle and direction. Its manoeuvrability rivals the MH-9 and is able to achieve this without sacrificing protection or armament to deal with a variety of threats. However, the Blackfoot does have a slight problem with losing a lot of lift while performing high speed/high-G turns, or from pulling out of a dive.
Drawbacks
The baseline Blackfoot is ill-equipped to tackle heavily armoured ground threats. While its default loadout of DAGRs perform sufficiently against medium-armoured vehicles, they will not be able to inflict much damage on Main Battle Tanks. Only the external stub wing-fitted Blackfoot is capable of serving properly as a tank hunter, but this capability comes at the cost of stealth as the stub wings compromise its radar cross-section, making it 25% easier to spot on radar.[CfgVh 17]
On both variants, its 20 mm cannon is quite weak in comparison to the Mi-48's 30 mm autocannon. Its APHE shells are only useful against infantry, light vehicles, and other low-flying aircraft. Overall, it is better utilised either for forward air control purposes (specifically laser targeting ground targets) or intercepting enemy helicopters.
It should also be noted that unlike the larger (fixed-wing) Blackfish VTOL, the Blackfoot is unable to serve as an airborne radar platform. Even when its active radar is switched on, the Blackfoot is not actually capable of relaying targeting information to data link-capable vehicles.
Crew Capacity
Both configurations of the Blackfoot support a crew of two consisting of the pilot and gunner. It is not capable of transporting passengers.
Variants[]

The stub wings grant the Blackfoot two additional hardpoints. These two hardpoints are specifically armed with Skalpel air-to-ground anti-tank missiles by default. 4× missiles are equipped on each wing, providing this variant's gunner with access to a combined pool of 8× Skalpel ATGMs.[CfgVh 10]
The loadout for its internal wing pylons remains unchanged. However, it should be noted that the external stub wings compromise the Blackfoot's stealthiness; it has a larger RCS rating of 0.9 compared to the baseline gunship which has an RCS rating of 0.7, making it much easier to detect by enemy active radars.[CfgVh 17]
Camouflage[]
- Green: Drab green paint scheme.
Western Sahara Creator DLC only |
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NOTE: The following camouflage schemes will only be available if the third party-developed Western Sahara Creator DLC is activated.
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Expeditionary Forces Creator DLC only |
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NOTE: The following camouflage schemes will only be available if the third party-developed Expeditionary Forces Creator DLC is activated.
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Protection: Hitpoints[]
Both configurations of the Blackfoot have a base armour value of 40.[CfgVh 18][CfgVh 19]

LEGEND[SCR 2]
Green = Hull
Orange = Engines
Violet = Fuel tank
Light blue = Transmission
Maroon = Instruments
Yellow = Main rotors
Dark blue = Tail rotors
Hull[]
The hull takes full damage from high-explosive (HE) type munitions.[CfgVh 20] 100% of incoming damage will always be shared with the Blackfoot's main "health" pool.[CfgVh 21]
Damage to the helicopter's hull is dependent on the total amount of damage inflicted to other components.[CfgVh 22][CfgVh 23] On its own, depletion of the hull's integrity cannot cause the helicopter to explode unless all other components have been destroyed as well.[CfgVh 24]
Engines[]
The Blackfoot's twin engines can each take up to 28 points of damage before they start to fail.[CfgVh 25][CfgVh 26][Formula 1] Both engines take 300% additional damage from HE-type munitions.[CfgVh 27][CfgVh 28]
100% of incoming damage to either engine will be shared with the helicopter's main "health" pool. If the Blackfoot is at critical "health" status, destruction of the engines has the potential to cause an explosion.[CfgVh 29][CfgVh 30]
Fuel tank[]
The Blackfoot's fuel tank can withstand up to 40 points of damage before it ruptures.[CfgVh 31][Formula 2] It takes full damage from HE-type munitions.[CfgVh 32] 100% of incoming damage will always be shared with the Blackfoot's main "health" pool. Depending on the helicopter's overall status, destruction of the fuel tank has the potential to cause an explosion if the Blackfoot is at critical "health" status.[CfgVh 33]
