- Drones and light portable missiles used in Ukraine dealt a heavy blow to troops and materials.
- The proliferation of such weapons raises doubts about the future role of heavy-duty hardware, including helicopters.
- These weapons are here to stay, but the military can do more to help pilots and planes survive.
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Instead of the quick Russian victory that Moscow and much of the world expected, the war in Ukraine lasted nearly four months, with both countries losing thousands of troops and hundreds of planes and vehicles.
The devastation caused by drones and other light, portable weapons has sparked renewed debate over the vulnerability of heavy military hardware on modern battlefields – including helicopters, which are an integral part of many military plans for maneuvering and combat.
The end of an era?
Crashed Ukrainian military helicopter transported to Kharkiv, 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 on display in Ukraine were evidence that air strikes and helicopter combat missions were generally becoming less viable.
In the early hours of the invasion, elite Russian airborne troops of the VDV tried to capture Hostomel air base near Kyiv by air attack. Dozens of Mi-8 transport helicopters, guarded by Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters, were transporting paratroopers to the Ukrainian airport.
The Russian air strike eventually failed as the Russian military failed to reinforce its air force with subsequent forces and the Ukrainians counterattacked in force.
Russian paratroopers at the Ukrainian airport Hostomel, March 12, 2022. Ministry of Defense of Russia / Mil.ru
The failure of this mission – which was similar to the way the United States and other major military forces would conduct air assault operations – “should have come as a shock to many observers,” Tusa wrote, adding that Ukraine’s use of artillery and anti-aircraft missiles had failed. Russian efforts to fortify Hostomel and deterred Russian helicopter operations for most of the war.
The US air strike doctrine, which the Pentagon has sought to impose on partner forces, including the Afghan and Ukrainian military, relies on technological and numerical superiority in modern weapons systems that is not representative of the capabilities of US allies and partners.
US conventional and special operations are accustomed to operating with superiority in US air, but this is not the case for almost all other air forces. In fact, this may not be the case for the United States at war with China or Russia, which can both use a range of anti-aircraft weapons.
Helicopter wars
Ukrainian military helicopter circled during an exhibition near Kyiv, November 8, 2021 Pavlo Bagmut / Ukrinform / Future Publishing via Getty Images
The airspace over Ukraine is full of threats to planes and helicopters.
Long- and medium-range anti-aircraft systems, such as the S-200, -300 and -400, make high-altitude flights dangerous for both sides. At the same time, portable air defense systems make the lives of aircraft crews difficult below 10,000 feet. Ukrainian forces have even used anti-tank missiles to shoot down low-flying Russian helicopters.
Russia has reportedly lost nearly 200 helicopters. The losses of Ukrainian planes are uncertain, but probably high. There are several factors behind the heavy losses of rotating assets for both parties.
To begin with, most rotary wing operations in Ukraine were performed during the day. None of the countries has the capabilities of the US military for night flights, so they have to take the risk of flying during the day. In addition, none of the countries has powerful countermeasures to help their planes repel incoming threats.
“They don’t have modern aircraft survival equipment or electronic warfare and countermeasures technology,” retired Chief of Staff 4 Greg Cocker told Insider.
Russian soldier jumps from a Mi-17 helicopter during an exercise near Moscow, June 29, 2019. AP Photo / Pavel Golovkin
Cocker, pilot of the battleship AH-6 Little Bird and author of “Death Waits in the Dark,” spent 30 years in the U.S. Army, completing 11 battles with the acclaimed 160th Special Operations Regiment, called the Night Chasers.
US military helicopters have special equipment, including active and passive technologies designed to strike infrared missiles, such as the Soviet-launched SA-7 and SA-14 anti-aircraft missiles, which are currently shooting down helicopters in Ukraine.
But as the old military saying goes, technology will fail and pilots must be prepared to avoid air fire using speed and terrain.
“They don’t use the terrain to defend themselves. You have to fly low and fast, constantly changing direction,” said Cocker, who appeared in a recent Smithsonian documentary on the AH-6 Little Bird.
Finally, the portable shoulder firing systems used in Ukraine – including the US-made FIM-92 Stinger, which became famous for inflicting devastating Soviet losses on Afghanistan in the 1980s – are particularly effective.
In the absence of competent night flying capabilities, Ukrainian and Russian pilots could adopt a number of tactics, techniques and procedures to increase their viability.
Russian helicopter crashed in a field east of Kharkiv, Ukraine, May 16, 2022. John Moore / Getty Images
“They need to use the available terrain or go to a height that allows the hello to be out of range of the systems that take them down – maybe 5,000 feet,” Cocker said, adding that “better coordination of fire support with land forces, if any, “would help, as would holding back the use of helicopters” until necessary. “
Of course, the war in Ukraine teaches important lessons for every army, including the United States. In a conflict with China or Russia that is almost equal, American helicopters will have to operate effectively in a contested environment where the enemy has powerful air defenses.
U.S. military commanders should expect greater casualties from helicopters in such conflicts, but U.S. aviators say sticking to the fundamentals that have made U.S. aviation so effective could help reduce, if not overcome, future threats.
“We fight at night and there is no better. We have the best countermeasures in the world for our helicopters,” …
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