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Okla-homey
2/4/2007, 10:18 AM
The DoD has confirmed the last four helos we lost in SWA in recent weeks were shot down by the jihaadis. Methinks it's time for new tactics.

I am reminded of what Adolf Galland said about airpower generally: " a thunderbolt launched from an eggshell."

Methinks helicopters are much more eggshell-ly than fixed wing aircraft.

Has their relevance on the modern battlefield become eclipsed by the relative ease at which they can be taken out by Achmeds with MANPADS?

Discuss.

royalfan5
2/4/2007, 10:41 AM
It does seem that our helicopters can be hit with disturbing ease by every Mahmoud, Fuad, and Ali but is there a better way of accomplishing the missions done by helicopters? Do we have an effective helicopter substitute?

reevie
2/4/2007, 11:04 AM
What do you want to see Homey? AC-130s or A-10s?

Vaevictis
2/4/2007, 03:26 PM
Has their relevance on the modern battlefield become eclipsed by the relative ease at which they can be taken out by Achmeds with MANPADS?

Methinks helicopters are much more eggshell-ly than fixed wing aircraft.

Personally, I don't think helicopters are obsolete, but I do think they'll want to change to unmanned versions soon. You get rid of the need to carry a person, and you can make the thing much much smaller, which in turn makes it much harder to hit, and you have the added bonus of not having to worry about the person in it -- if the thing gets shot down, just drop a bomb on it or activate a self-destruct to prevent enemy salvage.

(Of course, fixed wing will probably want to go this way too, for those reasons and the fact that machines are much more tolerant of G-forces. And all of this assumes you can be reasonably confident of the security and robustness of your communications.)

1stTimeCaller
2/4/2007, 03:29 PM
I think a change in tactics would probably do the trick

Jerk
2/4/2007, 04:09 PM
I think that when we find out Iran is the one who's selling the jihadis small light portably AA missiles, we will then have an excuse to do what needs to be done.

http://www.gophi.rotfl.pl/i/nuke/g15.jpg

bye bye amehnutjob

Rogue
2/4/2007, 07:36 PM
Double poster!

StoopTroup
2/4/2007, 10:08 PM
I really think things will be fine in Iran once we sit down and talk....:rolleyes: