2016 I ISSUE 8

© 2015 BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.

21ST CENTURY MULTI-ROLE CAPABILITY

A new generation aircraft, the Bell UH-1Y, offers state-of-the-art sensors, weapon configurations, and integrated avionics for the
modern battlefield. The increased maneuverability, payload, range, and speed of the UH-1Y is now available to militaries desiring
multi-role capability at significantly reduced support costs.

BELLHELICOPTER.COM
20 ROMEO AND THE WOLVES
THE MH-60R IN SERVICE WITH THE US NAVY’S
HSM-75 ‘WOLF PACK’
The late-generation MH-60R Seahawk (aka
‘Romeo’) may look similar to the older SH-60B it
replaced, but is a far superior platform that offers
greatly increased effectiveness and mission
capability. The US Navy’s legendary ‘Wolf Pack’
squadron fields up to eleven Romeos from its
base at NASNI (Naval Air Station North Island) in
San Diego and offered HeliOps the opportunity
for a closer look at the unit and its aircraft.

48 EASTERN-STYLE
SELF-PROTECTION AIDS
Alexander Mladenov looks at the
progress in the development and
fielding of self-defence equipment in
Russia and Ukraine

64 HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE BROWNOUT

Degraded Visual Environments (DVEs) have
been issues that military helicopter pilots have
had to contend with since the invention of the
helicopter. Paul Kennard has flown in nearly
all of the DVE conditions out there and in this
article, he explores where technology may
provide answers.

82 HUNTING THE FENNEC IN CORSICA

For the past thirty years, the French air force has
trained its marksmen in the demanding role of air
to air precision shooting from the AS355 Fennec.
The twin-engined helicopter makes a good platform
when it comes to intercepting a large range of slow
flying targets...

92 UKRAINE’S HELICOPTER WAR

Ukraine’s army aviation force saw an
active participation in the internal conflict
in Ukraine during 2014. HeliOps Frontline
looks at the combat operations and the
lessons learned.

ISSUE 8 I 2 016
 THE TEAM
PUBLISHER
Ned Dawson

EDITOR
Mark Ogden

DEPUTY EDITOR
Alan Norris

SUB EDITOR
Leigh Neil

EUROPEAN EDITOR
Alexander Mladenov

NORTH AMERICAN EDITOR

Buzz Covington

PROOFREADER
Barbara McIntosh

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Dot Design

Kia Kaha Media Group

PO Box 37 978, Parnell,
Auckland 1001, New Zealand
T +64 21 747 757

EMAIL
[email protected]

NEWS DESK
[email protected]

www.heliopsmag.com
4 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 5
 Tactical changes
needed

I
n this issue, there’s a very interesting account of the helicopter war
in the Ukraine during 2014. The story highlights the disastrous affect
the failure by the Ukraine to update and upgrade it helicopter fleet
had on its operations and the conflict as a whole. Wars and conflicts
can start with little or even no warning and the helicopter is now a
fundamental part of any arsenal whether the nation using them is large or small.
I would argue that the world is more unstable and has the potential for more
conflict now than at any time since Vietnam. Yet many countries seem unable or
unwilling to invest in the very capability that can drive the tactical advantage.

Much of the instability resides on the African continent and the Middle East but
the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea and the Ukraine are also all potential
hotspots. Whether one, some or all them have the potential to drag the world
in another major conflict remains to be seen but it would not take much for an
unintended incident to explode the fragile world balance that presently exists.
Now add into that political morass the new technologies that are available to
small and large countries or even just disaffected groups and the fallout from
such a conflict would be devastating and the advantage that the large nations
have enjoyed in technology may be illusory.

So how does this apply to the helicopter world? Whether the world powers
come into direct conflict or use proxy powers to advance their aims will be
interesting, but rotary wing power will be a significant player in any conflict. The
different types and capabilities in the market make it less clear than ever who
would actually have the upper hand. As an example, while the US presently carries
an edge in technology, the US Army’s fleet is in serious need of modernization.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s when it seemed the aerospace industry was
forging new ideas and concepts every day. It was dynamic and exciting but a
lack of money, drive, willingness to take a risk and poor management has stifled
development of military helicopters around the world in recent years – just at a
time when the world is becoming a more unsure place.

A hundred year old helicopter type? Well the incredibly capable Chinook looks
like being extended to 2065. There is a chance that a kid in 2050 could say he
was flying the same helicopter type his grandfather flew! The lack of modern
technology in certain areas has really been the cause of more fatalities than the
battles cause. The US Army reportedly lost 600 Americans in Afghanistan due to
helicopter crashes arising from sand, snow, or dust kicked up by the vehicle’s
own rotors. That number of deaths surpassed the number of Americans killed in
helicopters by enemy action. There is work ongoing to address this but it shows
the importance of maintaining the technological edge where wars are fought in all
weather and all conditions. Although companies are developing prototypes for the
Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) helicopter a decision on which will be developed
is not due until 2017 and given the track history of recent army helicopter
programs they would be incredibly fortunate to have production begin by the
planned 2030 – if at all. So the current crop of machines will be around for at least
another 20 years meaning most current types will be approaching 50 years old by
the time the first FVL helicopter enters production! The Apache first flew in 1975.

6 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 FROM THE EDITOR

The Black Hawk first flew in 1974. These are great helicopters but technology is
marching on. Even the Europeans are fielding older design machines with Airbus
continuing to modernize the 225 for the military – basically an old airframe that
keeps getting updated. Again, a great helicopter but the Super Puma and its
predecessor, the Puma first flew a long time ago.

Now don’t get me wrong – while bemoaning the lack of new airframe
development in recent years, the older airframes that benefitted from all that work
in the 60s and 70s soldier on very effectively. The Seahawk airframe has been
around for more than 40 years but the weapon systems technology in the MH-60R
is amazing – but even here, I would challenge just how much future growth is left in
that airframe? It could also be argued that the older airframes are more robust, are
less susceptible to electronic interference and can be repaired in the field.

Even Russia’s helicopter has been stifled in recent years although under
President Putin, there’s hope there that there that the industry will see a resurgence
as it rebuilds its national identity and becomes more adventurous.

It’s tough being a manufacturer today. You can spend years developing
a concept just to have it managed to death through changing scopes and
requirements (Comanche anyone?). Yet even those that make it to production
face uphill battles. Whether it be the NH90 or the V-22, newer technology aircraft
experience teething problems (as most do and have always done). In the past
these teething problems were accepted as part of a helicopter’s development but
the politicians, public and media seem less willing to accept that now. It seems
these characters need a dose of reality. I guess the public purse makes it more
likely to have such scrutiny but the development of anything new carries risk.
Driven a new hi-tech car lately?

