Review of copter defenses under way

[sharonstone]

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/17/sprj.irq.helicopters/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A review is under way of protective measures on all 620 U.S. Army helicopters deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a memo dated November 7, acting Army Secretary R.L. Brownlee suggested that cost was no object to get the "most effective defensive systems" on all helicopters, and in a handwritten postscript he wrote: "This is URGENT!"

Thirty-nine U.S. troops have been killed in five helicopter crashes in Iraq since October 25.

[alexwcovington]

1. What are you going to do?

Like the thing can move fast enough to avoid anything.

[TexasMexican]

2. Lasers

friken laser beams.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Good to play CD's amd DVD's with

Not so good to shoot down a fast moving little bomb coming at your hind end from a few hundred feet away.
Nope, the days of moving around groups of uniformed troops in these cows was over in Vietnam, however, the contractors want us to buy em so we keep on buying em.

[KeepItReal]

3. Nice memo...now what?

All the money you can spend on flare dispensers (don't need chaff, Iraqi radar sites are non-existant) won't do a bit of good vs. a cheap, plentiful Russian-made rocket propelled grenade aimed at a helicopter in Iraq.

Hey Mr. Acting Army Secretary, here's some advice: Tell your boss in the Whitehouse or that undisclosed location that the best defense for our Blackhawks, Chinooks, Apaches, Kiowas, and Cobras is to be flying peacetime duty here in the states or in countries that truly appreciate our having bases there. Let Halliburton buy their own security force to help get that oil money. They can afford it, right?

[Frangible]

4. they're not all unguided

Although some airburst RPG7s have been used (a la black hawk down), the iraqis also seem to have some IR units that flares would defend against.

[truthisfreedom]

6. "crashes"? we all know they were shot down. why call them crashes when

the truth is they were shot down?

wordplay is the hallmark of this administration. reverse-parsing is their game.

[htuttle]

7. The Mujahadeen used to shoot down Russian Hinds with flintlock rifles

All they have to do is find the sweet spot. On most choppers, there's a lot of them.

However, let's not let this stand in the way of an accelerated, cost-plus, unlimited urgent R&D contract where 'cost is no object'.

Hey, I wonder who will get that contract?

:eyes: