Can Tow missile hit helicopter

Most ATGM - like TOW can be employed against helicopters!
It greatly depends on the terrain and training of the gunner.
As denoted by TomS, its made somewhat easier
If the helicopter is hovering for long enough
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The main problem I found whilst training for such scenarios - with the likes of Milan, is the ability to lead the missile (which was relevantly slow) onto the travelling helicopter!
I believe with such ATGM like Bill, its a little easier with their 'top attack' profile!
Earlier ATGM's like TOW also had/have a good smoke trail, which often denotes its firing/position from an elevated position.
I guess that with the Soviet/Russian late generation ATGM, which have emphasised supersonic speed, their time of flight and need of flight adjustment is less than earlier gen ATGM. I'd love to have a crack at firing a 9M123 Khrizantema!!

Good luck with your search seruriermarshal ;D

Regards
Pioneer
 
It would more likely be a "GOLDEN BB" shot but not impossible
 

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If this was a common enough use for TOW or another missile of its type, it would make sense for the warhead to have an enhanced fragmentation sleeve, and for the missile to have a selectable proximity-fuze functionality.

An annular fragmentation pattern plus an annular-pattern proximity detector would greatly increase lethality.
 
If the much smaller, un-guided RPG could kill helicopters in Somalia (Black Hawk Down H-60 Blackhawk) and Afghanistan (Lone Survivor CH-47) then the more sophisticated TOW would find the task easier. It helped that both of those Aemrican helicopters were hovering or flying slowly.
 
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If I remember correctly, Ukrainians successfully hit Russian helicopter with "Stoogna" anti-tank missile. I wonder, how hollow-charge warhead could acts after striking the helicopter thin aluminium skin?
 
I once spoke with a former Royal Marine who had served in GW1. After the formal end of hostilities they deployed into the north of Iraqi to protect the Kurds (Operation {Safe} Haven). Once in country they quickly observed that a pair of Mi 24 gunships were being flown daily from an airfield along a valley to attack a group of Kurdish mountain villages. So under their ROE they decided to put a stop to this by taking advantage of the routine low level transit through the valley. An ambush was prepared using Milan ATGM’s. Under cover of darkness he and fellow Marines set up three camouflaged Milan firing positions and several GPMG positions. The idea was to try to achieve a clean first hit but if this didn’t happen, it was intended to open fire with the GPMG, to “position” the helicopters at optimal locations for the other Milan teams. They waited and right on time saw the two helicopters ahead of them entering the valley on exactly the same course as the day before. Passing the perfectly positioned primary Milan team, they waited a few seconds and then fired. Both Milan’s hit their targets near simultaneously, bringing them both down. He recalled the time from the Milans being fired to both helicopters being on the ground was no more than 20 seconds.
 
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Zoo Tycoon said:
I once spoke with a former Royal Marine who had served in GW1. After the formal end of hostilities they deployed into the north of Iraqi to protect the Kurds. Once in country they quickly observed that a pair of Mi 28 gunships were being flown daily from an airfield along a valley to attack a group of Kurdish mountain villages. So under their ROE they decided to put a stop to this by taking advantage of the routine low level transit through the valley. An ambush was prepared using Milan ATGM’s. Under cover of darkness he and fellow Marines set up three camouflaged Milan firing positions and several GPMG positions. The idea was to try to achieve a clean first hit but if this didn’t happen, it was intended to open fire with the GPMG, to “position” the helicopters at optimal locations for the other Milan teams. They waited and right on time saw the two helicopters ahead of them entering the valley on exactly the same course as the day before. Passing the perfectly positioned primary Milan team, they waited a few seconds and then fired. Both Milan’s hit their targets near simultaneously, bringing them both down. He recalled the time from the Milans being fired to both helicopters being on the ground was no more than 20 seconds.
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When did this supposedly occur? Iraq only received Mi28s in 2014 as of today has not officially lost any.
 
GTX - GW1, Operation (Safe) Haven, Feb/March 1991. Whoops, it should have been Mi 24 Hind, (corrected in original post)
 
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During the 70's in the midst of an exercise a Canadian mech infantry company managed to take down a Cobra that lingered just a bit too long on the skyline. Later that day they did again when another one became too predictable.
The umpire kept shaking his head.in disbelief but had to grant them the kills .
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