RH1M1 Sylphid

The RH1 Sylphid is an Khertland all-weather airborne early warning helicopter. The twin turboshaft was designed in 2022 initially for the army as part of the 2021 modernization program of Khertland's armed forces. The helicopter is equipped with a combined AEW/LAST radar with about 160 km (5km/1 tile ingame) detection range, along with other advanced sensor suite. Most of the funding for the helicopter was provided by the army for a airborne surveillance aircraft but the program was later requisitioned by the air force with initial development costs compensated during the transfer. The air force did not actually want the helicopter as they had preferred a straight-wing aircraft. The transferred happened anyway, due to bureaucratic reasons as the Secretary of the Army argued that development of an AEW aircraft should be handled by the air force, not the army. The civilian government concurred and forced the program to be transferred despite objections by the air force. The air force reluctantly completed the development as they were lacking a modern AEW aircraft regardless and decided to use the nearly completed design as a stopgap measure. The army also already signed production contracts prior to the transfer forcing the air force to be contractually bound to accept the deliveries. As a result of its army origins, the radar mounted on the starboard side of the helicopter is designed to be dual-use with low-altitude surveillance capabilities included along side its airborne early warning task. The army later turned around and ordered a number of helicopters for its ground surveillance radar capability. As the batch ordered were larger than what the air force would have preferred, they instead transferred some to the army who wanted some. The transfer became a major scandal as the army was the one who initiated the development of the helicopter and managed to use political and bureaucratic pressure to force development costs on to the air force's budget before turnin