So all in all, it is apparent that, as I said before, the decision-makers need a

dose of reality. The world is marching towards more conflict, which is becoming
less and less confined, there remains a need for the world major military powers to
keep an edge if we are not to sink into complete chaos.

Just a final thought, although the rise of the robots in the form of unmanned
vehicles is changing the landscape of warfare, it’s still boots on the ground and its
close air support that will win the battle.

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 7
 INDUSTRY NEWS

MV-22 PROVES
FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY
Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor
Squadron 165 has supported the
LEGENDARY PILOT ERIC BROWN DIES California Department of Forestry
British pilot Eric “Winkle” Brown has died at the age of 97. A pioneer in and Fire Protection in a fire fighting
every sense of the word, Brown holds the record for having flown 487 exercise. Marines hooked the bucket
different aircraft types including the Sikorsky R-4B and R-4B in 1945. After to the Osprey and made two dry runs,
retiring from military service in 1970, Brown set up the British Helicopter flying the aircraft around the drop area,
Advisory Board, now the British Helicopter Association representing the before making four runs where they
UK Helicopter Industry.
 actually dumped water on the targets.


DUAL-CONTROL MI-28NE
Rostvertol has started mass production of the Mi-28NE combat helicopter with dual controls, this will allow training
of new pilots and with an instructor, but can still be operated as an all-weather attack helicopter.


8 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 INDUSTRY NEWS

LITHUANIAN AS365N3+ START SAR MISSIONS

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence have assigned their three new AS365 N3+
helicopters to the 24/7 SAR operations
following the first two deliveries 
in 2015.


SECOND CH-53K JOINS FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM

Sikorsky has added a second CH-53K Engineering Development Model to the flight test program and achieved its first
flight. In addition the first aircraft in the test program has extended the flight envelope to 120 knots. The two flying
CH-53K helicopters will be joined by two additional aircraft in 2016.

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 9
 INDUSTRY NEWS

AW101 FOR NORWAY COMPLETES FIRST FLIGHT*

The first of 16 All Weather SAR AW101s for Norway has completed its maiden
flight. The deliveries to the Royal
Norwegian Air Force will start in 2017
and will continue through to 2020 to replace the existing Sea King
fleet.


12 MORE MD530F FOR AFGHAN AIR

FORCE

The Afghan Air Force has received twelve more RCAF PARTICIPATES IN SAR TRAINING
MD530Fs as part of a contract
through the Members of 103 Search and Rescue Squadron
Department of the Army, in addition, five MD530Fs, from 9 Wing Gander, Newfoundland, have returned
serving as
primary training aircraft in Afghanistan, home after training with the Icelandic Coast
have been upgraded to the Cayuse
Warrior Guard, local SAR teams and operating a CH-149
configuration. Cormorant.


10 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
DELIVERING GLOBAL COVERAGE OF THE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY

WHERE
EVERYTHING
IS HAPPENING!
HELIOPS FRONTLINE 11
 INDUSTRY NEWS

CROATIA BUYS SURPLUS OH-58Ds

The Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament has agreed to acquire a squadron of 16 US Army OH-58D Kiowa
Warriors as part of a funding package supported by a U.S. Government support fund.


MALAYSIAN ARMY ORDERS MD530G

Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense has ordered six MD 530G and will be the launch customer for the new aircraft.

12 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 INDUSTRY NEWS

COLD BLADE COMPLETED

The European Defence Agency has completed Exercise COLD BLADE,
hosted by the Finnish Defence Forces at Ivalo airbase where the main
focus was on flying in white-out conditions. A total of 290 hours were flown
on 156 missions with NH-90, MD500 and two CH-53GAs.

WEATHER RADAR FOR KOREAN UTILITY HELICOPTER

Rockwell Collins has delivered its first RTA-4100 MultiScanTM Weather Radar to KAI for the medivac variant of
the Korean Utility Helicopter. This is the first selection of the new RTA-4100 Weather Radar with enhanced surface
search modes in the Asia-Pacific region.


HELIOPS FRONTLINE 13
 INDUSTRY NEWS

CANADIAN H92 MAKES FIRST SEA LANDING

A Royal Canadian Air Force CH-148 Cyclone has made the first landing on a Canadian warship at sea, HMCS Halifax.


FIRST GERMAN H145M

SOF PILOTS
Following the delivery of the first
two H145M LUH SOF at the end
of 2015 to Laupheim air base the
first instructor pilots of HSG 64
squadron have now completed
their training at Airbus Helicopters
in Manching.

NORWEGIAN NH90 SELF-

PROTECTION TESTING
COMPLETED
NHI has successfully completed the testing
of the self-protection suite on the Norwegian
NH90. This paves the way for the qualification
of the EWS suite. Norway has taken delivery of
6 NH90s out of 14 ordered.

14 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 INDUSTRY NEWS

FRENCH ARMY ORDERS SIX MORE NH90s

The French Defence Procurement Agency has ordered six additional NH90 TTHs
and brings the total number of
NH90 TTHs on order for the French Army
Aviation to 74.


MI-17V-5s TO INDIA NOW

COMPLETED
Rostec has delivered a final batch of three
Mi-17V-5s to the Indian Air Force as part
of a contract to supply 151 Mi-17V-5s, the
Indian Air Force also plans to order an
additional 48 Mi-17V-5s.


ITALIAN CSAR AW101 ENTERS ERICKSON TO REFURBISH MH-53E

SERVICE Erickson has been selected as a subcontractor by Adams
The Italian Air Force has started Communication & Engineering Technologies for
the refurbishment
operational service of their first AW101, of two MH-53Es, in support of the USN Heavy Lift Helicopter
designated the HH-101A “CAESAR”, a total Program. The contract work will be performed at Erickson’s
of four out of a total requirement of 15, Oregon facilities.

have been delivered.


HELIOPS FRONTLINE 15
 INDUSTRY NEWS

$7.2M FOR MQ-8B TEST AND DEVELOPMENT WORK

Northrop Grumman Corp. has been awarded $7.2M in support of the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aircraft systems. This
test effort includes software verification and other requirements in preparation for initial operational test and evaluation,
the work will be performed in Point Mugu, California, and is expected to be completed in October 2016.


frontline
TAP
FOR MORE
INFO

16 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 The HeliOps Frontline Helicopters &
Tiltrotors of the United States Marine Corps is a
“Must Have” for everyone involved with or who
has an interest in the military helicopter industry.