Instruments[]
The Blackfoot's flight instruments, Multi-Functional Displays (MFD) and Heads-Up Display (HUD) can take a maximum of 80 points of damage before they start to malfunction.[CfgVh 34][Formula 3] They take full damage from HE-type munitions.[CfgVh 35] 100% of incoming damage will always be shared with the Blackfoot's main "health" pool.[CfgVh 36]
Main rotor[]
The Blackfoot's main rotors can take up to 160 points of damage before they start to fail.[CfgVh 37][Formula 4] They take 250% additional damage from HE-type munitions.[CfgVh 38] Only 10% of incoming damage will be shared with the Blackfoot's main "health" pool.[CfgVh 39]
Tail rotor[]
The Blackfoot's tail rotor can withstand up to 120 points of damage before it starts failing.[CfgVh 40][Formula 5] It takes 600% additional damage from HE-type munitions.[CfgVh 41] Only 30% of incoming damage will be shared with the Blackfoot's main "health" pool.[CfgVh 42]
Protection: Armour[]
Blackfoots are protected by a mix of armour plates that surround the entire hull, main/tail rotors, and cockpit:
.bisurf | Density [2][3][4] |
Thickness [2][3][4] |
bulletPenetrability [2][3][4] |
bulletPenetrabilityWithThickness [2][3][4] |
Friction [2][5] |
Restitution [2][5] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
armour_plate_12mm.bisurf | 8600 | 12 | N/A; not used by armour_plate_12mm.bisurf | 15 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
armour_plate_20mm.bisurf | 8600 | 20 | N/A; not used by armour_plate_20mm.bisurf | 15 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
armour_plate_30mm.bisurf | 8600 | 30 | N/A; not used by armour_plate_30mm.bisurf | 15 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
glass_armored_plate.bisurf | 8000 | 30 | N/A; not used by glass_armored_plate.bisurf | 36 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
iron_cast.bisurf | 6500 | N/A; based on vehicle fire geometry thickness | 30 | N/A; not used by iron_cast.bisurf | 0.7 | 0.3 |
metal.bisurf | 4000 | N/A; based on vehicle fire geometry thickness | 48 | N/A; not used by metal.bisurf | 0.7 | 0.3 |
metal_plate.bisurf | 4000 | 30 | N/A; not used by metal_plate.bisurf | 48 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
plastic.bisurf | 1200 | N/A; based on vehicle fire geometry thickness | 160 | N/A; not used by plastic.bisurf | 0.7 | 0.3 |
Baseline gunship (no external stub wings)[]

LEGEND[SCR 3]
Dark blue = metal_plate.bisurf
Green = glass_armored_plate.bisurf
Maroon = metal.bisurf
Orange = plastic.bisurf
Purple = armour_plate_20mm.bisurf
Red = iron_cast.bisurf
Teal = armour_plate_12mm.bisurf
Yellow = armour_plate_30mm.bisurf
The baseline gunship with no external stub wings attached use the following materials:
- The main/tail rotors, tail boom, internal weapon bay doors, and landing gear doors are protected by composite armour plates that have a thickness of 12 millimetres.[rvmat 1][bisurf 1]
- The majority of the helicopter's hull, tail structure, the nose's Turreted Gun System (TGS), and cockpit are protected by composite armour plates. These plates have a thickness of 20 millimetres.[rvmat 2][bisurf 2]
- The back of the pilot and gunner's seats are protected by composite armour plates that have a thickness of 30 millimetres.[rvmat 3][bisurf 3]
- The cockpit windows are protected by armoured glass panes with a thickness of 30 millimetres.[rvmat 4][bisurf 4]
- The Minigun 20 mm's barrels are made out of cast iron.[rvmat 5][bisurf 5]
- The main transmission, rotor hub of the fenestron, interior of the internal weapons bay, Target Acquisition System (TAS) and Night Vision Pilotage System (NVPS) sensors in the nose/turret, as well as the main rotor hub are all made out of plain metals.[rvmat 6][bisurf 6]
- The landing gears (but not the tyres), the helicopter's fuel tank, and a "wall" that divides the interior of the internal weapons bay are all made out of plain metals. These metal plates have a thickness of 30 millimetres.[rvmat 7][bisurf 7]
- The flight instruments and Multi-Functional Displays (MFD) are made out of plastic.[rvmat 8][bisurf 8]
The cockpit's windows are considered to be bullet-resistant and can block bullet projectiles fired by 6.5 mm/7.62 mm assault rifles. However, they are not sufficiently durable enough to block hits from 7.62 mm DMRs/LMGs or any other larger calibre bullet projectiles.
