Gwŏn-Han GH-34 Yumog-in
| GH-34 "Yumog-in" | |
|---|---|
| File:GHZ 34 Hoksan Side View.png GH-34 of the Sixth Army in "marsh camouflage" | |
| Type | Attack Helicopter |
| Place of origin |  Menghe |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2008-present |
| Used by | Menghe |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Garayev-Hwang design bureau |
| Designed | 1998-2007 |
| Unit cost | $18 million (2014) |
| Produced | 2007-present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 5,420 kg empty 8,040 kg loaded |
| Length | 15.28 m (hull only) 18.28m (rotors turning) |
| Width | 5.02 m |
| Height | 4.64 m |
| Crew | 2 (pilot, gunner) |
Main armament | 4 hardpoints |
Secondary armament | 32mm autocannon |
| Engine | 2x GHR-1400 turboshaft 1370 kW each |
Operational range | 470 km |
| Speed | 310 km/h |
The GH-34 Yumog-in ("Nomad") is a heavy attack helicopter developed by the Garayev-Hwang design bureau in Menghe. It is intended to serve as a better-armed, better-armored counterpart to the lighter, faster GH-32 Byŏrakbul. While most units produced are destined for service in Helicopter formations of the Menghean Army, the "Yumog-in" has been actively marketed by Garayev-Hwang in an effort to win export orders or license-production contracts.
Development
The earliest origins of the GH-34 design can be traced back to 1984, when the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe issued a requirement to the Garayev-Hwang design bureau for a more heavily armed attack helicopter to replace the helicopter gunships then in service. GH produced an initial study for this design, which had little resemblance to today's GH-34 apart from the stepped, armored canopy. Progress was slow, however, as the embargo and famine of the 1980s had consumed research funds. Two prototypes of the initial design were produced in early 1987, and they underwent brief flight tests at the Hŭksan proving grounds.
After the new government had consolidated its power, the "heavy advanced attack helicopter" project was temporarily frozen in favor of the lighter GH-32 Byŏrakbul. It was revived in 1998 with a State requirement for a new heavy anti-tank helicopter better protected against battlefield threats. Interest in the program was low at first, but after opposing interventions in the Ummayan Civil War raised the possibility of a war with the neighboring countries of Innominada and Maverica, there was a growing sense of urgency about the need for an attack helicopter with better armor and firepower than the lightweight GH-32.
Design
Protection
One of the GH-34's main distinguishing features is the degree of attention given to armor and protection. Most internal electronic systems are duplicated, so that the helicopter can remain operable if one area is damaged by enemy fire. This includes the engines, which are spaced apart on opposite sides of the fuselage to reduce the likelihood that a single missile or burst of ground fire will damage both of them. This layout also allows the engines to serve as bulk shields on either side of the main rotor transmission. The placement of the stub-wings provides some engine shielding from ground fire at low-and-ahead angles. Additionally, small dispensers at the end of each stub-wing carry chaff and flares, which can be fired on command by the crew or activated automatically when an enemy missile launch is detected.
In the event that one engine is destroyed, the other engine can be temporarily run at over-capacity in order to bring the helicopter back to its base of operations. The engine assembly is also fitted with automatic fire suppressors, which are automatically activated when fire is detected. They can also be manually fired by the pilot or copilot. While the fire suppressors can theoretically allow a burning engine to continue operating if the extent of the damage is small, their main purpose is to prevent an engine fire from spreading to the transmission, the other engine, or other parts of the aircraft. The fuel itself is stored in separate compartments which are armored against small-arms fire and self-sealing against calibers of up to 12.7mm. The rotor blades are also well-protected, built of a reinforced fiberglass composite material which allows the rotor to continue operating after withstanding fire from 30mm HE-FRAG rounds.
Compared to previous Garayev-Hwang military helicopters, "Yumog-in" also applies considerable armor protection to the crew area. The windshields are made of bulletproof glass, and can withstand 12.7mm fire. The lower area of the cockpit is armored against 12.7mm fire from all angles, and the bulkheads in front of the gunner and between the compartments can withstand 25mm HE-FRAG ammunition. The central bulkhead also reduces the likelihood that a single impact will kill or seriously injure both crew members. In the event that the pilot is killed, the gunner can take control of the aircraft with a secondary set of controls.
