Saraph

Saraph

Saraph

Israel

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.7	12.0	10.7

Class:

Attack helicopter

Research:400 000

Purchase:1 020 000

Description

The introduction of the AH-64D (named Saraph) to Israel was controversial. The Obama administration blocked the sale of that specific version due to investigations of misuse of US military equipment against civilians. The first unit was sold in 2005 and an order of six was blocked in 2009. Most AH-64As in service with the IAF were eventually upgraded to the AH-64D variant to circumvent the blockade of sales, the upgrade plans included the improved AGM-114K Hellfire II and better fire control systems. Between 2007 and 2010, Israel put in more orders to buy the AH-64D in larger quantities, however most attempts failed due to the US investigation. Not all AH-64As were upgraded to the D variant however, but some were fitted with the American Hydra-70 and improved electronic equipment. Some AH-64Ds were used in air-to-air interception, specially against UAVs and other slow moving targets that don't need to be intercepted by aircraft.

Introduced in Update "Danger Zone", the improved AH-64D-I Saraph comes with the same strengths as the previous AH-64A Peten. That means a good flight performance, very capable ATGMs, and excellent optics. However, the Saraph now also includes a search radar located on top of the helicopter, specifically the AN/APG-78 radar, that is operates in the K band and has all-aspect capabilities. While it's not able to lock onto targets, it is a very good option to detect enemy aircraft around you and potentially other helicopters if they are flying high over the terrain. The weapons systems remain the same as the Peten, but it now has access to the Hellfire II, with a better guidance system and higher explosive mass.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 1 000 m295 km/h

Max altitude5 400 m

Engine2 х General Electric T700-GE-701C

Take-off weight10 t

Describe how the helicopter behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)
	AB	RB
Stock	272	253	5400
Upgraded	___	___

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear420 km/h

Examine the survivability of the helicopter. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical systems.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB9 700 → 14 307

RB4 580 → 6 755

SB5 749 → 8 479

Total cost of modifications303 000

446 000

Talisman cost2 800

Crew training290 000

Experts1 020 000

Aces2 800

Research Aces1 080 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 220 / 330 %

232 / 232 / 232 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 290 Replacing helicopter blades Research: 23 000 Cost: 34 000 440 Engine Research: 19 000 Cost: 28 000 370	Flak jacket Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 290 Helicopter frame Research: 23 000 Cost: 34 000 440 EFS Research: 19 000 Cost: 28 000 370 Cover Research: 49 000 Cost: 72 000 950	aden_new_gun Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 290 Flares/Chaff Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 290 AGM-114 Research: 23 000 Cost: 34 000 440 NVD Research: 19 000 Cost: 28 000 370 AIM-92 Stinger Research: 19 000 Cost: 28 000 370 AGM-114 2 Research: 49 000 Cost: 72 000 950

Armaments

Night vision devices

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)

Offensive armament

The Saraph is armed with:

• 1 x 30 mm M230E-1 cannon, chin turret (1,200 rpg)
• 180 x countermeasures

Suspended armament

The Saraph can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6
Hydra-70 M247 rockets		19	19	19	19
AGM-114K Hellfire II missiles		2, 4	2, 4	2, 4	2, 4
ATAS (AIM-92) missiles	2					2

Default weapon presets
Without load 76 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets 4 x AGM-114K Hellfire II missiles 8 x AGM-114K Hellfire II missiles 16 x AGM-114K Hellfire II missiles 4 x ATAS (AIM-92) missiles

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in a helicopter, the features of using the helicopter in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

Cons:

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the helicopter in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

Videos

AH-64 Apache Ultimate Review - Bob Dickinson

See also

Related development

• AH-64 (Family)

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Israel helicopters
Attack
MD 500	Lahatut
Battle Hawk	AH-60
Cobra	Tzefa D/E · Tzefa A · Tzefa B
Apache	Saraph · Peten · AH-64A Peten