External stub wings configuration[]

LEGEND[SCR 3]
Dark blue = metal_plate.bisurf
Green = glass_armored_plate.bisurf
Maroon = metal.bisurf
Orange = plastic.bisurf
Purple = armour_plate_20mm.bisurf
Red = iron_cast.bisurf
Teal = armour_plate_12mm.bisurf
Yellow = armour_plate_30mm.bisurf
Blackfoot gunships fitted with external stub wings utilise the following materials: millimetres.[rvmat 1][bisurf 1]
- The majority of the helicopter's hull, tail structure, nose Turreted Gun System (TGS), cockpit, and its external stub wings are protected by composite armour plates. These plates have a thickness of 20 millimetres.[rvmat 2][bisurf 2]
- The back of the pilot and gunner's seats are protected by composite armour plates that have a thickness of 30 millimetres.[rvmat 3][bisurf 3]
- The cockpit windows are protected by armoured glass panes with a thickness of 30 millimetres.[rvmat 4][bisurf 4]
- The Minigun 20 mm's barrels are made out of cast iron.[rvmat 5][bisurf 5]
- The main transmission, rotor hub of the fenestron, interior of the internal weapons bay, Target Acquisition System (TAS) and Night Vision Pilotage System (NVPS) sensors in the nose/turret, as well as the main rotor hub are all made out of plain metals.[rvmat 6][bisurf 6]
- The landing gears (but not the tyres), the helicopter's fuel tank, and a "wall" that divides the interior of the internal weapons bay are all made out of plain metals. These metal plates have a thickness of 30 millimetres.[rvmat 7][bisurf 7]
- The flight instruments and Multi-Functional Displays (MFD) are made out of plastic.[rvmat 8][bisurf 8]
The cockpit's windows are considered to be bullet-resistant and can block bullet projectiles fired by 6.5 mm/7.62 mm assault rifles. However, they are not sufficiently durable enough to block hits from 7.62 mm DMRs/LMGs or any other larger calibre bullet projectiles.
Stealth[]
Blackfoot gunships have limited stealth capabilities against active radars and infrared sensors. When pitted against fighter radars, it has a higher chance of staying undetected by hovering above ground clutter rather than flying over open terrain:
RCS[]
The baseline Blackfoot gunship with no external stub wings attached has a radar cross-section rating of 0.7, which lowers the maximum range at which enemy active radars can detect it by up to 30%.[CfgVh 15]
However, Blackfoots with external stub wings attached have a larger RCS rating of 0.9. For these configurations, the detection range of enemy radars is only reduced by 10%.[CfgVh 17]
IR[]
Both configurations of the Blackfoot have reduced visibility on the infrared spectrum and can only be detected at 80% of an infrared-based sensor's maximum range (factor of 0.8; reduction of 20%).[CfgVh 16][CfgVh 43]
Visual[]
Neither configuration of the Blackfoot applies reductions to visual-based sensors. They can be tracked at full range by enemy visual sensors.[CfgVh 44][CfgVh 45]
Sensors[]
Capable of both reconnaissance and providing fire support, the Blackfoot utilises several types of sensors optimised for its role as an air-to-ground platform:
