By the end of the 1960s, the US Army had begun to formulate requirements for a military transport helicopter to replace the UH-1 Iroquois. Sikorsky engineers proposed their S-70 prototype (YUH-60) which, competing against the Boeing-Vertol Model 179 (YUH-61), was selected for serial production under the designation UH-60 Black Hawk. The new helicopter began to enter service in 1979 and subsequently underwent several upgrades and was produced in a huge number of modifications. In 1987, the Army placed an order for an improved armed version, the MH-60L, with more powerful engines and the ability to mount external weapons.
Some of the modernized MH-60L helicopters were subsequently further modified at the request of special operations forces. They were able to carry rocket pods, AGM-114 Hellfire ATGMs, air-to-air missiles, as well as other heavy weapons. Moreover, the troop-carrying cabin was reconfigured: the seats remained only for the onboard gunners, and an additional fuel tank was located in the rear. Helicopters of this version received the designation DAP (Direct Action Penetrator).
Introduced in Update "Kings of Battle", the MH-60L DAP is a specialized gunship helicopter. It still looks largely like a utility helicopter with an unmodified crew cabin but features large stub wings with four reinforced pylons. The DAP has a very similar arsenal and payload to the AH-64D Apache Longbow, mainly relying on powerful AGM-114K Hellfire II ATGMs, APKWS guided rockets, and ATAS air-to-air missiles at a slightly lower battle rating than the Apache Longbow. Although it obviously lacks the armour protection and internal gun of a purpose-designed attack helicopter, the DAP has some armament and subsystem advantages over the contemporary A-model Apache and is a solid, memorable option for helicopter fans.
Name | Weight | Slot | ||||||
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7 × | 101.1 kg | |||||||
19 × | 231.6 kg | |||||||
7 × | 144.6 kg | |||||||
7 × | 160.5 kg | |||||||
2 × | 128.3 kg | |||||||
4 × | 198.5 kg | |||||||
2 × | 20.2 kg | |||||||
126.8 kg | ||||||||
140.6 kg | ||||||||
126.9 kg |
Flight performance |
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Survivability |
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Weaponry | ||||
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