Hackworth evaluates the performance of the Apache helicopter in the Iraq war -favorable But a closer look at the March 24 Little Bighorn reveals that the overconfident � some say even rash � commanders of the 11th Aviation Regiment fell for a classic Iraqi helicopter ambush of the sort perfected by Vietnamese guerrillas in the 1960s and refined by Somalian rebels in the 1990s. Eyewitnesses and Apache pilots say we're talking leadership fault here rather than the failure of a formidable fighting machine. And if so, the 11th Aviation skippers and their flawed planning should wear the blame, not this great CAS aircraft.
As it proved in Iraq by not crashing and burning when it became Swiss cheese over Karbala, the Apache is unbeatably rugged. A blistering machine capable of pounding the enemy right on the deck � in their face or standing off at five miles. Not to mention how, unlike a fast-moving fighter jet, it can also stay on station � low and slow � long enough to zap the bad guys and deliver close-in, enormous firepower directly in front of our grunts' foxholes when and where they need it.
But the ultra-expensive Longbow system � a sure winner on the open plains of Europe against Soviet armor that became obsolete the day the Berlin Wall tumbled down � makes the Longbow-equipped Apache too heavy to fly in 21st-century high-altitude trouble spots such as Afghanistan. And since its clever congressional cheerleaders have made sure that its parts are made in almost every state, killing this platinum-plated porker won't be quick and easy.
Too bad. The money saved could be used to improve the proven AH-64A model, increase Apache pilot training, update attack helicopter doctrine to include the lessons learned in both Afghanistan and Gulf War II � and for training senior commanders on how to use these vital war-fighting assets correctly.
As it proved in Iraq by not crashing and burning when it became Swiss cheese over Karbala, the Apache is unbeatably rugged. A blistering machine capable of pounding the enemy right on the deck � in their face or standing off at five miles. Not to mention how, unlike a fast-moving fighter jet, it can also stay on station � low and slow � long enough to zap the bad guys and deliver close-in, enormous firepower directly in front of our grunts' foxholes when and where they need it.
But the ultra-expensive Longbow system � a sure winner on the open plains of Europe against Soviet armor that became obsolete the day the Berlin Wall tumbled down � makes the Longbow-equipped Apache too heavy to fly in 21st-century high-altitude trouble spots such as Afghanistan. And since its clever congressional cheerleaders have made sure that its parts are made in almost every state, killing this platinum-plated porker won't be quick and easy.
Too bad. The money saved could be used to improve the proven AH-64A model, increase Apache pilot training, update attack helicopter doctrine to include the lessons learned in both Afghanistan and Gulf War II � and for training senior commanders on how to use these vital war-fighting assets correctly.
Comments