HMH-36 1 / CH-53E

HMLA-1 67 / AH-1W
HMH-36 6 / CH-53E

HMX-1 / MV-22B HMLA-1 69 / AH-1Z

HMH-46 1 / CH-53E
HMLA-1 67 / UH-1Y

HMH-46 2 / CH-53E

HMLA-1 69 / UH-1Y
VMM-16 2 / MV22B
HMH-46 3 / CH-53E
HMLA-2 67 / AH-1Z

HMH-46 4 / CH-53E

VMM-26 2 / MV22B HMH-46 6 / CH-53E

HMLA-3 67 / AH-1W

VMM-16 1 / MV22B
HMHT-3 02 / CH-53E
VMM-26 6 / MV22B

VMM-16 3 / MV22B
VMM-16 4 / MV22B

HMLA-3 69 / AH-1Z HMX-1 / VH-3

HMLA-3 69 / UH-1Y HMLA-4 67 / UH-1Y

HMLA-4 69 / UH-1Y

HMM-77 4 / CH-46E
HMH-46 5 / CH-53E

HMLA/T-303 / UH-1Y
HMX-1 / VH-60N VMM-16 5 / MV22B

VMM-26 1 / MV22B

VMM-16 6 / MV22B

HMMT-1 64 / CH-46E

HMLA/T-303 / AH-1Z
HMLA/T-303 / AH-1W
VMM-26 3 / MV22B

VMM-26 4 / MV22B

VMR-1 / CH-46

YUMA SAR / UH-1N

VMM-26 8 / MV22B
HMLA-2 69 / AH-1W
HMLA-7 73 / AH-1W

VMM-36 5 / MV22B VMM-26 5 / MV22B

VMX-22 / MV22B

HMLA-2 69 / UH-1Y

HMLA-4 69 / AH-1W

VMM-76 4 / MV22B HMH-77 2 / CH-53E

HMLA-3 67 / UH-1Y

VMMT-2 04 / MV22B
Illustration s by Ugo
Crisponi
Aviationgr aphic.com

HMLA-7 73 / UH-1Y

HMLA-2 67 / UH-1Y

HMLA-4 67 / AH-1W VMM-36 3 / MV22B

VMM-36 4 / MV22B

www.heliopsmag
.com

www.heliopsmag
.com

Stunning illustrations from Italian

master illustrator Ugo Crisponi.

Limited numbers available so order

yours today, and order some for
your friends – the perfect gift.

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 17
 TECH THOUGHTS

Why is Buying
Military Helicopters
So Hard? BY PAUL KENNARD

H ow hard can buying a military helicopter be? After all, the process at prima
facie looks quite straightforward. Firstly, the User community identifies a
need – normally either a capability gap (brought about by Doctrinal or Security
changes) or the imminent obsolescence of an existing type. A process of
Requirements Engineering takes place to draft a User Requirement Document from which a
System Requirements Document is developed. Out of these documents is synthesised an outline
set of requirements which Industry is invited to bid upon. Military and commercial experts then
weigh the relative merits, conduct a trade-off between requirements and affordability and “Hey
Presto!” you sign a contract and within a reasonable (and agreed) timeframe your shiny new
rotorcraft appears and works just as you want it to. Simple enough surely? Well, the answer,
increasingly seems to be “no”.
Recently, the release of the Australian Defence White Paper appears to signal the abandonment
of the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) capability by the mid 2020s, only 20 years
after initial delivery and less than 25 years after the “AIR 87” project down-selected it to replace
the Kiowa and armed Huey “Bushranger”. The ARH project has been dogged with delays, cost
over-runs and embarrassment that it had never deployed to Afghanistan to support Australian
forces engaged in combat operations. But the ARH isn’t even the first Australian helicopter fiasco
– the SH2G Sea Sprite fleet lasted less than a decade in service. It would be unfair to single out
the ADF as a backer of wrong horses. The UK has suffered substantial pain through the Chinook
Mk3 project, storing them upon receipt for several years whilst legal wrangles played out before
an expensive retro-fit of (ironically) the same analogue cockpits they were constructed with before
they were ferried to Shreveport for an Avionic Upgrade prior to shipment to the UK. Maybe this
is a Commonwealth issue; the Canadians had the pain of cancelling a large EH101 Merlin ASW/
SAR contract designed to replace the tired Sea Kings and Labradors only to, through gritted
teeth, re-order the same aircraft re-badged as the “Cormorant” for the SAR role in fewer numbers,
at greater cost (and having paid circa $160m liquidated damages) shortly afterwards. The
subsequent purchase of the CH-148 Cyclones has been dogged by a number of developmental
setbacks, forcing the Sea Kings originally due for replacement in the late 90s to soldier on to the
present day. Even the US has had its problems, but space precludes discussion of the RAH-66
cancellation nor that of the VH-71 Kestrel……
So we’ve identified a number of problematic Western helicopter projects; what causes the
problems? My contention is that most of them stem from 3 major factors and these are all caused
by the overriding issue of time;

1. Requirements Creep. Helicopter acquisition programmes, even for mature designs, can be
a lengthy process. The time taken can permit several attempts by the Users to “tinker” with
the design agreed at the Critical Design Review, where the design is notionally “frozen”. The
extended timeline permits new technology to mature during the development cycle, which,
understandably, the User wants access to. If involved on Operations, the enemy may develop
new TTPs or OrBats requiring changes to aircraft systems. Despite being well-meaning, such
changes wreak havoc with delivery timescales. It is an accepted part of of acquisition that

18 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 it is very difficult to replace a mature design at the end of its service life with a new aircraft of equal
capability, especially if the obsolete aircraft receives a raft of “quick fix” capability upgrades near the
end of its service life, such as Urgent Operational Requirements.

2. Rotation of Staff. Specifically, the lack of consistency and coherence of key personnel during the
project lifecycle. Even quick projects can take 3-5 years to deliver, with complex ones at least
double that. Given that most of the world’s militaries operate on two to three-year tour lengths, it is
not unusual for critical posts to change hands four or five times during a project. Each change can
result in new ideas and experience, leading to Requirements Creep, and can also lead to a loss in
momentum as relationships and trust is rebuilt. Given that Acquisition is not a core activity for most
militaries, the chances of posting an experienced hand into a Requirements or Project Management
job is small. Therefore, often there is an element of “on the job” training every time a post rotates
leading to an inevitable slowing of the project, and the potential for mistakes to be made.