Sensor type | Max range (Air/Ground) | Min range (Air/Ground) | Affected by environment? | Target max speed (km/h) | Azimuth coverage (°) | Elevation coverage (°) | Friendly identification range (m) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Active | A: 5,000 m G: 4,000 m [CfgVh 46][CfgVh 47] |
A: 5,000 m G: 4,000 m [CfgVh 48][CfgVh 49] |
Nothing | 450 km/h [CfgVh 50][Formula 6] |
180°[CfgVh 51] | 90°[CfgVh 52] | 3,000 m[CfgVh 53] |
Infrared | A: 3,000 m G: 2,000 m [CfgVh 54][CfgVh 55] |
A: 500 m G: 500 m [CfgVh 56][CfgVh 57] |
Fog (0.005%) [CfgVh 58] |
252 km/h [CfgVh 59][Formula 7] |
46°[CfgVh 60] | 34°[CfgVh 61] | 2,000 m[CfgVh 62] |
Laser | A: 6,000 m G: 6,000 m [CfgVh 63][CfgVh 64] |
A: 6,000 m G: 6,000 m [CfgVh 65][CfgVh 66] |
Nothing | 1e+10 km/h [CfgVh 67] |
180°[CfgVh 68] | 180°[CfgVh 69] | 0 m[CfgVh 70] |
NV | A: 6,000 m G: 6,000 m [CfgVh 71][CfgVh 72] |
A: 6,000 m G: 6,000 m [CfgVh 73][CfgVh 74] |
Nothing | 1e+10 km/h [CfgVh 75] |
180°[CfgVh 76] | 180°[CfgVh 77] | 0 m[CfgVh 78] |
Passive | A: 16,000 m G: 16,000 m [CfgVh 79][CfgVh 80] |
A: 16,000 m G: 16,000 m [CfgVh 81][CfgVh 82] |
Nothing | 1e+10 km/h [CfgVh 83] |
360°[CfgVh 84] | 360°[CfgVh 85] | 12,000 m[CfgVh 86] |
Visual | A: 2,000 m G: 1,500 m [CfgVh 87][CfgVh 88] |
A: 500 m G: 500 m [CfgVh 89][CfgVh 90] |
Fog/Light (6%) [CfgVh 91][CfgVh 92] |
252 km/h [CfgVh 93][Formula 8] |
46°[CfgVh 94] | 34°[CfgVh 95] | 2,000 m[CfgVh 96] |
Active Radar[]
The Blackfoot's Active Radar can only detect targets once they get within bounds of the sensor's range (represented by the teal semi-circle on the SENSORS panel).[note 3] It has an elevation offset of 30 degrees.[CfgVh 97]
Infrared Sensor[]
The Blackfoot's IR Sensor is located in the gun turret camera (represented by the red cone on the SENSORS panel).[CfgVh 98] Although it is technically affected by heavy fog, the range reduction effect is so miniscule (-0.125 metre reduction[CfgVh 58]) that it will be barely noticeable.[note 4]
It should be noted that the Infrared Sensor has an elevation offset of 0.25 degrees.[CfgVh 99]
Laser Sensor[]
The Blackfoot's Laser Sensor is forward-facing only. Any designated targets will become visible on the Blackfoot's SENSORS panel only when the helicopter is (mostly) facing in the direction of the laser spot.[note 3]
NV Sensor[]
The Blackfoot's NV Sensor is forward-facing only. Any IR grenades on the ground will only become visible on the SENSORS panel when the Blackfoot is (mostly) facing in the direction of the grenade.[note 3]
Passive Radar[]
The Blackfoot's Passive Radar can detect Active Radar threats in any direction (regardless of the helicopter's facing direction).[note 3]
Visual Sensor[]
The Blackfoot's Visual Sensor is located in the gun turret camera (represented by the orange cone on the SENSORS panel).[CfgVh 100] The Visual Sensor can be affected by heavy fog and can lose up to 6% of its range depending on its thickness.[CfgVh 91] The Visual Sensor becomes completely blind at nighttime and very low-light conditions.[CfgVh 92][note 4]
It should be noted that the Visual Sensor has an elevation offset of 0.25 degrees.[CfgVh 101]
Armament[]
NOTE: Only the weapons used on the default loadout for the Blackfoot are listed here. For full details on ordnance that can be mounted on the Blackfoot's pylons, refer to the dynamic loadouts article.
