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IAF-Army Spat Festers On Over Attack Copter Use

Neutralising radar stations behind enemy lines using attack helicopters? Well the NATO can have that luxury as those helicopters will operate in an environment completely bereft of enemy air power or air defence except for the odd shoulder fired stuff. The total air dominance enjoyed by the US/NATO in Iraq or Afghanistan permits such use.

You seems to misunderstood the post, maybe this helps:

Pilots of the two flights, eight AH-64A Apache attack helicopters of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) fired the first shots of Operation Desert Storm. Codenamed "Normandy", in remembrance of the 101st "Screaming Eagles" airborne operation during World War II, the dangerous mission consisted of simultaneous attacks designed to knock-out two key early-warning radar installations in western Iraq at precisely 0238 hours, 17 January 1991. Both radar sites, each hit by a team of four Apaches, were destroyed within a time span of 4.5 minutes. Each pilot's primary target became the secondary target for adjacent Apache team members.

The first combat mission of the Gulf War was launched at 1300 hours 17 January 1991 from a staging airfield in western Saudi Arabia, with the two teams of Apaches flying about 90 minutes to the two radar sites about 35 miles apart. The Apache crews observed a radio blackout until 10 seconds before unleashing up to 27 HELLIFRE missiles that destroyed 16 to 18 targets at each site. The near perfect mission opened a 20 mile wide corridor all the way into Baghdad, Iraq. Moments later, some 100 U.S. Air Force jets streaked across the border for an undetected bombing run on Baghdad that marked the start of Operation Desert Storm's punishing air war. By the end of the day 900 coalition aircraft passed through the corridor.

AH-64 Apache


So we are talking about a preemptive strikes against radar sites in the first hours of the war, when Iraqi air force and air defence was fully available and active! They simply used the low level terrain following and night flying capabilities of the Apache to sneak in below the radar and destroy the sites with very little response time. That's why I said, with latest avionics and capabilities, which our older combat helicopters didn't had, you can do way more roles than just fire support for ground troops, or escort roles. A2A attacks against drones, SEAD like in desert strom, or also recon/command and control roles are possible. The Apache block 3 for example will be able to link itself with UAVs and can even take over the control of them. Such a combo gives an attacking squadron of LCH way more capabilities, since they can't offer any similar, let alone what an attacking group of tanks would have which can take advantage of the fire support and surveillance data of the Apache. We are in the days of netcentric warfare, not just tank hunting and providing fire support to ground forces!
 
The best solution is that the helicopters must be under operational control of the Army but the pilots must be IAF pilots on deputation to the Army.
 
Logically since attack choppers are always working with IA and almost never independently, they should be under IA for better command and coordination.

If IAF is going to claim everything that flies then IA must ask IAF to first abandon their airbases located on LAND ;)
 
Because Army is just not satisfied with the commitment shown from AF Pilots in the time of need..In the last CLAWS seminar (when all hell broke out ), IA openly termed the Heli Pilots as "cowards - who did not want to go on tough missions" and wanted the tactical rotor wing under their control..

Re interoperability: This is the major hindrance in real time scenario..Army plans the operation and it takes a lot of time to convey the same and IAF ready to ferry the soldiers with equipment ..We all saw what this "interoperability" did in Kargil..

Spats are common everywhere dude,everyone preaches for the bigger chunk of the defence pie as well as their share of concerns to be addressed.Isn't that the whole point of strategies like the Cold Start,to find a point of convergence amongst the forces?It's better that the three branches start seeing eye to eye on issues rather than letting them do their own thing in isolation.

Kargil scenario is never going to play out again with Nishant,Heron,and searchers filling in the Army on recon data.The IAF did eventually step in and do it's job now didn't it?
 
Spats are common everywhere dude,everyone preaches for the bigger chunk of the defence pie as well as their share of concerns to be addressed.Isn't that the whole point of strategies like the Cold Start,to find a point of convergence amongst the forces?It's better that the three branches start seeing eye to eye on issues rather than letting them do their own thing in isolation.

Kargil scenario is never going to play out again with Nishant,Heron,and searchers filling in the Army on recon data.The IAF did eventually step in and do it's job now didn't it?

Only problem with this spat is that this is going on for more than 20 years officially..
Anyway lets leave it at that..
 

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