Full title: Now, if there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that nothing is more powerful than a young boy’s wish. Except an Apache helicopter. An Apache helicopter has machine guns AND missiles. It is an unbelievably impressive complement of weaponry, an absolute death machine

The development of the helicopter gun ship began during the Korean War. The U.S. had just begun integrating helicopters and birthing the “airmobile” fighting province. The Bell H13 was used extensively in Korea. Though primarily used for reconnaissance, case vac and transportation, experiments were carried out with strapping guns and rocket launchers to the skids. Though there was no real way for the pilots to aim.

By Vietnam the UH-1 Huey had become the workhorse. Using helicopters to move entire units into battle. Naturally, they realised adding more guns and rockets to these machines would add extra suppressive fire for landing in hot LZ’s. The concept of the attack helicopter was born.

Eventually it was decided that a helicopter designed from the ground up would be more effective. Leading to the design of the AH 1 Cobra. The Cobra had a lot of interchangeable features with Huey. Blades, engines and airframe features were all interchangeable. The main reason why the U.S. Marines, who often have to plan to operate ahead of supply chains have kept them in use.

But the design was finally perfected with the Apache. A helicopter built to destroy Russian tanks. Integrating guided Hellfire missiles, a 30mm chain gun (that swivels according to wherever the gunner is looking) and rockets. With many advanced design features that have seen it evolve into the absolute beast it is today.