US helicopters downed in N Iraq

[MOBIUS]

This is another two to add to the other three lost in the past few weeks!

Some might say it is getting dangerous to fly in Iraq if you're an American...

Something has to be done about this - more troops, not less...

[Ned]

Re: US helicopters downed in N Iraq

Originally posted by MOBIUS
This is another two to add to the other three lost in the past few weeks!

Some might say it is getting dangerous to fly in Iraq if you're an American...

Something has to be done about this - more troops, not less...

Whose troops? Not American!

[GePap]

witnesses say it was an accident. no consolation, but still not enemy fire.

[MOBIUS]

Re: Re: US helicopters downed in N Iraq

Originally posted by Ned
Whose troops? Not American!

Why not, the US is responsible for this FUBAR, so they should clean it up...

[KrazyHorse]

Re: Re: US helicopters downed in N Iraq

Originally posted by Ned


Whose troops? Not American!

Who else? You start a war, you finish it (unless you can find somebody dumb enough to take that responsibility on for you).

[Nubclear]

I'm sure the (future) superpower of Poland would gladly take it on

[MOBIUS]

Twelve dead so far

They say they're not sure how - and not discounting enemy action.

Either way it is more US lives and materiel lost.

I guess the prospect of grounding future troop movements is going to be a bit of a logistical nightmare...

[MOBIUS]

'Collision'

Reuters quoted and unnamed US officer at the scene saying "one of the helicopters was hit by an RPG on the tail wing".

The agency also quoted a local man, Mohammad Badran, who said he had seen the two helicopters collide after an explosion.

Seems like the enemy got a lucky two-for-one strike...

Which begs the question, why were they flying so closely in the 1st place!?

[Sandman]

This month is turning into a right headache for the Coalition. And using Iraqis as cannon-fodder is unlikely to be a solution.

[Dr Strangelove]

Since tranport helicopters seem to be such a big prize I think we should: (1)fly them at night without running lights, making them difficult to target, (2)station our helipads in unpopulated areas, denying the attackers cover, and/or (3)provide cover for them using drones to scout the surrounding territory.

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Since tranport helicopters seem to be such a big prize I think we should: (1)fly them at night without running lights, making them difficult to target, (2)station our helipads in unpopulated areas, denying the attackers cover, and/or (3)provide cover for them using drones to scout the surrounding territory.

Problem is if the US starts doing things like that it will be admitting they can't handle the 'desperate' enemy - much in the same way as to why they insist on reducing troop strength instead of increasing it!

The US govt is playing with US soldiers lives by pretending that the enemy is weaker than it actually is...

[techumseh]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Since tranport helicopters seem to be such a big prize I think we should: (1)fly them at night without running lights, making them difficult to target, (2)station our helipads in unpopulated areas, denying the attackers cover, and/or (3)provide cover for them using drones to scout the surrounding territory.

Who's we?

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by techumseh


Who's we?

Oh Ha Ha, you mean as in:
Lone Ranger: "It looks like the Commanches have got us surrounded, Tonto."
Tonto: "Who's we, white man?"

[MOBIUS]

Seventeen dead now with one still unaccounted for!

This is worse than the Chinook now!

So within five days of each other the US has suffered the two deadliest attacks since the beginning of the war!!!

These 'desperate' forces seem better at killing US troops than Saddam's army ever was...

[Chemical Ollie]

Another tragedy in a long series of them. "Blackhawk Down" again and again and again.

I hardly think an RPG did it. You must get within a 100 meters or so to be lucky enough to hit a helicopter with an RPG, and then only from behind if it's not hovering. The Somalis learned how to do that, but only when the helicopters were flying slow and low over dense urban areas. A heatseeking shoulder-held SAM would be more likely to have done this.

According to BBC, one helicopter was hit in the tail and caught fire. As it was trying to escape upwards, it hit another helicopter and both crashed.