Apache and anti-armour -- FCS Discussion Forum

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Subject: Apache and anti-armour

Author:
Trixta (UK)

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Date Posted: 05:32:39 11/10/04 Wed
In reply to: Dave (UK) 's message, "..." on 15:11:10 11/07/04 Sun

Ah, no - I won't accept that.

We are in Iraq because of Dubya.

We do not need an anti-armour gunship - we have aircraft that can do that. The helicopter's greatest strength is it's flexibility - the fact that it can land anywhere and get your infantry / special forces in or out quickly. As a troop transporter it's a great machine but to take out tanks? Nah, there are better ways - infantry for one.

As regards needing an anti-armour gunship - who precisely would the British engage that would make a new anti-armour platform is a useful piece of kit? Russia? China? Iran? (Oh, hell I hope not).

And just how useful is the AH64 in Iraq at present - sure its blowing the crap outta Fallujah but there's something strangely reminiscent of Israeli Apaches hitting Gaza in the footage. Throwing a Hellfire at a building that looks like 'an insurgent stronghold' (how do they know - do they have a billboard outside saying "beware the suicide bomber") is counter-productive especially when you end up slaughtering civilians. What is really needed in Iraq, as even the US agree, is more infantry - more feet on the ground and more faces doing the hearts n minds routine.

All in all I remain convinced that, given we are unlikely to engage another nation state in an all-out land war and faced massed tank columns (unless Dubya does Iran) why spend an absolute fortune on a bunch of anti-tank helicopters that duplicate a function of the Lynx but without the flexibility to drop in an SAS unit? Sure, Lynx's aren't as armoured as the AH64 but the armour doesn't make a huge amount of difference when hit by AA fire.

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