Instead of the quick Russian victory expected by Moscow and much of the world, the war in Ukraine has lasted for almost four months, with both sides losing thousands of troops and hundreds of aircraft and vehicles. The devastation caused by drones and other light, portable weapons has sparked renewed debate about the vulnerability of heavy-duty military equipment on modern battlefields – including helicopters, which are an integral part of many military maneuvering and combat plans.
The end of an era?
A damaged Ukrainian military helicopter transported to Kharkov, May 21, 2022. John Moore / Getty Images
In a recent column in Aviation Week, defense and aerospace analyst Sash Tusa argued that technological advances in sensors and anti-aircraft weapons emerging in Ukraine show that helicopter attack and combat missions are becoming less viable. In the first hours of the invasion, select Russian VDV troops attempted to capture the Hostomel air base near Kyiv with an air strike. Dozens of Mi-8 transport helicopters, guarded by Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters, carried a paratrooper attack force to the Ukrainian airport. The Russian air strike was ultimately a failure, as the Russian army failed to strengthen its air force with follow-up forces and the Ukrainians retaliated vigorously. Russian paratroopers at Hostomel Airport in Ukraine, March 12, 2022. Russian Ministry of Defense / Mil.ru The failure of this mission – which resembled the way the US and other major armies would conduct air strikes – “should have been a shock to many observers,” Tusa wrote, adding that the Ukrainian use of artillery and anti-aircraft fire from the shoulder The missiles thwarted Russian efforts to reinforce Hostomel and thwarted Russian helicopter operations for much of the war. The doctrine of US air strike, which the Pentagon sought to instill in partner forces, including the Afghan and Ukrainian military, is based on technological and numerical superiority over advanced weapons systems that are not representative of US and allied capabilities. US conventional and special operations units are accustomed to operating with US air superiority, but this is not the case for almost all other air forces. Indeed, it may not apply to the US at war with China or Russia, which may both have a range of anti-aircraft weapons.
Helicopter wars
A Ukrainian military helicopter hovers during an exhibition near Kyiv, November 8, 2021. Pavlo Bagmut / Ukrinform / Future Publishing via Getty Images
Airspace over Ukraine is full of threats to fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Long-range and medium-range anti-aircraft weapons systems, such as the S-200, -300 and -400, make high-altitude flights dangerous for both sides. At the same time, portable man-made air defense systems make life under 10,000 feet difficult for crews. Ukrainian forces have even used anti-tank missiles to shoot down Russian low-flying helicopters. Russia has reportedly lost almost 200 helicopters. The losses of Ukrainian aircraft are uncertain but probably high. There are several factors behind the large rotary blade losses on both sides. Initially, most rotary wing operations in Ukraine took place during the day. Neither side has the capabilities of the US Army’s night flight, so they have to take the risk of flying during the day. In addition, neither side has strong countermeasures that would help their aircraft repel incoming threats. “They do not have up-to-date aircraft survival equipment or cyber-warfare technology and countermeasures,” retired Director of 4 Orders Greg Cocker told Insider. A Russian soldier jumps from a Mi-17 helicopter during an exercise near Moscow, June 29, 2019 AP Photo / Pavel Golovkin Cocker, an AH-6 Little Bird pilot and author of “Death Waits in the Dark,” spent 30 years in the U.S. Army, completing 11 battles with the famous 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, nicknamed the “Night Stalkers.” U.S. military helicopters have special equipment, including active and passive technologies, designed to defeat infrared missiles, such as Soviet-made SA-7 and SA-14 anti-aircraft missiles that shoot down helicopters in the UK today. But as the old military saying goes, technology will fail and pilots must be prepared to avoid anti-aircraft fire using speed and ground. “They do not use the ground to protect themselves. You have to fly low and fast, constantly changing direction,” said Cocker, who appeared in a recent Smithsonian documentary about the AH-6 Little Bird. Finally, the portable man-made detonators used in Ukraine – including the US FIM-92 Stinger, which became famous for causing catastrophic Soviet casualties in Afghanistan in the 1980s – are particularly effective. Lacking capable night flight capabilities, Ukrainian and Russian pilots could adopt a number of tactics, techniques and procedures to increase their survival. A damaged Russian helicopter in a field east of Kharkiv, Ukraine, May 16, 2022. John Moore / Getty Images “They have to use the available ground or go to an altitude that allows the helo to be out of range of the systems that bring them down – maybe 5,000 feet,” Coker said, adding that “better coordination of fire support with ground force, if there is “would help, as well as waiting for the use of helicopters” until needed “. Certainly, the war in Ukraine provides important lessons for any military, including the United States. In a near-peer conflict with China or Russia, US helicopters would have to operate effectively in challenging environments where the adversary has strong air defense capabilities. U.S. military commanders should expect more helicopter casualties in such collisions, but U.S. aviators say adhering to the principles that have made the U.S. Air Force so effective could help reduce, if not overcome, future threats. . “We fight at night and there is no one better. We have the best countermeasures in the world for our helicopters,” Cocker said. “The best helicopter pilots in the world. We fight at night!” Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a veteran of the Greek Army (national service in the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters) and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University.
