This Is All The Survival Gear That Apache Attack Helicopter Crews Fly Into Combat With

Updated Dec 27, 2020 7:45 PM EST

The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter just gets better with age , but its crews still have to be ready for the possibility that will they find themselves stuck on the ground behind enemy lines. Unlike most of their fixed-wing cousins, they don’t have the luxury of being able to eject from their aircraft if things go terribly wrong. They also normally fly at low altitudes, which means they have less of an opportunity to get as far away from enemy forces as possible before ending up on terra firma. As such, they have to carry a unique mix of gear with them so that they have a fighting chance of surviving long enough until dedicated combat search and rescue (CSAR) assets—or even another Apache—arrives to pluck them out of harm’s way.

The British Army’s WAH-64D Apache Longbows have seen their fair share of combat since being introduced into service a decade and a half ago. Now the fleet is in the process of being recapitalized in the form of the more capable AH-64E Apache Guardian. You can read all about this initiative in this recent piece of ours .

A British Army Apache Longbow crewman in the helicopter’s front weapons systems operator or ‘gunner’s’ seat., British Army/MoD

While this new version of the Apache aircraft will be a bit different, the survival gear the pilots will carry is unlikely to change much. With that being said, NATO put together a quick video showing what a British Army Apache crewman carries into combat. While some of the elements are similar to what jet pilots would carry, other elements are unique.

Check out the video below for a good roundup on this essential survival gear (if the tweet does not show up in your browser, you can access it directly by clicking here ):

🚁 What are the essentials of an #Apache pilot’s kit? We asked 🇬🇧 @BritishArmy pilot Jonny earlier this year. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/yvs1lCMbVD — NATO (@NATO) December 26, 2020

🚁 What are the essentials of an #Apache pilot’s kit? We asked 🇬🇧 @BritishArmy pilot Jonny earlier this year. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/yvs1lCMbVD

Of unique note are the short-barreled SA80 compact aircrew survival rifle and the Glock 19 pistol, but also the inclusion of ‘strops.’ These have become a key and potentially life-saving tool for Apache crews.

During the first decade and a half of the Global War on Terror, multiple extractions of personnel occurred by strapping themselves to the sides of attack helicopters. This has since become an established capability as doing so means the person in need doesn’t have to wait for CSAR elements that could be hours away. It is especially important for dealing with the contingency of an attack helicopter rapidly snatching another downed attack helicopter’s crew in a combat zone, before the enemy can surround and capture them. This sounds like the stuff that far-fetched action movies are made of, but it is a real capability that can avert a horrible prisoner of war scenario or even death.

Being strapped to the sponsons of an AH-64 is one wild, but potentially life-saving ride. , Public Domain/MoD

You can read all about this tactic and how it quickly evolved in this past piece of ours . Regardless, strops are needed to best hook someone in to fly ‘sidesaddle’ on the outside of a WAH-64.

So, there you have it, that is what’s in a British Army Apache helicopter crew’s survival kit.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com

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更新于美国东部时间2020年12月27日晚上7:45。

AH-64“阿帕奇”攻击直升机性能越老越精，但其机组人员仍需时刻准备应对可能被困敌后地面的情况。与大多数固定翼飞机不同，一旦情况危急，它们无法弹射逃生。此外，它们通常低空飞行，这意味着在最终着陆之前，它们几乎没有机会尽可能远离敌军。因此，它们必须携带一套独特的装备，才能在专业战斗搜救（CSAR）力量，甚至是另一架“阿帕奇”直升机抵达前将其救出之前，尽可能地生存下去。

英国陆军的WAH-64D“阿帕奇长弓”武装直升机自十五年前服役以来，已经历了无数次实战。如今，该机队正在进行更新换代，以性能更强大的AH-64E“阿帕奇守护者”武装直升机取而代之。您可以在我们最近的这篇文章中了解这项计划的全部内容。

一名英国陆军阿帕奇长弓直升机机组人员坐在直升机前部武器系统操作员或“炮手”座位上。（英国陆军/国防部）

虽然这款新版阿帕奇直升机在外观上会有一些变化，但飞行员携带的生存装备不太可能有太大改变。北约制作了一段简短的视频，展示了英国陆军阿帕奇机组人员在战斗中携带的装备。虽然其中一些装备与喷气式战斗机飞行员携带的装备类似，但也有一些是独有的。

请观看下方视频，了解这些必备生存装备的详细介绍（如果推文未在您的浏览器中显示，您可以点击此处直接访问）：

🚁 阿帕奇直升机飞行员的必备装备有哪些？今年早些时候，我们采访了英国陆军飞行员乔尼。#我们是北约 pic.twitter.com/yvs1lCMbVD — 北约 (@NATO) 2020年12月26日

🚁 阿帕奇直升机飞行员的必备装备有哪些？今年早些时候，我们采访了英国陆军飞行员乔尼。#我们是北约 pic.twitter.com/yvs1lCMbVD

值得一提的是，该机配备了短管 SA80 紧凑型机组人员生存步枪和格洛克 19 手枪，以及“磨刀带”。这些磨刀带已成为阿帕奇机组人员的关键且可能挽救生命的工具。

在全球反恐战争的最初十五年间，曾多次发生人员被绑在攻击直升机侧面进行撤离的事件。如今，这项技术已成为一项成熟的救援手段，因为这样一来，需要救援的人员就不必等待可能远在数小时之外的战斗搜救队（CSAR）。这在应对战斗区域内攻击直升机迅速营救另一架被击落的攻击直升机机组人员的突发情况时尤为重要，可以避免敌方包围和俘虏他们。这听起来像是天方夜谭般的动作电影情节，但它却是真实存在的，能够避免可怕的战俘局面，甚至挽救生命。

被绑在AH-64武装直升机的侧翼上，绝对是一次惊险刺激却又可能救命的经历。（公共领域/国防部）

您可以在我们之前的文章中详细了解这种战术及其快速演变的过程。无论如何，为了更好地将人固定在 WAH-64 直升机外侧进行“侧鞍式”飞行，需要使用吊索。

好了，以上就是英国陆军阿帕奇直升机机组人员生存包里的东西。

联系作者：Tyler@thedrive.com

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