If the helicopter is critically damaged at an altitude of over 100 meters, a manual eject button available to the pilot and gunner can jettison the cockpit doors and stub wings, allowing the crew to safely bail out of either side. In the event of critical damage at a lower altitude, the undercarriage, airframe, and seats are designed to absorb the impact of a crash landing, allowing the crew to survive impact forces of up to 50 Gs.
The GH-34's rear electronics access compartment can accommodate two people in moderate discomfort, allowing one helicopter to rescue the downed crew of other helicopters. This compartment could also be used for extracting special-forces teams in an emergency, though where possible a dedicated light transport helicopter would be used instead.
Armament
Another distinguishing feature of the GH-34 is its heavy armament. On most models, the only organic weapon is a GP-32 chin-mounted autocannon. This weapon can traverse 105 degrees left or right, and elevate +5 or -70 degrees. It is fed from dual selectable chains of AP and HE-FRAG ammunition, and its rate of fire can be set at 300rpm for ground targets or 600rpm for airborne ones. Effective range of this weapon is cited as 1,600 meters against ground targets, though it can also be fired against small airborne targets such as low-flying drones and other helicopters.
The bulk of the Yumog-in's firepower, however, comes from four hardpoints mounted under the stub wings. Each of these can accommodate a single 20x 80mm or 4x 148mm unguided rocket pod, a single 22mm self-enclosed aerodynamic gun-pod, or a variety of ATGM launch systems. Of the latter, typical mountings include four fire-and-forget missiles or eight YDCh-70 beam-riding missiles; the latter module is too wide to fit on both the outer and inner hardpoints of a single wing. The helicopter can also support a four-missile Nidŭl MANPADS system, though this is not often used in practice. The inner hardpoints are "plumbed" for fuel tanks, though the outer ones are not. In Menghean service, a "typical" combat loadout consists of sixteen YDCh-70 ATGMs and two pods of unguided rockets.
Sensors and Targeting Systems
The GH-34 was designed as an all-day, all-weather combat helicopter, able to carry out missions at night and in adverse weather. The electro-optical system in the nose includes a high-resolution camera and a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) mounted side-by-side in a rotating, elevating mount, offering good visibility and target tracking in two channels. Variants from the GH-34B onward have also featured a specialized millimeter-wave search radar on top of the rotor mast for improved target detection and tracking.
Like the GH-32, the GH-34 comes with a helmet-mounted sight. When active, this slaves the 32mm autocannon and electro-optical camera to the direction the weapons operator is facing. Though not accurate enough to allow direct "look-and-lock" engagements, this system can speed targeting by placing the new target within the electro-optical system's field of view, after which the weapons operator can manually adjust the system's aim. The helmet-mounted sight can be paired with night-vision goggles to allow all-weather engagements, but it does not feature an avionics display.
All variants feature a "glass cockpit" with three LCD multi-function displays in place of most dials and switches. These displays also facilitate on-map navigation and gun/missile targeting. Most cockpit controls are integrated into a HOTAS system, allowing the pilot and weapons operator to interact with the LCD displays without removing their hands from the throttle and control stick. The crew are seated in a conventional layout, with the gunner/weapons operator in the front cockpit and the pilot above and behind him.
All-weather navigation capability is provided by a satellite-navigation sensor, which is programmed to follow the Oyashimese GPS network. In the event that this signal is jammed or unavailable, there is also a backup laser gyro for inertial navigation. Terrain avoidance on the GH-34A is provided by a basic radio altimeter. On the GH-34B, this is replaced by a more advanced altimeter array which allows terrain contour matching (TERCOM) navigation and computer-assisted nap-of-the-earth flying.
Defensive Countermeasures
From the very beginning, great attention was paid to reducing the GH-34's infrared signature. While it was understood that such a large helicopter could not be made "stealthy," the requirement for good battlefield survivability included a need to reduce vulnerability to heat-seeking SAMs and electro-optical detection systems.
Of the five prototypes produced during the GH-34 project's development, numbers 2 and 3 featured engines that vented the exhaust upward, as opposed to downward in number 1. These two airframes received the most testing and publicity, and observers initially speculated that the new vent design would reduce detection by venting air away from ground-based SAMs. Further testing, however, revealed that the rotor downwash would blow the exhaust onto the tail assembly rather than dispersing it, creating a heated patch of airframe that revealed the aircraft's presence in the 8-14 µm IR band. Therefore, much to past observers' surprise, the production variant featured an engine assembly that appeared to blow exhaust outward at a lateral angle, increasing the visibility of heated gases.
