Hydra-70 M247
Contents
Description
The Hydra-70 rocket is an American 70mm unguided rocket found on helicopters and planes. Utilizing a HEAT warhead, it is able to penetrate most modern tanks and vehicles from the roof and sides. When used in conjunction with a ballistic computer, these rockets are able to deal with most targets quite easily. The Hydra rockets are most notably found on the AH-64 Apache helicopters and the A-10 strike aircraft.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
| Vehicles equipped with this weapon | |
|---|---|
| Jet fighters | ◄F-104G · ␗F-104G · F-104J · F-16C |
| Strike aircraft | A-10A · A-10A Late |
| Attack helicopters | |
| A129 | A-129 International (p) · A129CBT |
| AH-1 | AH-1F · Tzefa D/E · AH-1Z |
| AH-6 | AH-6M |
| AH-64 | YAH-64 · AH-64A · AH-64A (GR) · ▃AH-64A Peten · Peten · AH-64A Peten · AH-64D · AH-64DJP · Saraph · AHS |
| MD500 | Lahatut |
| OH-58 | OH-58D · ␗OH-58D |
| Utility helicopters | G-LYNX · Lynx AH.Mk.1 |
| SPAA | LAV-AD |
General info
| Rocket characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Mass | 10 kg |
| Maximum speed | 739 m/s |
| Explosive mass | 1.19 kg TNTeq |
| Warhead type | HEAT |
Effective damage
The Hydra rocket is able to penetrate most armored vehicles from the sides and the roof thanks to the HEAT warhead. The rocket has a good explosive mass so open-top vehicles or lightly armored ones are able to be taken out by near misses via overpressure. Hydra rockets are also able to be fired very quickly by binding the "Fire Rocket Series" control to a key, allowing the user to "spam" the rockets in large quantities.
Comparison with analogues
Give a comparative description of rockets that have firepower equal to this weapon.
Usage in battles
In GRB, players must always have the element of surprise to minimize the amount of damage they take. Approaching from the sides or rear of the enemy is advised, as getting in and out of battle will be relatively quick and most enemies will not realize you are there until it is too late. Target any SPAA or lightly armored vehicles, then move onto MBTs. Make sure to not expend all rockets on one target and do not stay in place/hover on the battlefield; if the rockets are unable to kill one specific target, leave it and move on.
The Hydra rockets are mostly obsolete for top tier battles as most enemies will either have large-caliber autocannons or missiles that will put you in significantly more danger. If able to carry long-range munitions (such as the Hellfire AGMs on AH-64 Apaches), use those instead of the Hydras as they are usually more effective and will keep the player alive longer.
In Heli PvE, the Hydra rockets can deal with bases and ground units fairly quick. However, keep an eye on Gepards in convoys and normal enemy waves and the Rolands guarding the base (Rolands have a 10km range, so mind your distance). Most SPAA will be stationary however, so you can use your ballistic computer and fire accurately from afar.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good explosive mass and penetration, able to deal with most armored targets (MBTs) when fired from an upwards angle.
- Able to be spammed en-masse, will eventually obliterate any target through the sheer number of rockets.
- With a ballistics computer, extremely lethal against ground units.
- Able to deal splash damage, near misses can take out open-tops and lightly armored vehicles (BMPs, truck-based SPAA such as the Pantsir or Flakrad)
Cons:
- Requires a direct hit for armored targets to deal damage/penetrate.
- Short range requires user to get near to target to fire, can be dangerous.
- "Spamming" the rockets usually required for most targets.
- Most tanks have composite and ERA armor, dealing with MBTs from the front and even the sides may be difficult.
History
The Hydra-70 rocket is a 70mm unguided "dumb" rocket meant to be used to engage ground targets. Developed from the FFAR "Mighty Mouse", a new motor produces more thrust and increases the effective range of the Hydra, and a new fin design improves accuracy and reduces spin. It is able to be mounted on planes, helicopters, and it has been adapted for ground vehicles also. The Hydra rocket has different models for different uses, including anti-personnel, anti-armor, marking, and practice models.
There are several ongoing attempts by military contractors to turn the Hydra into a precision-guided-munition (PGM), being more accurate but cheaper than conventional guided weaponry.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;
- references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