3. Politics, Politics, Politics…..The Grand-daddy of them all. Long development time, inevitably, allows
changes in Governments and multiple changes in policy and personality. What were enshrined
as sacred cows for one party can be slaughtered ones for another – witness the Canadian EH101
programme. Shifts in political agendas can occur too. The VH-71 was adversely impacted by the
apparent “vulgarity” of spending $Bns on a new helicopter for the President whilst the Executive
was enacting austerity in response to the fiscal crash. The poor VH-71 was also the victim of rabid
protectionism; despite being integrated by Lockheed Martin, the aircraft was always seen as “foreign”
and the contract was perceived to have been awarded to an Anglo-Italian design as a “thank you” for
support in Operation Iraqi Freedom by the Bush White House. Indeed, AgustaWestland refused to bid
for the re-issued VXX contract claiming that “There are fundamental proposal evaluation issues that
inhibit our ability to submit a competitive offering, and that provide a significant advantage to our likely
competitor”1 which could be read as “this time we buy American through and through”. An offshoot
of protectionism is the “industrial offset”. By incentivizing potential bidders to maximize indigenous
“on-shore” assembly and parts content, Governments try to have their cake and eat it by giving
the military what they want but keeping tax-dollars in country for spending power. Sometimes this
actually results in a superior product – but at a cost. Arguably, the UK AH64 was “best in breed” with
more powerful Rolls-Royce engines and a more sophisticated Defensive Aids Suite. The cost came in
lengthy delays to FOC and a “fly away cost” of essentially double that of a FMS export variant.

Essentially, buying a helicopter is not as simple as buying a car out of a showroom. Often it can
take a couple of years to receive one that’s “plain vanilla” and rolling down the line to somebody
else’s specification (such as buying through FMS) simply due to a full order book. Time is the enemy
of the acquisition process; it permits Requirements Creep and encourages Political interference. If not
controlled, as President Obama opined on the VH-71, these forces can lead to (yet) another “example of
the procurement process gone amuck”2 v

1. Zach Rosenberg - “AgustaWestland declines to bid for US presidential helicopter” – Flight Global, 29 Jul 13. Accessed 1 Feb 16
2. Ronald O’Rourke – “VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Program: Background and Issues for Congress” – Congressional Research Service, 9 June 2009.
Accessed 1 Feb 16.

Paul “Foo” Kennard recently left the RAF after 23 years, most of which were in helicopter specific roles. A Chinook pilot by background,
Paul was a Qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructor (QHTI), Electronic Warfare Instructor (EWI) and Operational Test & Evaluation pilot who
served operationally in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Between flying tours he served in Defence Acquisition as the
capability Requirements Manager (RM) for the Chinook. Thanks to his RM tour, 6 years on the Rotary Wing Operational Evaluation & training
Unit (RWOETU) and his final tour as the RM for future Air Technology programmes (across the air domain from UAV to Fast Jet to Rotary) he
has become a Subject Matter Expert on Defensive Aids Suites, Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) Operations, CBRN and mid-air collision
technologies amongst others. Although a CH-47 pilot primarily, Paul has had the opportunity to fly the Gazelle, Wessex, B412, Sea King,
Puma, Blackhawk, EC135 and MD900 in various guises.

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 19
20 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 The late-generation MH-60R Seahawk
(aka ‘Romeo’) may look similar to the
older SH-60B it replaced, but is a far
superior platform that offers greatly
increased effectiveness and mission
capability. The US Navy’s legendary
‘Wolf Pack’ squadron fields up to eleven
Romeos from its base at NASNI (Naval
Air Station North Island) in San Diego
and offered HeliOps the opportunity for a
closer look at the unit and its aircraft.

STORY BY LEIGH NEIL I PHOTOS BY NED DAWSON

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 21
 T he squadron’s famous ‘Wolf Pack’
name dates from 1986 and the
establishment of HSL-45. It was
carried over when, in 2011, HSL-45 transitioned
when and if I ‘inherit’ it.” Kiefaber described the
squadron command as the pinnacle of his 20-year
career to date and considers it quite an honor.
“There’s a lot of responsibility involved, for 310
from its legacy SH-60Bs to the new MH-60Rs, people and eleven helicopters. Personnel, budget
becoming HSM-75 in the process. The simple, yet and mission considerations are constant demands
striking wolf’s head design for the new squadron and that’s why the Navy is so conscientious in
patch was obtained – with permission – from developing well-rounded, competent officers with
the University of Nevada and instituted at the its carefully structured career development path.
same time. CDR John Kiefaber is the squadron’s It means that, by the time you get the opportunity
current Commanding Officer (CO), having just to take on a command like this, you have the
stepped up from the Executive Officer (XO) necessary skills and competencies to fulfill the
position to take over command from CDR Jeffrey role. Another major responsibility is the training or
Melody, while CDR Michael Madrid now fills the ‘grooming’ of my successor.”
XO’s slot and will likely replace CDR Kiefaber in Attachment to the Wolf Pack is considered
another 15 months, as is the standard command sea duty as the unit deploys to the fleet, as
progression. Kiefaber, whose father drove surface CDR Kiefaber explained. “We are part of Carrier
ships, now has around 2,500hrs flight time and Strike Group 11 and will deploy with the carrier
grew up as a self-described ‘navy-brat’, deciding USS Nimitz. Our command element includes the
fairly early that he wanted to be a naval aviator. majority of the unit’s personnel - over 200 people
The two Commanders seem to ‘click’ very well, and five helicopters - and will be deployed on
having served together in the past and even the carrier, while three other detachments will be
been roommates on a ten-month deployment deployed to other ships within the group. Those
aboard the USS Boxer. Both men took time to detached elements are each led by a Lt.Cdr,
talk to HeliOps, outlining the squadron’s missions, incorporate approximately 25-30 personnel with
background and structure as well as explaining two helicopters and could be attached to frigates,
how the qualities and capabilities of the unit’s destroyers or cruisers. In addition to the Wolf
MH-60R ‘Romeo’ aircraft fulfill their needs. Pack, an MH-60S ‘Sierra’ squadron will also be
Elaborating on how the two commanders deployed to the Nimitz and base six Sierras on
work together to lead the squadron, CDR Madrid the carrier, while two Sierras are detached to
explained, “I’m trying to manage the day to day a fleet ‘oiler’. These two helicopter squadrons
grind so the CO can think upward and outward provide the complete 11-helicopter complement
to have the big vision of where he wants us to for the aircraft carrier’s deployment. The Navy’s
go, while I’m the driver to get everybody in line at-sea deployment period has been standardized
for where we need to move. At the same time at seven months, largely in order to enable
I’m trying to shape this squadron for what’s next maintenance needs to be adequately met and

The Navy’s at-sea deployment period has been standardized

at seven months, largely in order to enable maintenance
needs to be adequately met and prevent inordinate
degradation of ships, aircraft and equipment in the harsh
conditions of a salt-water environment.