In order to reduce this exposure, the exhaust assembly is fitted with an advanced infrared suppression system, which mixes the hot exhaust with cool outside air. Ambient air is drawn in through two inlets on each side, one on the exterior of each engine cowling and two paired on top of the airframe between the engines. The cooling is performed by an advanced Lobed Mixer-Elector (LME), in which exhaust down the center tube mixes with outside air as it exits the central tube. An advanced scalloped-edge tube ending is used to generate controlled turbulence in the airflow, maximizing the mixing of air while reducing the added strain on the engines. Field tests confirmed that this design was highly successful in reducing the aircraft's IR signature, and a miniaturized version was quickly developed for future variants of the GH-32.
On top of these passive systems, the GH-34 features an active IR jammer mounted on top of the tailboom. This can be used to distract an incoming missile from the engines' heat signature, and to blind the seeker with directed infrared pulses. The IR jammer is linked to a built-in ESM system, which also alerts the crew to enemy radar targeting or missile launches. Further active countermeasures are provided by chaff and flare dispensers on the end of the stub wings. These can be fired manually by either crew member, or programmed to fire automatically when an enemy missile lock is detected.
Service
The Menghean Army has been the main user of the GH-34 "Yumog-in," integrating it into attack helicopter regiments organic at the Corps level. In military exercises, it has usually been used in coordination with the lighter GH-32 reconnaissance and interdiction helicopter.
Variants
- GH-34A: The original production variant which entered service in 2008.
- GH-34B: A slightly revised design which entered service in 2012. Features a millimeter-wave radar module on top of the rotor mast, and electronics which allow the targeting and firing of radar-guided anti-tank missiles.
- GH-34O: Export/license production proposal developed by Garayev-Hwang for the Oyashimese Federation. The GP-32 autocannon is instead armed with an M230, chambered in 30x113mm rather than 30x165mm. The hardpoints and fire-control programming have also been modified to support Oyashimese gun-pods and ATGMs.
Role
As a Heavy Anti-Tank Attack Helicopter, the GH-34 "Yumog-in" is optimized for attacks against enemy armor formations, though it can also be used to destroy infantry in hardened defenses. While its armor and active/passive countermeasures give it good battlefield survivability, it still suffers from the inherent vulnerabilities of a helicopter, and should be kept out of the reach of short-range air defenses where possible. While it can be used for strikes and patrols independent of other friendly forces, it is intended to be used in support of a ground offensive, or as part of a larger combined-arms operation. In Menghean service, formations of GH-34s usually work in conjunction with lighter GH-32s, which scout for targets further ahead and direct the bulk of the Yumog-in's attack where it is needed most.
Specifications
=====General Characteristics=====
- Crew:1 pilot (upper cockpit), 1 navigation/weapons operator (front cockpit)
- Passengers: 2 (emergency space in rear compartment)
- Hull Length: 15.28 meters
- Length Overall: 18.28 meters
- Rotor Diameter:15.96 meters
- Wingspan: 5.02 meters
- Height: 4.64 meters
- Empty Weight: 5,420 kilograms
- Loaded Weight: 8,040 kilograms
- Powerplant: 2x GHR-1400 turboshaft, 1,370 kW each
- Rotor Arrangement: 5-bladed main rotor with equally spaced blades, 4-bladed tail rotor with paired blades
Performance
- Maximum Speed: 310 kilometers per hour
- Cruise Speed: 255 kilometers per hour
- Range: 470 kilometers (fully loaded, on internal fuel)
- Combat Radius: 200 kilometers with 10-minute loiter and 7% fuel reserves
- Ferry Range: 1,200 kilometers with external tanks
- Service Ceiling: 4,750 meters
- Rate of Climb: 11.2 meters per second
Armament
- Guns: 1x chin-mounted 30mm 2A42 autocannon
- Hardpoint Mountings:
- dual 22mm autocannon gunpod
- single 22mm autocannon gunpod
- RB-8/20BR rocket pod
- RB-14/4BR rocket pod
- 8x YDCh-70 ATGM
- 4x YDJ-82 ATGM