Comments on: The attack helicopter becomes like a rapidly mobile SAM site

By: Sgt. Bob

Sgt. Bob — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 02:34:57 +0000

In 1978–79 a defense aviation company PR man mentioned the fixed wing vs AH-1 contests. I got a picture of A-7s and F-4s doing figure eights and race tracks slightly above tree level, with speed brakes extended (if they had speed brakes) while pilots did visuals and back-seaters scanned instruments, looking in vain for the wiley hidey rotary wings. At some point, he said, the Cobra would pop up and launch a signal at the pursuit aircraft.

By: Ezra

Ezra — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 14:15:16 +0000

“modern radars are a LOT better at picking out things from ground clutter than in the 80s”

This is what I was thinking. Technology of 1978 far different from what it is today. Nonetheless, that such an exercise was attempted is rather interesting. U.S. Army lacks sufficient AAA anyhow.

By: A Wild Goose

A Wild Goose — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 23:35:31 +0000

Very interesting!

I have to wonder if the folks that wrote the film, “Blue Thunder,” (1983) were aware of this study before they filmed this scene of an attack helicopter versus F-16s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jix9wvkPFjA

By: Wang Wei Lin

Wang Wei Lin — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 23:31:57 +0000

Interesting to analyze the asymmetric aspects of warfare, but you will most always lose on your enemy’s turf unless you annihilate their forces. A helicopter at high altitude or a jet at low altitude are out their element. This is exactly what you would expect.

By: cassander

cassander — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 21:58:45 +0000

modern radars are a LOT better at picking out things from ground clutter than in the 80s, and the higher up you are, the longer range your missiles are going to be able to fire. I don’t think this tells us much about modern air to air combat.

By: Gavin Longmuir

Gavin Longmuir — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 17:51:26 +0000

“If the helicopter gun and missiles were selected for anti-aircraft…”

I am trying to imagine the scenario where a contender would choose to arm its relatively short-range helicopters with air-to-air weapons and fly them at low levels, expecting the fixed wing jets to come down and play on their turf. Also trying to imagine what the role of the much longer-range fixed wing aircraft would be in that scenario.

More likely the jets would ignore the hiding helicopters and bomb the living daylights out of the helicopter bases and resupply lines. Tomorrow would then be an entirely different game!