Can a jet fighter easily take down a helicopter?

Question

Instinctively I'd say yes, but I'm just checking. I wouldn't think of jet fighters as being made to combat helicopters, but instead other jets.... so hence my doubt.

Answer 1

speaking of the "maneuverability" helicopters are agile, but the missiles are still a lot MORE agile than helicopters. plus the helicopters fly at low speeds, and are not able to actually outmaneuver the incoming missile in most cases /i.e. fly out of the missile's seeker line of sight. The only chance for a helicopter to survive the attack of a jet is to avoid it, or hide somewhere in the forest or town. in the open, the Jet has the advantage of speed, altitude, armament. the helicopter must rely on defensive tactics and firing AA missiles / most of the time not carried during the ground support.

Like I said many times before, the slow flier ,regardless of his maneuverability is a dead man in the air combat. be it the helicopter or cobra performing flanker. the missile sees the static target and hurries to get it.

speaking of guns vs. guns dogfight, the helicopter clearly outperforms the jet - the heli outturns the jet easily and most of the helicopters have moving - turreted - weapons so it can fier a longer burst against the jet. the jet also must maneuver against the terain all the time, which shortens the reaction and firing times.

Unfortunately most of the combat recently consists of the missile interceptions, and there is the helicopter just a "sitting duck".

Answer 2

It would depend mostly on terrain.
Jets have advantages in speed, altitude ceiling, and aircraft detection.
However,,,
Helicopters can hover, making them hard to detect, even with radar and heat detection. In mountainous or hilly, or forested terrain, a modern combat helicopter with a savvy pilot could shoot down a jet. Some models of the AH-64 Apache and the New Comanche have air-to-air capabilities. (Stinger Missiles) as do the Soviet Hokum and Havoc. There was an incident in Iraq where two US Blackhawks carrying UN weapons inspectors, were mistakenly intercepted and shot down by US planes patrolling the "No-Fly Zones" in Iraq shortly after the Desert Storm cease-fire.

Answer 3

Yes the jet can. The problem comes in when the helicopter is low and where IT would be very damaging to any one around. I would not think shooting at a helicopter flying between skyscrapers in new York would be a good idea.

In the open then it would be a different story.

Answer 4

depends if the fast mover gets in the first shot in or isn't detected by the helicopter crew, modern army and marine attack helos are armed with air to air weapons not to mention a really lethal chain gun and or cannons hard to say jets are faster and maneuver better at high altitudes but on the deck a Apache and or cobra could present some very difficult targets

Answer 5

It depends on the helicopter. Newer choppers have electronic contermeasures that can hide it from enemy planes' electronics and do not have a visible heat signature. Older choppers were easy targets for the planes of their day. Now, not so much. Frankly, bringing down a chopper can be really easy if you know how. Consider that a chopper can hide in a tunnel or behind a hill and pop up to attack with its own missles or cannon. A jet has to maintain a fairly high airspeed to stay in the air and has a relatively short flight time--with only limited manuverability.

Answer 6

Of course since a Military jet is equipped with heat seeking missiles not to mention lazer guidance and can fly alot higher then helicopters .

Answer 7

your doubts are correct ... there is a manoeuverability issue in which the helicopter has a huge advantage. incoming jets and/or missiles inherently can not change course very quickly while the helicopter can -- might be a lot of misses.

a very few combat helicopters are thought to be capable of the "split-S" manoeuver -- which makes them very dangerous foes in the air since they can reverse direction almost on a dime and then launch weapons.

Answer 8

jsut as easily as helicopters can take down jets. they both have advantages and disadvantages. The helicopters can camp, which most jets cannot. but jets will have the supperior speed and height. Helicoptors are more strategic based than jets.

Answer 9

Maybe a Chinook or a police helicopter but even a '60's era Huey with evasive measures could out maneuver an f-16.
I don't know about the newer aircraft.

Answer 10

Well, if it's an F-18 Super Hornet, then yes, absolutely.
I Cr 13;8a