22 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 23
24 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 25
 prevent inordinate degradation of ships, aircraft offered by rotary-wing operations – particularly
and equipment in the harsh conditions of a salt- among other elements of the air-wing, according
water environment. to Kiefaber and he reported a trend towards the
“Obviously I’m biased, but I think the Romeo rotary platforms within the US Navy inventory.
is probably the best helicopter in our inventory. “The majority of the Navy’s helicopter squadrons
It’s very multi-purposed in the most extreme are carrier-based but we do also have a couple of
sense. I mean, we can do everything in it,” said expeditionary squadrons. I think you can’t have
Kiefaber. He and Madrid have backgrounds enough helicopters in any active combat area. The
flying the Bravo, so are well placed to compare helicopter is a force multiplier and the utility of a
the two aircraft. “It’s like going from an old flip- helicopter is limited only by imagination. We can
The cabin is extremely
phone to a new iphone,” commented Kiefaber. strip out most of our mission avionics equipment
spacious with two cabin “It’s amazing, it’s a glass cockpit and all the and quickly convert the aircraft into what we’d
doors allowing the
technology is just so much better. There are so refer to as a truck, running humanitarian or
crew to better manage
personnel and cargo. many applications that tie you in to all the other support missions and a week or two later be back
aircraft in the air wing and everyone in the battle- in normal mission trim, hunting for submarines and
space. We can all talk to each other and pass enemy surface combatants.”
information both ways, something we couldn’t Although anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is the
do in the Bravo.” The added mission-capability bread and butter tasking for the USN Romeos,
provided by the Romeo has been instrumental in they are also highly capable against surface
increasing a wider appreciation of the advantages targets. They are equipped with both missiles and

26 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
Be among the biggest names in rotorcraft as we debut
our arrival in Singapore. Dedicated to the thriving Asia
Pacific market, Rotorcraft Asia 2017 covers the entire
rotorcraft supply chain from airframes, components and
parts, to avionics, safety systems, MROs and more.
Stay ahead of the competition and seize the
unparalleled business opportunities in this flourishing
region. Book now!
28 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 29
 guns, with 2.75” APKWS rockets currently being the really good crew resource management drill
added to the armament inventory. ASW training is that we preach in our community which makes it
obviously carried out in a maritime environment possible,” said LCDR Timothy Rogers, the Officer-
but surface warfare (SUW) training is regularly In-Charge of the Wolf Pack’s Detachment 1 (Det1).
conducted in Nevada from NAS Fallon, home of He sees the only weaknesses of the Romeo as
the U.S. Naval Aviation Warfighting Development being those that are common to all helicopter
Center, where the Wolf Pack’s Romeos carry platforms - such as limitations on speed, range
out live firing and work with naval F18s. On an and altitude – but has a very high regard for the
ASW mission the workload is high and constant type’s capability. “The one piece of equipment
for a Romeo’s three crewmembers. While one we have that most sets us apart from any other
pilot is actively hand-flying the aircraft, the rear ASW platform in terms of capability is the active
crewman (AWR) could be actively prosecuting dipping sonar dome.” Rogers and LTJG Rylee
a target with the active sonar dipper and the Streff explained that the main mission of the
non-flying pilot could be looking at the passive Romeo is to localize and prosecute a subsurface
sonar buoys, talking to other assets and passing target using its array of onboard acoustic sensors.
information on what is being seen. “It’s a lot of The precision with which a target can often be
work for three people to carry out and it’s only identified once accurately located is remarkable.

30 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 31
32 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
Rogers explained that sonar operators use the advanced radar systems in the Romeo include
sounds emanating from a contact’s various automatic tracking, IFF, ISAR (Inverse Synthetic
componentry and propulsion to help identify a Aperture Radar) which aides in the classification
contact. Each generator of mechanical sound and surveillance of surface targets, as well as
adds a frequency or range of frequencies which ARPDD (Automatic Radar Periscope Detection
produces a distinctive sound signature which then and Discrimination) which is utilized for detection
can be used by a skilled operator to determine of periscope-type objects on the surface. The
exactly which vessel they are tracking. Streff MTS (multi-spectrum targeting system) is standard
described the effective operation of the onboard equipment and includes latest-gen FLIR, daylight
sonar equipment as an art form. “These guys have TV and low-light TV, plus the ability to integrate
a huge amount of training over more than a year those modes at the same time. The MH-60R’s
for this, but the rules only get you so far when laser designator system can be set to other
you’re finding submarines. Some of the sub crews platforms’ laser codes, allowing the Romeo to
are really, really good at avoiding detection and laser designate targets for another platform’s
that’s where our dipping sonar is a game-changer; ordnance, while additional laser capability includes
it’s much harder to hide or run away from that.” an eye-safe laser for training purposes and what
The Romeos carry both passive and active sonar is known as the ‘light-sabre’, a laser target marker
buoys in addition to the dipping sonar, and for that shows up on NVG as an intense beam of light,
engagement purposes they can carry up to three typically used to visually designate a target for
Mk-46 or newer Mk-54 torpedoes. the gunner. Night operations are commonplace
Streff pointed out that a major benefit of for the multi-mission Romeos. Another piece of
the new electronics suite is the much greater equipment that Rogers considers a game-changer
degree of interface and control of the newer is the Romeo’s electronic support measures (ESM)
digital-capable torpedoes, granting a far higher system. “We have a really good ESM system and
level of effectiveness as a weapons system. The a really robust, selectable ESM library,” he opined.

The Romeos carry both passive and active sonar buoys in

addition to the dipping sonar, and for engagement purposes
they can carry up to three Mk-46 or newer Mk-54 torpedoes.

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 33
34 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 35
 “That can help us identify individual vessels or the squadron. “It allows us to be a much more
weapon systems as some of them have unique vital component within the maritime tactical
radar types or signatures and, because it’s a environment,” he remarked. In the normal course
passive system, it also means we’re seeing them of events, however, the Romeos’ secondary
before they can see us.” Software available to missions would normally be carried out by the
Romeo crews includes a program that utilizes all MH-60Ss of the embarked sister squadron, as
available environmental data for the operating those missions are the Sierras’ primary roles.
area and will give an estimate of the best location The role of the aircrewman in the rear of an
to deploy sonar assets in order to maximize the MH-60R encompasses a whole raft of tasks and
search-area and search effectiveness. Up-to-date responsibilities. “We’re the key element in our two
ambient data can also be obtained by the dipper primary missions, particularly on ASW operations,”
or by deploying a BT buoy, giving accurate real- said AWR1 Richard Blythe, who initially joined the
time environmental information such as salinity, Navy thirteen years ago with the goal of being
temperature gradient and sonic-layer depth. a rescue swimmer. “We go through extensive
The Navy’s full mission-planning and aircraft schooling to learn how to find and classify
configuration software is also used. submarines with the various sensors available to
The list of secondary missions for the MH-60R us.” He confirmed that the main detection tool
is extensive, as Rogers recounted. “We pride on the Romeo is the active dipping sonar and
ourselves on the fact that we’re in a helicopter commented that, with its extensive length of
because that opens up a whole spectrum of attached cable, it takes up the vast majority of the
operating capabilities, whether that be search and available space in the rear of the aircraft, leaving
rescue, medevac, mobility and logistics or even just enough room for two crew seating positions.
humanitarian relief.” Streff expanded on Rogers’ “We also work with the pilots, working out just
comments, adding that, while the Bravo was where our next fly-to point is, where we want to
a good aircraft, the introduction of the Romeo deploy our sonar or buoys and so forth. Once
and the increase in the proportion of sea-going we’ve located a sub, we’re usually trying to keep
squadrons had dramatically increased the variety tracking it and it can be a real challenge. Simply
of the missions and the tactical usefulness of because the sub crews spend all their time in the

