Slitherine

quote:


0628 hrs - 1st Mtr - neutralizing fire (3x) in hex 2307
0628 hrs - 1st Mtr : fires 81mm L1 basic hit chance of (12%) against a Mi-24P Hind at a range of 4500m / 1866m
0628 hrs - 1st Mtr (Unidentified enemy units) in 1411 is engaging a helo unit (1 Helo) in hex 2307 at range 4,360m.
0628 hrs - 1st Mtr - new orders received: Barrage: Neutralizing Fire (3x) on hex 2307 at 0631 hrs.

quote:

ORIGINAL: CapnDarwin

Hovering helos are a target like anybody else caught in the rain. You want ugly, wait until your helos get hit by ICM.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zakalwe101

Well fortunately there isn't really any real world evidence of how HIND would have performed in a battle against a first class opponent, what we do know is that in Afghanistan the Mujaheddin feared them until they acquired CIA supplied MANPADS which effectively neutralised them.
In other wars they have been up against insurgent forces. I couldn't find any evidence of their use in the First Chechen war , but if they performed as well as the rest of the Russian Federation forces then I don't think they will have come out of it with any credit.
On paper it carries a formidable weapon load, and is heavily armoured,but as was demonstrated by the Russian federation in the first Chechen war a lot hangs on the training of crew ,training as units, reliability of equipment, and equipment preparation, and competence of planning staff. Did the Russian army deteriorate so quickly after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 to it's woeful performance in three short years, I think not, I think it was an army rife with corruption, and the threat it posed in real terms not as great as some wanted it to be, of course we can speculate on that now.

Personally though, if the game exaggerates the threat they posed in the real world, I prefer to have them scaring the hell out of me in terms of how the blazes do I deal with them.

The game is very clever in terms of posing threats and not providing easy tools to deal them. e.g T80U that none will fire at , Helicopters but not enough Air defence units, overwhelming artillery coupled with a flood RECON spotting units, Intelligence that says opposing forces amount to 80 to 120 MBT's but usually amount to 200 plus

quote:

Engagement
The 31 AH-64 Apaches of the 11th Aviation Group took off from Tactical Assembly Area Vicksburg, which was inside Objective Rams. One Apache crashed immediately after takeoff when its pilot became disoriented. When the Apaches turned north toward Karbala, signals intelligence picked up over 50 Iraqi cell phone calls alerting the Iraqi forward units of their approach. As the helicopters came within range, the Iraqis signaled their troops to open fire by turning off the city's power grid for several seconds. Ground troops then opened up with a barrage of PKM, NSV, 23mm, and 57mm fire.

Lieutenant Jason King, pilot of Apache "Palerider 16", was hit by AKM fire[8] in the neck and suffered a severe hemorrhage, but he never lost consciousness.[3] He was later evacuated to Germany for surgery, but returned to his unit a few weeks later.[8] The Apaches were reluctant to return fire as most enemy fire was coming from houses and the risk of collateral damage was high. The helicopters scattered in search of the Medina Division, but were hampered by poor intelligence.[citation needed]

Apache "Vampire 12", flown by Warrant Officers David S. Williams and Ronald D. Young Jr., was forced down into a marsh after gunfire severed its hydraulics. Its radio was also hit, preventing communication with the other helicopters. Attempting to flee the crash scene, both men swam down a canal, but were captured by armed civilians. The Iraqi government would later show the helicopter on TV and claim that it had been shot down by a farmer with a Brno rifle; however due to the high volume of anti-aircraft fire and the armor of the Apache, it is unlikely that a bolt-action rifle was responsible.[9]

The Apaches turned back for Tactical Assembly Area Vicksburg after a half-hour of combat. Most were without functioning navigation equipment. At least two narrowly avoided a mid-air collision.[3] Post-battle analysis indicated the American gunships were targeted in a deliberately planned ambush[10] with cannon fire, RPGs, and small-arms all emanating from camouflaged fire teams.

Aftermath
Of the 29 returning Apaches, all but one suffered serious damage. On average, each Apache had 15-20 bullet holes. One Apache took 29 hits. Sixteen main rotor blades, six tail blades, six engines, and five drive shafts were damaged beyond repair. In one squadron only a single helicopter was fit to fly. It took a month until the 11th Regiment was ready to fight again. The casualties sustained by the Apaches induced a change of tactics by placing significant restrictions on their use.[11] Attack helicopters would henceforth be used to reveal the location of enemy troops, allowing them to be destroyed by artillery and air strikes.[3]