Helicopters at War
From World War II, helicopters were largely insignificant in usage. While they were
often used for supply and rescue missions in the China-Burma-India Theater, their
limited design restricted their usage for greater depth. This continued in the Korean
War, as helicopters were kept away from combat missions. Greater deployment for
troop ferrying was disallowed by law, but on November 4, 1952, via an agreement
signed by the Army and Air Force, the helicopter began its evolution in increasing roles
played in combat zones. Significantly, before the Korean War ended, the 6 th
Transportation Company with Sikorski H-19s was deployed via helicopter to Korea.
The Vietnam War saw the United States greatly increase the usage of air mobility in
their war strategies. Troops from the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) were
sent to fight Viet Cong guerillas in 1962 using helicopters. This enjoyed initial success,
before the guerillas found ways to combat this during the crucial AP BAC stand. They
were taught how to shoot down the H-21 and Huey helicopters, and the air threat was
greatly reduced as a result.
In spite of this, the U.S. Army broadened their scope of ground attacks via airborne
vessels (in the shape of helicopters). With their increasing involvement in the Vietnam
War by the mid-1960’s, the Army’s helicopters now not only ferried huge troop forces,
but also larger fleets combined with bomb and rocket carpeting of opposing armies by
fixed-wing airplanes.
Using the helicopter, the U.S. Army could engineer rapid deployment and withdrawal of
troops into, and from, enemy territory, which was a far cry from slow engagement over
ground forces. It could also launch surprise attacks on enemies with less reaction time.
The Ch-47 Chinook and UH-1 Huey were widely used for such purposes with great
success.
Armed helicopters evolved as well, providing cover and support for ground troops
against enemy troops. Helicopter gunships such as the AH-1 Cobra featured wide-
ranging artillery including grenade launchers and guided missiles. Before long, the
helicopter as a weapon of war was as much a fixture as the tank, armored personnel
carrier and jeep. The Vietnam War had its greatest representative weapon in the Huey.
The number of air casualties was massive during the Vietnam War. There were a total of
4,869 American helicopters lost in the war zone over the course of 1962 to 1973.
Curiously, forty-seven percent of the losses came from operational mishaps, which
resulted from poorly maintained war-time helicopters. The thick Vietnam jungle
landscape also proved an obstacle to damaged helicopters, leading to multiple crashes.
By achieving reasonable success in the usage of helicopters in war conflict, other
countries like Great Britain and the ex Soviet Union copied the U.S.’s lead. However,
most countries limited it to troop deployment over combat zones against rebel groups,
primarily using U.S. helicopters.
With the end of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army continued to refine its combat aviation
capabilities as they became less reliant on the U.S. Air Force. The looming threat in
Europe of a Soviet ground offensive became their focus, and once again, the helicopter
was the primary weapon.
The HueyCobra with heavy artillery was used against deep enemy targets. Utilizing
greater American technology that facilitated attacks under night cover, such as “Nap of
the Earth” (NOE) flying where helicopters could fly hidden amidst trees and hills and
infrared and night imaging gadgets, the Army obtained an advantage over the larger
numerical Soviet ground forces and bombarded them with missiles. Helicopters
equipped with sophisticated laser-guided missiles to cripple tanks became a fixture in
the 1980s.
The benefits of these strategic developments were shown in all their glories in the
Persian Gulf War. Iraqi ground troops and artillery were crushed through tactical
maneuvers that hinged on the mobility provided by U.S. attack helicopters. These results
encouraged other countries to do the same.
Helicopters have not contributed much beyond infantry warfare, due to comparative
disadvantages in speed, protection and weight management capability to conventional
fixed-wing aircrafts.
From its infancy, helicopters with greatly developed navigation capabilities have been a
mainstay in Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions. Notable results were achieved
during the East European wars such as the Bosnia crisis and the Yugoslavia bombing in
1999, while Vietnam offered more than its share of highlight reels.
The helicopter has also proved to be the perfect tool in submarine hunting and anti-
shipping missions, over-the-horizon targeting and deep sea mine clearing. They provide
a more mobile solution compared to ships and cannot be targeted by enemy
submarines. Helicopters can also escape detection by ships’ sensors as they are sited
beyond the horizon, providing ally ships with target data. They are also safe alternatives
to deep sea mine clearing by keeping a distance above water.
Despite increasing military usage, the helicopter still lacks in speed, range and lifting
capabilities. However, with continued research and development by aircraft
manufacturers worldwide to meld its attributes with the finer points of conventional
aircraft, the helicopter could see an even wider future role and greater impact in the
field.
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