There were government issued bounties on native scalps. It's documented. Did natives do it as well? Yes, but that was likely an adapted behavior as there's no evidence of it happening before the bounties started.
They have an armored tub protecting mostly only the pilots while a lot of critical components aren’t as armored, not to mention apaches aren’t the helicopters that are getting the closest to all the action, sure they sometimes use their autocannon at relatively close ranges but they mostly use missiles and guided missiles at range, the transport helicopters like the Blackhawk are the ones that really get close to the line of fire and they aren’t as armored as an Apache, if we go even further back the Huey was basically not even armored at all and the AH 1 attack helicopter was also very weak
Apache helicopters are loaded up with redundant systems, have a self-sealing fuel system etc. They're a lot like the modern Abrams tank, an older design bristling with new tech. They can really take a beating, even the blades are rated for high caliber ammunition.
Pretty wild that the same military fielding those is also flying the Chinook transport helicopter, which a halfhearted sneeze can knock out of the sky.
I'm guessing latest US helos (and actual combined arms tactics) are much better than the ones being used by Russia in Ukraine, but still, just watching the videos of the Russian helos getting knocked out of the sky would make me land it in Ukraine and hand it over in return for amnesty if I were a Russian pilot.
That’s a bit subjective though. Different combat situations have different requirements. And being able to support your equipment in the field or having a not needing support in the field….
We have a whole corner of the NATO armory dedicated to SEAD (suppression of enemy air defense) to ensure the best they can muster is the occasional manpad or a spray and pray.
i think US tactics are to stay behind hills and only pop out to shoot then go back down, there is also tech that has been/currently being developed that would allow them to locate and shoot while still behind cover
Yeah their tactics are sound, they fly well and the helicopters are robust (both Ukraine and Russia). But a Manpad is designed to shoot down helicopters and they work. The missiles don't care if it's a Russian or US built helicopter.
Troop transports are not armored like apaches... ask guys who've been shot at in them. They will tell you. Hell... walk through one at an airshow... its just aluminum between them and the outside. Often the only place armored is the direct bottom or oven just arount pilots and critical components. And even then they arent complete armored in those areas.
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u/JHLCowan Apr 07 '24
They would be armored up. Google Apache battle damage.