ATTACK HELICOPTER ESCORT TACTICS

Year Published: 1982

Description: "Attack Helicopter Escort Tactics", 30 minutes, color, 1982 U.S. Marine Corps pilot training film. This film provides a comprehensive overview of attack helicopter operations, focusing on the twin-engine Cobra helicopter's capabilities in escort missions. It begins by introducing the helicopter's role as a powerful gunship, emphasizing its speed, combat survivability, and advanced weaponry, such as a 20 mm automatic cannon, wire-guided tow missiles, and Zuni rockets. The importance of detailed mission planning, including enemy threat assessments and briefings, is highlighted. Strategies for approaching landing zones are discussed, addressing both low-threat and high-threat environments and using flight modes like low level, contour, and nap of the earth to maximize protection and minimize detection. Various escort patterns are explained, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Fire discipline, radio communication, and maintaining positions are stressed, ensuring coordination during critical phases like landing and withdrawal. Conclusion: mission success through preparation, execution, and the ability to deliver suppressive fire accurately. 00:00: Description of the attack helicopter, a powerful gunship. 0:32: Helicopter's role in providing escort protection during helicopter-borne operations. 0:57: Aspects of twin-engine Cobra helicopter, highlighting its flight safety and combat survivability. 1:23: The helicopter's speed and weapon capabilities, including its 20 mm automatic cannon and various armament stations. 1:43: Additional weapons, such as wire-guided TOW missiles and 5-inch Zuni rockets. 2:20: The importance of a well-researched and thought-out plan, including enemy threat assessment and mission briefing. 2:56: Determining the approach to the landing zone based on the type of enemy threat. 3:20: Explanation of low-threat and high-threat environments and their impact on flight mode and approach tactics. 3:57: Various types of terrain flight, including low level, contour flight, and nap of the earth (NOE) flight. 4:40: Planning the flight route to take advantage of natural cover and minimize detection. 5:12: The mission briefing and preparation for carrying out the mission. 5:52: The escort pattern and its role in providing protection for transport craft. 6:00: Command relationships among transport and escort ships for smooth operation. 6:32-7:19: Different escort patterns, including the box pattern, and their advantages and disadvantages. 7:19: Other basic escort patterns, such as the diamond pattern, and their variations. 8:04: The importance of maintaining lookout integrity and threat suppression during formation maneuvers. 9:02: Basic rules for escort patterns, including maintaining position during the final approach phase and avoiding distractions. 10:03: Emphasis on fire discipline and proper use of ordnance, keeping adequate reserves. 10:13: Instructions to maintain radio discipline and stay alert, even without visible enemy activity. 10:42: Movement toward the landing zone in high-threat environments, flying close to the ground for protection. 10:52: Terrain and enemy encounters may require varying close escort patterns. 11:06: Use of stealthy formations, traveling along the contours of the earth for minimal detection. 11:37: Overview of the OverWatch pattern, positioning gunships between transports and suspected enemy locations. 11:53: Explanation of the bounding pattern, where formations leapfrog between cleared areas to minimize transport exposure to enemy fire. 12:18: Various types of suppressive fire tactics, including diving, running, or hovering, to ensure mission success. 13:14: Close escort patterns with aircraft within visual range, providing protection for transport helicopters. 13:20: Detached or proximity escort tactics for larger flights, offering reconnaissance and protection over a broad approach front. 13:38: Transition between flight modes—low level, contour, and nap of the earth—as the threat increases. 14:01: A go or no-go decision is made by the Helicopter Coordinator Airborne (HCA) at the initial point of approach. 14:09: Gunships clear the way into the LZ during the final approach. 14:30: Large flights of helicopters cannot be fully concealed from the enemy. 14:49: Battlefield confusion and accurate suppressive fire are essential during the critical landing phase. 15:48: Fire discipline allocation: 25% ordnance used en route, 50% during landing zone suppression, and 25% for withdrawal. 16:11: Conclusion and summary.