36 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 37
 water column and their lives basically depend on detection system (MADS) fitted to the Bravo
their knowledge of it, they’re better at it than us. and Foxtrot aircraft then in service. A further six
That’s why we need such good technology and months training was undergone at the FRS
why we spend so much time learning and training.” (fleet replacement squadron) in the actual
Blythe also pointed out that naval technology, helicopter. When he returned from a number of
just like all technology, is constantly evolving and deployments he then spent another six months
improving so each new generation of submarine training on the new systems in the Romeo. “For a
tends to be quieter and harder to locate and track new guy coming through,” he estimated, “they’re
than its predecessors. In the SUW role, the rear looking at about two years of training, from the
aircrewman will typically be operating the radar time they join the Navy up until the time they’re
systems and other sensors. Blythe’s extensive flying here with us.”
and almost constant training for his job included a After a background working on S3 Viking fixed-
one-month rescue swimmer course following the wings, ATCS Keala Mattos is now a Wolf Pack
six-month basic acoustic, or A-school training. At maintenance chief. Somewhat serendipitously,
A-school he was taught the basics of passive and his step-father was a navy chief working on
active sonar systems and the magnetic anomaly helicopters and after 12 years in the SH-60

38 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
fraternity Mattos admitted he far prefers the rotary- operational state. In Mattos’ opinion, the move to
wing side of the fence. “There’s a much broader digitization has one drawback, in that the ability
spectrum of work and you kind of dabble with to troubleshoot from knowledge, experience and
everything,” he stated. The biggest change in his logic is being eroded, due to the manner in which
duties brought about by the introduction of the faultfinding is now reliant on electronics to monitor,
MH-60R has been adapting to the digitized nature analyze and report. He believes that this prevents
of the whole aircraft and the lack of conventional younger, newer engineers and maintenance
hard-wiring for electrical systems. Having personnel developing such a deep understanding
previously served as maintenance control chief, of aircraft at the most basic level. “That’s not just
he is now the squadron’s flight-deck coordinator. aircraft though,” he admitted. “I think that’s society
“My role when we deploy is to coordinate all our and technology in general. We don’t actually fix
flight and operational evolutions on the flight equipment any more; we just locate and replace
deck of an aircraft carrier, working with the fixed- defective components within a system, as
wing components as well.” The unit’s nine work determined by the system itself. It makes people
centers keep 60 to 70 personnel fully engaged in far more reliant on technology.” By the same
keeping the squadron’s assets in a fully maintained token, he admits that the younger engineers are

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 39
40 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 41
 far more adept at using the technology. career. He commented that the glass cockpit
Aviation Electrician’s mate AE1 Ryan Lantos and increased technological sophistication of the
worked on Bravos prior to the introduction of aircraft has taken much of the workload out of
the Romeos, after previously working on UAVs the hands of him and his peers. “It’s just more
and fixed-wing aircraft during his nineteen-year maintenance-friendly. You pull the part out, put

42 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
the new part in and it’s done,” he observed. undertaking. This is my last tour and I wanted
“I think the Romeo is a better aircraft than the to be somewhere that the culture was already
Bravo, just because the upgrades make it so fixed and I could get involved with training new
much easier in general. It is a helicopter though, people in the right environment. Here everything
so there is a very high wear and tear rate. Our is by the book and because of that we don’t have
main job entails hovering over salt water and as many breakdowns or as much unscheduled
that’s a really harsh environment for anything maintenance.”
mechanical, which is why we’re so strict and rigid The Romeo is, of course, a frontline military
on our periodic inspections and preventative aircraft and therefore has a substantial offensive
maintenance procedures.” He added that the capability. Aviation Ordnanceman Second Class
still-young Romeos are experiencing very few (AO2) Robert Poage has been in the Navy for two
breakdowns. “These birds are still new right now,” years and the Wolf Pack is his first command. In
he commented, “so a lot of stuff isn’t breaking his own words, he deals “with the missiles, the
like it might in the future.” Lantos pointed out that guns and all the cool stuff that goes ‘Boom’!”
when that begins to occur, manning levels would Romeos can be fitted with the .50 caliber GAU-
necessarily increase to cope with the additional 21 and/or the 7.62mm M240 machinegun, and
workload. “We deal with everything electronic and have the ability to carry and launch AGM-114
that’s all monitored, so when it is seen that the Hellfire missiles and Mk-46 or -54 torpedoes.
demand is high enough, the Navy will increase AWR1 Blythe explained that, because there is
the manning level to what is required.” According only a single AWR in the back of the aircraft on
to Lantos, he went to the Wolf Pack because he’d primary missions, they are also responsible for
heard that it had the best maintenance culture. He the machineguns and that they aim to have firing
explained, “I’ve been to places where we had to practice with the GAU-21 or M240 every 90 days.
try and fix that. It’s a mindset; an overall cultural Poage has been on one deployment and is looking
climate of a place and to fix that is a mammoth forward to the next, as he will be deployed on

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 43
44 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 45
46 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
a detachment as the sole AO. He and Lantos but of what they see as the best helicopter
both agree that more is learned when at sea, as squadron within it. They hold the attributes and
equipment is most likely to fail or breakdown in the capabilities of their Romeos in high regard and
demanding conditions and personnel levels are leave one in no doubt that any carrier group to
lower, with greater responsibility frequently placed which they are deployed will be well protected
on individual members. Typically, preventative within a sanitized security area for which they
maintenance at sea is accordingly carried out at are largely responsible. It seems somehow fitting
about twice the level that is conducted when the that the ‘Wolf-Pack’ name that was once applied
squadron is ashore at NASNI. to committed teams of German submarines
It’s clear when talking to Wolf Pack personnel operating against allied shipping during WWII, is
that they all, without exception, take a great now proudly worn by an equally committed team
pride in being a part of not only the US Navy, of airborne submarine hunters. v