Regardless of configuration, the gunner position controls all weapon systems on the Blackfoot. The Minigun 20 mm is mounted onto the Blackfoot's turret, whilst the DAR/DAGR rocket pods and ASRAAM missiles are stored on racks located inside the Blackfoot's internal weapons bays located on both sides of the fuselage.[CfgVh 4][CfgVh 6][CfgVh 7]
On Blackfoots that have external stub wings fitted, the gunner also retains exclusive control over its Skalpel air-to-ground anti-tank missiles:[CfgVh 10]
Minigun 20 mm[]

Ammo parameter | Value |
---|---|
Base damage value | 60[CfgAm 4] |
Splash damage value | 6[CfgAm 5] |
Damage type | Armour Piercing + High-Explosive [CfgAm 1][CfgAm 2][CfgAm 3][note 5] |
Aerodynamic friction | -0.00078[CfgAm 6] |
Muzzle velocity (m/s) | 1,030[CfgMa 1] |
Expected velocity (m/s) | 1,030 [CfgAm 7][note 6] |
Penetration depth (mm) | 52.53 [CfgAm 8][Formula 9] |
20 mm rotary cannon. It fires armour-piercing high-explosive (APHE) shells.[CfgAm 1][CfgAm 2][CfgAm 3]
It can attain a fire rate of up to 1,500 rounds per minute[CfgWp 1][Formula 10] and has a muzzle velocity of 1,030 m/s.[CfgMa 1] Accuracy-wise, it has a dispersion spread of 0.0055 rad.[CfgWp 2] The shells have a blast radius of 1.6 metres[CfgAm 2] and can (partially) penetrate up to ~ 52 millimetres of armour plating.[CfgAm 8][Formula 9]
The Minigun 20 mm's Fire Control System features both automatic lead and zeroing capabilities, though only against targets moving at speeds of ~ 110 km/h or less.[CfgWp 3][Formula 11] It takes at least 0.5 seconds for the FCS to finish calculations against valid targets.[CfgWp 4] Manual zeroing is also available, starting from a minimum of 100 metres up to a maximum of 2,500 metres (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 1800, 2100, 2500).[CfgVh 102] By default, the Minigun 20 mm will be set to a zeroing of 600 metres.[CfgVh 103]
For the turret's rotation limits, the Minigun 20 mm can be freely swivelled up to a maximum of 120 degrees in both directions horizontally.[CfgVh 104][CfgVh 105] Vertically however, it is restricted to a depression of 51 degrees[CfgVh 106] and an elevation of only 9 degrees.[CfgVh 107]
DAR[]

- Main article: Dynamic loadouts#DAR
Unguided anti-personnel rockets.
DARs are technically soft-launched[CfgMa 2] but there isn't actually a delay for the rocket's motor to ignite.[CfgAm 9] Launched rockets only need 1.07 seconds of flight time[CfgAm 10] to attain a top in-flight speed of 720 m/s.[CfgAm 11]
ASRAAM[]

- Main article: Dynamic loadouts#ASRAAM
Infrared-guided air-to-air missile.
Relies on the Blackfoot's IR Sensor to function.
Skalpel[]

NOTE: Only available on the AH-99 Blackfoot (Stub Wings) variant.
- Main article: Dynamic loadouts#Skalpel
Infrared-guided air-to-ground anti-tank missiles.
Relies on the Blackfoot's IR Sensor to function.
Dynamic loadouts[]
Pylons[]
Internal wing pylons L1/L3/R1/R3[]
Image | Munition/weapon name | Classname(s) | Hardpoint family ID(s) |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
ASRAAM | PylonMissile_1Rnd_AAA_missiles PylonRack_1Rnd_AAA_missiles |
B_ASRAAM B_MISSILE_PYLON |
![]() |
DAGR | PylonRack_12Rnd_PG_missiles | B_MISSILE_PYLON DAGR |
![]() |
DAR | PylonRack_12Rnd_missiles | B_MISSILE_PYLON DAR |
![]() |
Scalpel | PylonRack_1Rnd_LG_scalpel PylonMissile_1Rnd_LG_scalpel |
B_MISSILE_PYLON SCALPEL_1RND UNI_SCALPEL |
Internal wing pylons L2/R2[]
Image | Munition/weapon name | Classname(s) | Hardpoint family ID(s) |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
ASRAAM | PylonMissile_1Rnd_AAA_missiles PylonRack_1Rnd_AAA_missiles |
B_ASRAAM B_MISSILE_PYLON |
![]() |
Scalpel | PylonRack_1Rnd_LG_scalpel PylonMissile_1Rnd_LG_scalpel |
B_MISSILE_PYLON SCALPEL_1RND UNI_SCALPEL |
External stub wing pylons E1/E2[]
Image | Munition/weapon name | Classname(s) | Hardpoint family ID(s) |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
ASRAAM | PylonMissile_1Rnd_AAA_missiles PylonRack_1Rnd_AAA_missiles |
B_ASRAAM B_MISSILE_PYLON |
![]() |
DAGR | PylonRack_12Rnd_PG_missiles | B_MISSILE_PYLON DAGR |
![]() |
DAR | PylonRack_12Rnd_missiles | B_MISSILE_PYLON DAR |
![]() |
Scalpel | PylonRack_1Rnd_LG_scalpel PylonMissile_1Rnd_LG_scalpel |
B_MISSILE_PYLON SCALPEL_1RND UNI_SCALPEL |
![]() |
Scalpel 3x | PylonRack_3Rnd_LG_scalpel | B_MISSILE_PYLON UNI_SCALPEL |
![]() |
Scalpel 4x | PylonRack_4Rnd_LG_scalpel | SCALPEL_4RND UNI_SCALPEL |
Loadout presets[]
Both the baseline Blackfoot and its external stub wing-fitted sub-variant have access to three loadout presets each:
Default[]
Default loadout (No external stub wings) | ||||||||||||
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Charts are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
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Default loadout (External stub wings only) | ||||||||||||||||
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Charts are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
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AT[]
AT loadout (No external stub wings) | ||||||||||||
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Charts are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
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AT loadout (External stub wings only) | ||||||||||||||||
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Charts are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
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CAS[]
CAS loadout (No external stub wings) | ||||||||||||
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Charts are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
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CAS loadout (External stub wings only) | ||||||||||||||||
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Charts are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
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Optics[]
Pilot[]

The pilot can (optionally) look via the nose camera to assist in landings. No sensors are attached to this camera.