Complete Record: "Attack Helicopter Escort Tactics", 30 minutes, color, 1982 U.S. Marine Corps pilot training film. This film provides a comprehensive overview of attack helicopter operations, focusing on the twin-engine Cobra helicopter's capabilities in escort missions. It begins by introducing the helicopter's role as a powerful gunship, emphasizing its speed, combat survivability, and advanced weaponry, such as a 20 mm automatic cannon, wire-guided tow missiles, and Zuni rockets. The importance of detailed mission planning, including enemy threat assessments and briefings, is highlighted. Strategies for approaching landing zones are discussed, addressing both low-threat and high-threat environments and using flight modes like low level, contour, and nap of the earth to maximize protection and minimize detection. Various escort patterns are explained, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Fire discipline, radio communication, and maintaining positions are stressed, ensuring coordination during critical phases like landing and withdrawal. Conclusion: mission success through preparation, execution, and the ability to deliver suppressive fire accurately. 00:00: Description of the attack helicopter, a powerful gunship. 0:32: Helicopter's role in providing escort protection during helicopter-borne operations. 0:57: Aspects of twin-engine Cobra helicopter, highlighting its flight safety and combat survivability. 1:23: The helicopter's speed and weapon capabilities, including its 20 mm automatic cannon and various armament stations. 1:43: Additional weapons, such as wire-guided TOW missiles and 5-inch Zuni rockets. 2:20: The importance of a well-researched and thought-out plan, including enemy threat assessment and mission briefing. 2:56: Determining the approach to the landing zone based on the type of enemy threat. 3:20: Explanation of low-threat and high-threat environments and their impact on flight mode and approach tactics. 3:57: Various types of terrain flight, including low level, contour flight, and nap of the earth (NOE) flight. 4:40: Planning the flight route to take advantage of natural cover and minimize detection. 5:12: The mission briefing and preparation for carrying out the mission. 5:52: The escort pattern and its role in providing protection for transport craft. 6:00: Command relationships among transport and escort ships for smooth operation. 6:32-7:19: Different escort patterns, including the box pattern, and their advantages and disadvantages. 7:19: Other basic escort patterns, such as the diamond pattern, and their variations. 8:04: The importance of maintaining lookout integrity and threat suppression during formation maneuvers. 9:02: Basic rules for escort patterns, including maintaining position during the final approach phase and avoiding distractions. 10:03: Emphasis on fire discipline and proper use of ordnance, keeping adequate reserves. 10:13: Instructions to maintain radio discipline and stay alert, even without visible enemy activity. 10:42: Movement toward the landing zone in high-threat environments, flying close to the ground for protection. 10:52: Terrain and enemy encounters may require varying close escort patterns. 11:06: Use of stealthy formations, traveling along the contours of the earth for minimal detection. 11:37: Overview of the OverWatch pattern, positioning gunships between transports and suspected enemy locations. 11:53: Explanation of the bounding pattern, where formations leapfrog between cleared areas to minimize transport exposure to enemy fire. 12:18: Various types of suppressive fire tactics, including diving, running, or hovering, to ensure mission success. 13:14: Close escort patterns with aircraft within visual range, providing protection for transport helicopters. 13:20: Detached or proximity escort tactics for larger flights, offering reconnaissance and protection over a broad approach front. 13:38: Transition between flight modes—low level, contour, and nap of the earth—as the threat increases. 14:01: A go or no-go decision is made by the Helicopter Coordinator Airborne (HCA) at the initial point of approach. 14:09: Gunships clear the way into the LZ during the final approach. 14:30: Large flights of helicopters cannot be fully concealed from the enemy. 14:49: Battlefield confusion and accurate suppressive fire are essential during the critical landing phase. 15:48: Fire discipline allocation: 25% ordnance used en route, 50% during landing zone suppression, and 25% for withdrawal. 16:11: Conclusion and summary.

