Most helicopters, whether civilian or military, are designed as particularly modular platforms, true Swiss Army knives capable of adapting to different types of missions. However, militarizing a civilian helicopter (or “cracking it” to use a gamer’s term) is not as easy as one might think. Unless…
The Alter Ego tradition
For obvious reasons of cost control, most of the medium or heavy helicopter models have been available in civil and military versions for a long time. Often, civilian models dedicated to civil security applications (sea rescue, fire fighting) or specialized industries (personnel transfer on offshore platforms) are, due to their rusticity and reliability constraints, very close to the specifications required by the military.
However, a combat helicopter always goes further in terms of redundancy or motorization, which must notably absorb the additional weight of a reinforced structure, armor or weapon or observation systems, and allow evasive maneuvers…
Therefore, its development is extremely expensive, even if we have a proven and appreciated civilian base (which does not guarantee its equivalent in a military use).
From DIY to hybrid solutions
If there is a trend in the military world, it is the militarization of civilian platforms, and we have already discussed this concept in the context of CAS or maritime projection for special operations.
Initially carried out in an artisanal manner by welding and assembling machine guns or rocket baskets (without necessarily respecting the specifications), the “militarization” of civilian aircraft has gradually become professionalized, with the appearance of “turnkey” solutions for close support, but also for intelligence and search or rescue missions.
In recent years, manufacturers have also been thinking about more modularity for onboard weapons. Airbus, for example, with its “H-Force” concept, is proposing a plug ‘n play system where equipment is interchangeable from one aircraft to another.
However, these are always hybrid solutions, which attempt to bring together two worlds that were never intended to meet…
Militarizing a civilian helicopter, a good idea ?
The pandemic and the crisis it caused for the aeronautical sector led most manufacturers to adopt an even more pragmatic solution: the true “militarization” of commercial variants, at the cost of a few days in the hands of a specialized team.
This major trend was observed at the latest arms fairs, and the most advanced manufacturer on the subject seems to be the American company BELL. With its “HOSS” (Huey Ordnance Store System) solution, it offers to transform any type of commercial helicopter into a military vehicle, at a reduced cost and with the guarantee of benefiting very quickly from a reliable and high-performance platform..
In fact, several Middle Eastern armies have already chosen to militarize the Bell 407 with a full range of weapons, as well as sensors and night vision systems. The only drawback is the engine power, which remains largely “civilian” and does not allow for the carriage of substantial armor, nor for increased performance in combat.
In any case, the militarization of civilian devices offers particularly interesting opportunities for video games, where crafting and customization are now an integral part of game design.