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 47
48 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
ALEXANDER MLADENOV LOOKS AT
THE PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
AND FIELDING OF SELF-DEFENCE
EQUIPMENT IN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

When in November 2011 the Kamov

Ka-52 co-axial attack helicopter
passed its final state acceptance
trials and was commissioned by the
Russian Air Force (RuAF) for squadron
service, this eagerly-awaited event
has also marked the introduction of
the first-ever Russian-made helicopter
integrated defensive aids suite (DAS).
Known under the name Vitebsk-52,
the sophisticated system has been
integrated by Samara-based FGUP NII
Ekran company.
HELIOPS FRONTLINE 49
50 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
VITEBSK Russia’s defense export agency. The L370E-8 IR
jammer version was promoted at the exhibition as
In its generic form, the Vitebsk system is
one of the main components of the President-S
purposely designed for self-protection of attack,
integrated DAS (a simplified derivative of Vitebsk),
assault transport and VIP helicopters as well as
proposed for a wide variety of attack and transport
fixed-wing attack aircraft, facing a wide variety
helicopters.
of battlefield infrared-guided (heat-seeking)
The L370 family of directional jammers was
missile treats plus radar and laser-guided anti-
developed by Zelenograd-based Zenith Special
aircraft weapons. In its full-scale form, the Vitebsk
Design Bureau. The system was seen in prototype
integrates the L150 Pastel radar warning receiver
form for the first time installed onboard a Ka-50
(RWR), the L140 Otklik laser warning receiver
helicopter in August 2004 and its testing and
(LWR), L370-2-01 ultraviolet (UV) missile approach
evaluation effort was eventually completed in
warning system, L370-5 directional infrared
2009. The concluding phase of the effort included
(IR) jammer and six UV-26 32-round chaff-flare
a number of firings of live Igla (SA-16) shoulder-
dispenser units. The Ka-52’s Vitebsk-52 suite,
launched, heat-seeking SAMs against targets
however, lacks the RWR, but still has the provision
emulating the thermal signature of a medium-sized
for its installation at a later stage.
helicopter, protected by the L370E-8. The final live
In addition to the Ka-52, in 2012 and 2013
firing test of the system was performed against
the Russian MoD received three Mi-8AMTSh-
a real Mi-8 helicopter outfitted with the L370E8,
1s outfitted for VIP transport in high-threat
tethered on a hill at a shooting range, with its
environments. These helicopters were ordered by
engines working at maximum power setting and
the previous defense minister, Anatoly Serdyukov,
rotors turning. The Igla SAM was launched from a
and feature luxury cabins, EO sensors for better
distance of 3,300ft (1,000m), and from sidewards/
aircrew situational awareness during night flying,
rearwards aspect which is advantageous for the
extensive armor protection for the cockpit and
SAM employment (i.e. providing the best guidance
passenger cabin, a sophisticated communications
conditions). The video footage released of this
suite and a derivative of the Vitebsk self-protection
particular test clearly showed that the missile’s
suite using with three jammer heads. One of
guidance was considerably affected by the
these is installed on the tail and two and the tips
combined use of the IR jammer and a salvo of
of outrigger pylons, plus the associated missile
26mm PPI-26 IR flares. As a result, the Igla missile
approach warning sensors.
missed the target by some distance.
The new directional IR jammers of the L370
DIRECTIONAL IR JAMMING
family are based on a sapphire lamp mated to
TECHNOLOGY
an optical system for firing a narrow beam of IR
This state-of-the art DAS, at least by Russian energy at incoming heat-seeking missiles. The IR
standards, features new jamming technology beam is modulated by using a pattern of smart
that was little-known in Russia until 2010. In algorithms, also developed in-house by Zenith.
contrast, most of the remaining components used The system is advertised as having a digital control
in the Vitebsk date back to the early/mid 1990s. unit that is reprogrammable in the field in order to
The brand-new technology to be employed for be able to face a wider spectrum of threats.
countering both surface-to-air (SAM) and air-to- The L370-5 version of the directional IR jammer
air (AA) missiles is used in the L370-5 directional used on the Ka-52 has two jamming modules
IR jammer system, kept in the classified world (heads), installed in turrets located side by-side
until June 2010. It is used in conjunction with new beneath the fuselage. The L370E-8, designed
generation UV missile approach warning sensors. for the Mi-8 family of VIP and assault transport
An export version of the jammer known as the helicopters, tested in 2009 and 2010, uses three
L370E8 was unveiled for the first time during the modules – two ball turrets on the fuselage sides
Eurosatory exhibition in 2010 by Rosoboronexport, (installed on the tips of the outrigger pylons) and

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 51
52 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 53
 another one housed under the tail boom. provide scan across the 1.2-18GHz wavelength
There is also version of the active IR jammer range (covering the D, E, F, G, H, I and J bands),
developed for the Mi-26 designated as the L370E- with an angular coverage of 3600x600 (azimuth
126L, which was installed and tested on the x elevation), and has an accuracy of between
ground for the first time in 2009. In addition to 3-40 degrees with ‘pinpoint location’ antenna,
these three existing rotorcraft versions, two more and some 10 degrees when ‘rough location’
Vitebsk derivatives are currently in development antenna is used. The claimed detection range is
for the Mi-28NM and Mi-35M attack helicopters 120% of the treat radar’s range and it was made
but there no details have been released yet. capable of detecting pulse, pulse-Doppler and
The L370 family of directional IR jammers continuous-wave (CW) mode radars in search,
works in close cooperation with the new- track and target illumination modes. The L150 can
generation L370-2-01 UV missile approach classify multiple targets by their priority (in order
warning sensors developed by Moscow-based of greatest danger to the host platform). It features
Reagent Scientific-Technical Centre – four units for a pre-programmable library with up to 128 treats.
providing a 360° coverage in azimuth. The RWR can also control the optional RF jammer
The IR jammer is also complemented onboard the helicopter and is also thought to
by PPI-series of IR flares, fired from UV-26 be capable of providing automatic operation of
countermeasures dispenser units. Management of the DAS, triggering the UV-26 countermeasures
the system’s operation is provided by a dedicated dispensers upon detection of radar-guided
control unit in the cockpit, controlling and firing missiles fired against the host platform.
mode – singe shots, series of single shots at pre- The L140 Otklik LWR covers a 3600x900 sector
set intervals or series of salvoes. by the use of four receiver units and operates
within 0.4-11 micron wavebands, with a claimed
PASTEL RWR accuracy of within 100.
Protection against radio-frequency (RF) The other new attack helicopter type in RuAF
threats is provided by the L150 Pastel’ RWR, service, the Mi-28N, still has no integrated DAS
developed by TzKBA design bureau in Omsk. (it uses only UV-26 chaff/flare dispensers, while
This early 1990s-vinatege digital system can the export-standard aircraft are also equipped

