Defense Technology International - December 2007 - (Page 23)

TACTICAL CHOPPERS H down and crewmembers taken hostage by Hezbollah. The terrorist group attacked landing zones with man-portable air-defense systems, antitank missiles and mortars. Medevac helicopters were prized targets, most likely because they o ered the most exposure. The IAF countered by shortening the time the choppers Israel touts beneﬁts of helicopters were on the ground and by carrying in asymmetric conﬂicts more casualties in a single lift. “We worked with time-limited penetrations,” says Shaharabani. Landings JORIS JANSSEN LOK•THE HAGUE were basically touch-and-go operations. elicopters can play a major role relayed to relevant air, ground and naval “We also operated at higher altitude, in winning asymmetric conﬂicts, forces for action, and intelligence from typically 5,000 ft. and above, rather than but only when they are adaptive these operations was transmitted to the going in low.” Airspace deconfliction was another enough to defeat threats that are dynam- choppers. “We didn’t prepare for many of the issue, what with artillery ﬁre, UAVs and ic, time-sensitive and unpredictable. For helicopters to be effective in an challenges of this conﬂict,” he admits. helicopters. “We came up with rules on how to manage this.” asymmetric war, commanders IAF helicopters had critical must improve the quality of inmission responsibilities durformation that runs to and from ing the war. Among them: the cockpit, develop links with other forces to shorten response Suppression of Hezbollah’s times and accelerate the sensorrocket attacks. Boeing AHto-shooter process so the enemy 64D Apache and Bell AH-1 no longer strikes at will. Cobra helicopters, workThese were among the obing with fighters and UAVs, servations made by Brig. Gen. hunted launchers, command Yakov Shaharabani, director of posts and logistics targets. helicopter operations for the Shaharabani says the camIsraeli air force (IAF). Speakpaign was successful against ing last month at the “Heli large-caliber launchers but Power 2007” conference in not against small ones. The Hague, Shaharabani disAttacking strategic targets. cussed lessons Israel learned The challenge was to link infrom the 2006 Lebanon war, telligence to firepower and when it battled Hezbollah in a assign the right missile (in conﬂict that many say forced range and warhead) to the the nation to rethink its strateright target. gies and tactics (DTI July/AuClose air support. Pilots gust, p. 41). proved a new system that Shaharabani notes that ev- Boeing AH-64D Apache on test ﬂight in provides the same picture of erything Israel learned is ap- Arizona. IAF learned in Lebanon that ﬂying friendly and enemy positions plicable to other asymmetric Apache helicopters at 5,000 ft. exploits to helicopters and ground conflicts, including those in standoff capabilities. forces. “Except for one friendAfghanistan and Iraq. “The ly fire incident, we did well. 21st century has introduced a new type “It is vital to have the right sensors to Connecting army and air force systems of war, in which we face a low-signature realize what’s going on and to determine is a major issue. We made progress but enemy who is hard to identify among the what the threat really is.” there is a lot to do.” A key asset, Shaharabani says, was civilian population.” Tactical airlift. In two operations, more One important lesson for Israel was Israel’s defense industry, which worked than 1,000 troops were dropped into a that a lack of intelligence dogged opera- closely with helicopter commanders to landing zone within 10 min. This mostly tions during the early stages of the war. overcome problems and implement ef- involved Sikorsky CH-53s, ﬂying at night, This was a critical flaw because most fective ways of destroying the enemy. supported by attack helos and ﬁghters. “We shared our challenges with them targets were extremely time-sensitive. Special operations. Helicopters made “The answer was to develop a more on a daily basis and they came up with more than 20 insertions, during which the effective sensor-to-shooter process, solutions including new warheads, data IDF learned that these need a “crystalin which helicopters worked with un- links and missile technology.” clear chain of command” and “ﬁrepower One area where the IAF successfully is necessary during evacuation.” I manned aerial vehicles, fighters and adapted procedures was close air supground radars.” The IAF instituted fast uplink and port. With heavy ﬁre directed at helicop- Read Janssen Lok’s posts on DTI’s downlink capabilities for its helicopters. ters, survivability was a concern. Israel weblog, Ares, updated daily: Information from pilots was immediately could ill a ord to have helicopters shot AviationWeek.com/ares BOEING • • • • • www.aviationweek.com/dti DECEMBER 2007 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 23 http://AviationWeek.com/ares http://www.aviationweek.com/dti

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Defense Technology International - December 2007

Defense Technology International - December 2007 Contents Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch BrahMos: Ramjet Ship Killer r-e-s-p-e-c-t Deja Vu Trump Card Dubai Demos Agile Helos Joint Force Online Charge UGVs Creep, Crawl to Victory Sweet Ride Fast, Lethal Ship Defense Networking Stealth: Why Raptors Can't Talk The Net Cutting Edge First Person In Review Insight

Defense Technology International - December 2007

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