Helicopter pilots face a wide range of dangers that regular pilots do not—from hostile ground forces, environmental hazards, and the general dangers that come with an inherently un-airworthy platform.
Military aircraft are generally understood to be dangerous to the operator. But not all aircraft include equal hazard to operate. And perhaps the most hazardous to operate is the attack helicopter—powerful tools used in a way that creates extreme vulnerabilities.
For crews tasked with flying American attack helicopters, like the Boeing AH-64 Apache and the Bell AH-1Z Viper, dangers are near-constant and multifaceted, a result of the mission profile and the nature of rotary-wing aircraft.
“Attack Helicopters” Get Attacked, Too!
The attack helicopter is tasked primarily with providing close air support (CAS) to troops on the ground. CAS requires flying low over battlefields to engage with enemy forces. The risk here, of course, is proximity. Fighter aircraft can release ordnance from miles or beyond the battlefield, vulnerable only to other fighter aircraft or sophisticated surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). But attack helicopters are in the soup itself—operating at treetop level, maneuvering slowly and predictably, often loitering for extended periods of time. The proximity and the loitering make attack helicopters a valuable CAS asset. But it also results in the pilot’s exposure to a variety of weapons, ranging from small arms fire to rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) to man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS)—all of which can harm an operator or ruin the aircraft itself. In recent conflict, Iraq and Afghanistan, Apache helicopters often suffered extreme damage from concentrated ground fire.
The nature of the attack helicopter mission profile makes matters worse. Crews are often tasked with flying at night, or in poor weather, where reliance upon night vision systems or thermal sights becomes required. And while these visual-aid systems make flying in poor conditions possible, the trade-offs are real, namely, a reduction in depth perception and situational awareness. And when flying at low-levels, in poor conditions, in enemy territory, the margin for error drops to right around zero. Power lines, trees, and ridge lines—commonly occurring features—all become lethal hazards for a low-flying helicopter.
Helicopters Are Unsafe Machines to Begin With
Compounding issues further is the very nature of the helicopter design. Helicopters are mechanically complex, requiring intensive maintenance to counter the high stress of the constantly moving rotor system. But maintained or otherwise, the helicopter remains far less mechanically forgiving than a fixed-wing aircraft—and accordingly far more crash-prone. So even without exposure to enemy fire, or the hazards of flying in poor or dangerous conditions, the helicopter itself is inherently more dangerous than most other aircraft.
The various forms of danger facing attack helicopter crews take a psychological strain. Operating in direct support of troops on the ground, too, means the missions are typically urgent and intimate. When soldiers are pinned down, attack helicopters go to the heat of the action, to provide relief, regardless of the risk to the aircraft. As a result, most missions are quite dangerous.
The role of the attack helicopter persists, however, because the value of having such a dexterous and powerful airframe, capable of loitering above the battlespace, is irreplaceable. As the US pivots towards near-peer competition, with more sophisticated adversaries, the role of the attack helicopter, and its to survive in a conflict against Russia or China, may require re-evaluation. But it is safe to say that the helicopter as a platform is not going anywhere.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.
Image: Shutterstock / Martin Hibberd.