Transcription

[Music] your attack helicopter is a powerful gunship fast and deadly raining down suppressive Firepower when and where it's [Music] [Music] needed one of the jobs at done does best is to provide escort protection during helicopter born operations you will tax your abilities and the capabilities of your aircraft to the maximum in order to accomplish the mission let's look at all the things you've got going for you during an escort Mission first the ship itself the twin engine C Cobra is Slim Fast and responsive its twin engine capability gives increased flight safety and combat survivability coming in for a dive attack it reaches 190 knots and it has the weapons to do the job in the chin turret a 20 mm automatic cannon with a wide field of Fire on the wings are Armament stations for 2.75 in Rockets smoke grenades flares CBU 55 fuel air explosives and GPU 2A gun pods that deliver up to 1520 mm rounds per minute your gunship may carry the wire guided tow missile or 5-in zi Rockets finally you've got a well researched and thought out plan going for you zone is presently occupied by a Recon team which was inserted last night and there'll be no Preparatory fires going into the Zone unless we take fire The Briefing tells you what to do when and where and what to expect the enemy threat the weather everything that will help you complete the mission successfully turn up time will be 074 4 with a radio check in at 0750 on button Brown the approach to The Landing zone is determined to a large extent by the type of enemy threat that's expected in a low threat environment such as Small Arms fire and unsophisticated weapon systems you'll be coming in high over the threat then breaking down into the landing Zone area [Music] in a high threat area you may encounter Small Arms Fire Plus air defense weapons directed by radar Optical or infrared systems so we'll be using the lowle flight mode you'll be coming in Fast and low for maximum surprise and protection in your gunship you'll be in one of three BAS B types of terrain flight as you approach The Landing Zone low level is at a selected altitude which minimizes the chance of detection the route is usually in a straight line and is flown at constant speed once we reach phas line Alpha we'll be dropping down to the Contour flight mode and this mode will'll be traveling probably around 100 ft and 100 knots Contour flight is at low level and conforms generally to the Contours of the Earth's surface taking advantage of natural cover air speed and altitude vary as dictated by vegetation and other obstacles as we approach phas line Bravo approximately 5 5,000 meters off the landing Zone be dropping down to the nap of the earth type of flight mode nap of the Earth or Noe flight is as close to the ground as the terrain permits the route of flight is well planned in advance and the pilot flies a devious path varying his speed and altitude to take advantage of cover aborted by the terrain we'll be utilizing the vegetation to cover our shadow as we progress into the landing Zone area The Briefing described the mission now it's up to you to carry it out [Music] [Music] a key element in every escort mission is the escort pattern itself how you and other gunships position yourselves to provide a bubble of protection around the transport craft the command relationships among the transports and escort ships help make the operation run smoothly the helicopter coordinator Airborne the HCA is in overall command usually riding in a command and control helicopter he coordinates the activities of all aircraft and participates in the final selection of the landing Zone the helicopter transport Commander is in charge of the transport aircraft and will function as the HCA if one is not assigned the flight coordinator is in command of the escort gunships this could be used now let's look at the escort patterns themselves beginning with the attached or close patterns this is the box it's good in clear areas over flat terrain where there are no obstacles the lead section is out front where it can scout the area ahead and suppress any enemy threat the flight coordinator is usually the Cobra formation leader and may be assigned navigation responsibility when the formation turns the escort sections use combat Cruise Maneuvers to get to their new positions the disadvantages of the Box are rigidity during formation Maneuvers and the need for escort gunships to concern themselves with navigation normally there will be only two gunships in a pattern since there are far fewer gunships than transports here's an escort pattern with two gunships this variation gives good protection over open Terrain now let's look at the other basic escort patterns in the diamond pattern the HTC has the navigation responsibility this means that escorts can maintain Lookout integrity and threat suppression formation Maneuvers are easier the only disadvantage here is that the lead Cobra gunship would be continuously changing as we said before most patterns will have only two gunships the diamond has two such variations this is the three and nine named for the clock positions of the two escort gunships during formation turns escorts use combat Crews Maneuvers to reach their new positions this variation of the diamond is called the six and 12 again because of the clock positions of the escorts in both variations of the diamond pattern one of the transports is responsible for navigation while the cobras are concerned primarily with protection there are some basic rules that apply to all escort patterns maintain your position during the Final Approach phase don't become preoccupied with a Target that's no longer a threat to the transports [Music] observe fire discipline use your ordinance properly keeping adequate reserves maintain radio discipline and remain alert even if there is no enemy activity moving toward the landing Zone in a high thread environment you'll travel close to the ground for maximum protection the terrain and encounters with the Enemy May dictate other types of close escort patterns traveling is a stealthy formation snaking along the Contours of the Earth [Music] the OverWatch pattern puts you between the transports and suspected enemy [Laughter] locations in the bounding pattern you are dealing with the threats as they appear while the formation leap frogs from one cleared area to the next you will use all available fire consistent with the priority of the [Music] mission to minimize the transports exposure to enemy fire [Music] [Music] diving running or hovering the suppressive fire you deliver on target will provide the margin of success so far we've been looking at close attached patterns in which all aircraft are within visual range with larger flights of transports you'll probably use detached or proximity escort tactics where you range across the the broad front of the approach providing both reconnaissance and protection for the advancing transports the initial approach will probably be in low-level flight as the thread increases you shift to contour and finally to nap of the earth flight at the initial point a go or no go decision must be made by the helicopter coordinator Airborne the HCA if it's a goal he'll depend on you and other gunships to clear the way into the landing Zone But ultimately You Can't Hide a large flight of helicopters the enemy will be [Music] ready in this Final Phase of approach the mission may depend on your ability to cause Battlefield confusion knowing your aircraft and its capabilities you can provide accurate suppressive fire in support of the transport helicopter during that all important Landing phase [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Applause] of course you maintain fire discipline General planning might call for using 25% of your ordinance and Route 50% for suppression at the Landing Zone and the remaining 25% for the withdrawal flight this mission was a success because you were well briefed you flew your escort pattern accurately and alertly and when the enemy appeared you had the aircraft the skill and the training to complete your mission [Music]

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