The Russia-Ukraine war reveals the "fatal" disadvantage of military helicopters

on

 The appearance of current weapons in the Russian-Ukrainian war raises questions about the vulnerability of heavy weapons - such as helicopters and their fate in future combat


For nearly 4 months, the Russia-Ukraine war has taken place fiercely when the sides lost a lot of heavy weapons such as tanks, helicopters, artillery systems and missiles. The appearance and destructive ability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or light weapons have raised debates about the importance of modern combat operations of heavy weapons, such as Helicopter.

In a recent commentary in Aviation Week , an aviation and defense analyst argued that the technological advances in sensors and anti-aircraft weapons that have emerged during the war in Ukraine are evidence that the Combat missions by plane and helicopter seem to be tending to become less effective.

One of the examples that Business Insider listed is the case that Russia organized a large-scale landing operation by helicopter for paratroopers at the Hostomel military airport , on the outskirts of Kiev on February 24. Dozens of Mi-8 transport helicopters with Ka-52 "crocodile" helicopters took part in the operation.

Russia took control of the airport after the two sides fought fiercely and suffered considerable damage. However, in the end, Russia had to withdraw from the area after Ukraine launched a counterattack and Moscow struggled to reinforce the forces controlling the strategically important area of ​​Kiev.

Experts believe that Ukraine's use of artillery shells and man-portable anti-aircraft missiles (MANPADS) has hindered Russia's reinforcement efforts in Hostomel and created a threat to the combat operations of Russian helicopters in the region. this area.

During the war with Russia, Ukraine used light weapons such as MANPADS or precision anti-tank missiles against Russian helicopters when they flew at an altitude of less than 3,000m.

Light weapons can cost several hundred thousand dollars each, but helicopters can cost several million dollars. The key point here is that the precision targeting of light weapons has made helicopters more vulnerable than ever.

According to the statistics of both sides, Russia and Ukraine have lost several hundred helicopters in the war that has lasted for the past few months. There are several reasons for this, for example helicopters often operate during the day making them more vulnerable to targeting than at night.

In addition, not all helicopters participating in the war are equipped with electronic warfare and jamming devices to defend against the enemy's high-precision fire. Russia's Ka-52 is one of the few helicopters equipped with defensive support equipment and solid, modern armor. 

The fact that helicopters have been shot down by light weapons raises the question of whether this weapon is still considered a powerful and indispensable weapon in future combat.

A similar question has been raised before when observers were skeptical about the effectiveness of tanks in future battles, when UAVs over the years have created a game changer, causing cause significant destruction due to technological superiority.

However, the role of tanks or helicopters to move troops to gain control of an area of ​​the field is currently considered irreplaceable and cannot be underestimated. In addition, helicopters are also capable of destroying enemy tanks, armored vehicles, aircraft and valuable targets - tasks that light weapons cannot fully undertake.

The problem lies in the fact that tanks or helicopters both need to be improved in terms of technology or combat strategy so that they can be less vulnerable on the battlefield. 

See more:

Comments

Post a Comment