This camera can toggle three fields of view: Wide (WFOV 1x)[CfgVh 113], Medium (MFOV 5x)[CfgVh 114] and Narrow (NFOV 15x).[CfgVh 115] It can activate a day, night and black-/white-hot thermal vision mode.[CfgVh 116][CfgVh 117]
A laser rangefinder and display for grid coordinates are available.[CfgVh 118] Although it cannot be used for targeting purposes, the camera is stabilised and can be locked onto either point or area targets if needed.[CfgVh 119]
Gunner[]

The gunner can look directly through the turret's gunsight. The Blackfoot's IR and Visual sensors are specifically slaved to the turret's camera.[CfgVh 98][CfgVh 100]
Its camera is able to switch between three fields of view: Wide (WFOV 0.53x)[CfgVh 120], Medium (MFOV 2.68x)[CfgVh 121] and Narrow (NFOV 8.62x).[CfgVh 122] No matter the selected FOV, the camera is able to toggle three vision modes: day, night, and black-/white-hot thermal.[CfgVh 123][CfgVh 124]
A laser rangefinder is also available (albeit with no support for displaying for grid coordinates).[CfgVh 125] Although the gun turret itself is stabilised[CfgVh 126], the turret's camera cannot lock onto point/area targets.
Avionics[]
MAWS[]
Both variants of the Blackfoot have a Missile Approach Warning System installed. It will warn the helicopter's crew if there are missiles that have successfully locked onto the helicopter are flying towards it.[CfgVh 127][CfgVh 128]
RWR[]
Both variants of the Blackfoot have a Radar Warning Receiver that will alert the pilot and gunner if they are being locked onto by a radar-based targeting system.[CfgVh 129][CfgVh 130]
IWR[]
Both variants of the Blackfoot do not have access to an Infrared Warning Receiver. The helicopter's crew will not be warned if an infrared-based targeting system is attempting to lock onto it.[CfgVh 129][CfgVh 130]
LWR[]
Both variants of the Blackfoot are fitted with a Laser Warning Receiver that will alert the pilot/gunner if a laser-based targeting system is attempting to lock onto the helicopter.[CfgVh 129][CfgVh 130]
AI[]
NOTE: The following information only applies to the AI.
