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China will try to swoop down into post-war Ukraine with money and resources for the rebuilding, all as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, where China seeks to play a larger role in the Black Sea region. They've already got the 'Stans onside.China has swooped — and it's leaving the US in its dust in Ukraine
Washington will never be able to deliver Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. The Chinese president knew this when on a sunny spring morning in Ukraine's capital, Xi Jinping deigned to finally speak to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, writes John Lyons in Kyiv.www.abc.net.au
Whilst I don't disagree with you when you say that your preference would be to give Ukraine F16's, I do wonder if the losses are caused by the tactics.Attack helicopters do not seem to have much survivability in modern 2020s combat, with for example Ka-50/52s being shot down in droves. I'd rather the Ukrainian Air Force got the F-16s they're asking for. I wonder if the day of the manned attack helicopter is done, at least in full scale combat against a MANPADS-equipped enemy.
It's a good point. Like you said, I also thought that SOP for attack helicopters was to hover low, behind or below cover, pop up, shoot and drop again - hence the Apache's rotor-top targeting pod.Whilst I don't disagree with you when you say that your preference would be to give Ukraine F16's, I do wonder if the losses are caused by the tactics.
Almost every Helicopter loss I have seen he chopper come barrelling in as if he is a WW2 Typhoon, P47 or equivalent. Certainly in the 70's and early 80's UK and I though NATO doctrine was to stay away as far as possible from the target and use terrain or nap of the earth to pop up, shoot and get out of Dodge ASAP
China has swooped — and it's leaving the US in its dust in Ukraine
Washington will never be able to deliver Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. The Chinese president knew this when on a sunny spring morning in Ukraine's capital, Xi Jinping deigned to finally speak to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, writes John Lyons in Kyiv.www.abc.net.au
Certainly in the 70's and early 80's UK and I though NATO doctrine was to stay away as far as possible from the target and use terrain or nap of the earth to pop up, shoot and get out of Dodge ASAP
The Russians helicopter pilots probably share in the same lack of flying hours as their fixed wing colleagees. If they don't have the training, the Kamov and Hind attack copter pilots can't do the extreme low altitude work. Plus, I assume Apache crews on CAS missions work in concert with mechanized and infantry recon units, which requires solid communication and trust, plus a lot of training from everyone involved. That sounds more like NATO-trained Ukrainians than Russians.We've seen both Russian and Ukrainian helicopters in action and the difference between the two, is really striking.
Ukrainian helo pilots hug the earth, fly at tree-top or are jinking all over the place.
The Russian don't do much of the above and fly in a relatively predictable course and make themselves easy targets.
We've seen both Russian and Ukrainian helicopters in action and the difference between the two, is really striking.
Ukrainian helo pilots hug the earth, fly at tree-top or are jinking all over the place.
The Russian don't do much of the above and fly in a relatively predictable course and make themselves easy targets.
So is most of the Russian stuff today.Granted this was 3+ decades ago, but still.
Attack helicopters do not seem to have much survivability in modern 2020s combat, with for example Ka-50/52s being shot down in droves. I'd rather the Ukrainian Air Force got the F-16s they're asking for. I wonder if the day of the manned attack helicopter is done, at least in full scale combat against a MANPADS-equipped enemy.
Whilst I don't disagree with you when you say that your preference would be to give Ukraine F16's, I do wonder if the losses are caused by the tactics.
Almost every Helicopter loss I have seen he chopper come barrelling in as if he is a WW2 Typhoon, P47 or equivalent. Certainly in the 70's and early 80's UK and I though NATO doctrine was to stay away as far as possible from the target and use terrain or nap of the earth to pop up, shoot and get out of Dodge ASAP
It's a good point. Like you said, I also thought that SOP for attack helicopters was to hover low, behind or below cover, pop up, shoot and drop again - hence the Apache's rotor-top targeting pod.
View attachment 719789
The Russians seem to be just flying their Kamovs around over Ukrainian-held territory at medium altitude, almost inviting destruction.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gCPDbYXAeoM&pp=ygUXa2Ftb3Ygc2hvdCBkb3duIHVrcmFpbmU%3D
I saw that too, but can you hit anything when rapidly twisting and turning as you launch unguided rockets in the general direction of an enemy position?Somewhere upthread is a video posted of UAF attack helos and they were doing a hell of a job striking Russian positions at a tree-line - their flight path was not predictable at all, they'd fire and go into a hard banking dive, then break.
Almost like WWII fighter GA tactics.