Camouflage rating[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Detection
Both variants of the Blackfoot have a camouflage[6] rating of 100.[CfgVh 131][CfgVh 132]
Cost[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Targeting priority
Both variants of the Blackfoot have a cost[7] value of 3000000.[CfgVh 133][CfgVh 134]
Threat values[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Targeting priority
Blackfoots are considered to be a dangerous threat[8] to AI-controlled infantry units and other aircraft (0.8/0.8).[CfgVh 135][CfgVh 136]
AI-controlled ground vehicles consider Blackfoots to be an extremely dangerous threat (1) and will prioritise attacking it if possible. Otherwise, they will attempt to flee if they lack the ability to fight back.[CfgVh 135][CfgVh 136]
Noise factor[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Detection
Both variants of the Blackfoot have an audible[9] factor of 50.[CfgVh 137][CfgVh 138]
Trivia[]
- As stated in the Field Manual, the Blackfoot's origins are derived from the real-world "RAH-66 Comanche" prototype helicopter.[10][11] Its Stub Wings sub-variant is similarly based on a proposed configuration of the Comanche that utilised an external stores rack to carry up to eight AGM-114 Hellfire missiles (four on each wing like the in-game version).[12]
- However, unlike the Armaverse's Blackfoot gunship, the real-world Comanche was cancelled by the U.S. Army in 2004 and it is highly unlikely that its development will ever be revived.[13]
- The Blackfoot was not originally available in ArmA 3's Alpha and was only later added in the Beta (as part of Game Update 0.70).[14]
- Before Game Update 1.62, the Blackfoot's 20 mm cannon fired shells in bursts of ten rounds. This was later reduced to five rounds after the patch's release.[15]
- However, Game Update 1.78 would subsequently remove this altogether, allowing the gunner to fire shells semi-automatically rather than being restricted to a ten-/five-round burst fire mode.[16]
- Prior to the release of the Tanks DLC, the Blackfoot lacked the ability to use a laser designator unlike its real-world counterpart. The DLC's release finally gave the gunner the ability to use a laser designator (slaved to the turret) to mark targets for laser-guided munitions.[17]
- The Stub Wings sub-variant was not originally available at ArmA 3's launch and was only added after Game Update 2.20's release.[18]
Gallery[]
Config/script references[]
CfgAmmo
CfgMagazinesCfgWeaponsCfgVehicles
.bisurf
.rvmat
ScriptsFormulae
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Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Placing the baseline Blackfoot gunship in the editor or spawning it through scripting commands will have it armed with unguided DAR pods. Blackfoot gunships that have their loadouts customised via the editor's dynamic loadouts mechanic will have them equipped with guided DAGRs instead.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Placing the Stub Wings-fitted Blackfoot gunship in the editor or spawning it through scripting commands will have it armed with unguided DAR pods. Stub Wing Blackfoot gunships that have their loadouts customised via the editor's dynamic loadouts mechanic will have them equipped with guided DAGRs instead.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 This sensor IS NOT affected by the player's View and Object Distance settings.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 This sensor IS affected by the player's View and Object Distance settings and may not function at its maximum range unless their graphics settings are set to an equal or higher distance. However, it should be noted that specifically in the case of aerial targets, Object Distance settings will not affect the sensor's detection range (only View Distance still matters).
- ↑ For the purposes of damage interactions versus specific armour types, the Minigun 20 mm's shells inflict only high-explosive (HE) type damage due to the usage of the warheadName token (which is set to "HE"). However, because the explosive coefficient of the Minigun 20 mm's shells is set to only 0.4, this means that its shells are not fully explosive-based and mostly deal up to 60% kinetic damage (only 40% damage remains explosive).
- ↑ Damage will be reduced if the projectile's velocity drops below this value.
References[]
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External links[]
See also[]
Aircraft of comparable role and configuration[]
- AH-1Z Viper (U.S. Army/USMC predecessor, ArmA: Armed Assault/ArmA 2 only)
- Mi-48 Kajman (CSAT counterpart, ArmA 3 only)
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Wheeled | AMV-7 Marshall • HEMTT (Ammo, Box, Cargo, Fuel, Flatbed, Medical, Repair, Transport, Transport Covered) • Hunter (HMG, GMG) • Prowler (Light, HMG, AT) • Quadbike • Rhino MGS (UP) • UGV Stomper (RCWS) |
Tracked | CRV-6e Bobcat • ED-1D Pelter (ED-1E Roller) • IFV-6a Cheetah • IFV-6c Panther • M2A1 Slammer (A4 UP) • M4 Scorcher • M5 Sandstorm |
Rotor-wing | AH-9 Pawnee • AH-99 Blackfoot (Stub Wings) • AL-6 Pelican (Medical) • AR-2 Darter • CH-67 Huron (Unarmed) • MH-9 Hummingbird • MQ-12 Falcon • UH-80 Ghost Hawk (Stub Wings) |
Fixed-wing | A-164 Wipeout • F/A-181 Black Wasp II (Stealth) • MQ-4A Greyhawk • UCAV Sentinel • V-44X Blackfish (Infantry Transport, Vehicle Transport) |
Aquatic | Assault Boat (Rescue) • Speedboat Minigun • SDV |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Helicopters DLC | Apex DLC | Jets DLC | Laws of War DLC | Tanks DLC | Contact DLC |
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