54 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
56 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 57
 with UV missile approach warning sensors) and countermeasures capability such as the various
development of such suite was reported to had Stinger and Igla derivatives.
been initiated as late as in 2009 ort 2010. It is
expected in its production version the Mi-28N’s UKRAINIAN AFFORDABLE WAY
Vitebsk DAS to be approximately similar in A small R&D company in Kiev, Ukraine,
capabilities and content to that already integrated NPF Adron, offers a range of innovative and
onto the Ka-52. notably affordable solutions for helicopter
The third new attack helicopter type of the protection against IR-guided missiles, both
Russian Air Force is the Mi-35M fielded in 2011 surface- and air-launched. Its best-known
while its export derivative has already been product is the KT-01AVE Adros omnidirectional
sold to Venezuela, Brazil, Iraq, Azerbaijan and ‘disco light’ IR jammer, designed as a direct
Nigeria. The Mi-35M, however, still retains a replacement of the 1980s-vintage L166V11E Lipa,
legacy DAS inherited from its predecessor widely used on the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 family of
Mi-24P/V, composed by a several ‘federated’ helicopters. The system is housed in a ‘flower pot’
systems: the 1970s-vintage SPO-15 RWR, UV-26 container above the forward end of the tailboom.
countermeasures dispensers, EVU exhaust-mixer According to information revealed by Nikolay
boxes over the exhaust ducts (used to reduce Arhipov, Adron’s director general, by mid-2010 the
the acquisition range of heat-seeking missiles) company sold some 100 systems in five years, and
and the stand-alone L166V11E Lipa (also known until 2015 no less than 100 more were delivered to
as SOEP-V1A) omni-directional ‘disco-light’ IR international Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 operators.
jammer. This systems is considered useful against “Adron was established by former officers
older-generation shoulder-launched SAMs but ill- from the Soviet Air Force who used to work in
suited to counter newer-generation heat-seeking the Kiev-based Aviation-Engineering Higher
SAMs endowed with comprehensive counter- School. There is a good IR technology base and

58 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
We Fly frontline
TAP
FOR MORE
INFO

We Maintain

The Powerful Difference

Columbia Helicopters is the only commercial operator of the Model
234 Chinook and Vertol 107-II, the civilian models of the CH-47
Chinook and H-46 Sea Knight. The company’s aircraft operate globally
in extreme weather conditions, and are supported by one of the most
exceptional maintenance facilities anywhere in the industry.
Columbia’s fully functional maintenance facility is a one-stop shop,
able to meet all depot level maintenance requirements for internal and
external customers.

www.colheli.com
503-678-1222
HELIOPS FRONTLINE 59
 experience in Ukraine dating from Soviet times of line of sight and as a consequence to generate
and after dissolution of the Soviet Union we have false commands to point itself at the target.
decided to joint our efforts into a small R&D The signal emitted by the jammer, as Aloyshin
enterprise to do what we had knew the best. explains, is modulated in a three-dimensional way
As a company, we are closely cooperating with (in contrast to the L166V11E which uses a single-
TzKB Arsenal, an established R&D company in dimension modulation) and can fool all known
Ukraine with a rich experience in the development IR seekers used in both old and new-generation
of IR seekers for shoulder-launched SAMs. This shoulder-launched SAMs. The three-dimensional
cooperation helps us to test our countermeasures signal modulation includes amplitude-phase,
products and prove appropriate deception frequency-phase and time-pulse modulation,
methods”, explained Alexander Alyoshin, so the signal constantly changes three of its
Adron’s deputy director general. parameters - frequency, phase and amplitude
According to him, the KT-01AVE is an omni- - in order to cause significant errors within the
directional stand-alone jammer, identical by shape missile’s guidance process, resulting in a miss.
and weight to the well-known L166V11E Lipa, but In an effort to enhance the jamming effect,
boasting a brand-new smart modulation of the IR the KT-01AVE should operate in conjunction to
energy. This modulation is intended to disrupt the the original EVU exhaust suppressor or specially
capability of the missile to calculate the true rate developed, also by Adron, IR emission suppressor

60 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
device (exhaust-mixer), installed on the exhaust Głuszec attack and assault transport program.
ducts of the TV3-117-series engines powering both A small number of jammers sold out to US
the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35. customers for installation on Mi-8/17s operated on
Aloyshin says that the KT-01AVE has behalf of US government agencies in ‘hot spots’
undergone a rigorous test and evaluation around the world but Aloyshin declined to provide
programme, where it performed as expected, even further details.
in the worst-case scenario where the helicopter Polish Army Aviation Mi-17-1Vs and Mi-24Vs,
is in hover and there is no forward movement plus Czech Air Force Mi-171Shs fitted with the
to incur an additional difficulty for the missile’s Adros KT-01AVE, have been involved in combat
guidance system. operations in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2013.
The new IR jammer was introduced in
operational service in 2005 and in addition COMPLETE SELF-DEFENCE SUITE
to Ukrainian Army helicopters it was sold for ‘We are offering a complete helicopter self-
installation on Mi-8/17s and Mi-24/35s belonging defence suite including the KT-01AVE as its core
to the militaries of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Poland element, combined with newly-developed flare
and the Czech Republic, as well as to some dispensers and IR suppressor’, Aloyshin noted.
undisclosed head-of-state helicopters. In addition, He added that Adron has also developed an
KT-01AVE is used in the PZL-Swidnik W-3PL improved flare dispensing system integrating

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 61
 two different types of dispenses – a large-calibre smaller IR signature. This smaller and therefore
one firing 50mm flares and a small-calibre one ‘cooler’ flare could be accepted by the missile’s
firing 26mm flares. The use of a pre-programmed seeker as a valid target because of the significant
sequence of large- and small-calibre flares is seen difference in the strength of the signals emitted
as another simple yet effective way of fooling IR by the two flares, which are set to fully replicate
seeking systems using flare rejection capability. the difference between the signals emitted by the
Alyoshin shared that as a rule, flares have a much small flare and the target itself.
higher temperature than engine exhaust gases and Adron claims that this deception method is also
can be easily eliminated as valid targets by the effective against two-colour seekers, working in
seeker’s flare rejection algorithms (which sense both IR and UV spectrums, and featuring primary
the significant difference between the thermal and secondary signal processing circuits working
signature of the target and the flare). in separate frequency bands. Deception of such
In order to fool such algorithms, the new seekers is becoming possible thanks to the use
countermeasures dispenser system developed of large-calibre flares with an increased emissivity
by Adron first fires a large flare, which will be in the UV spectrum. The dual-calibre dispenser
immediately rejected by the missile’s seeker, system was tested by Adron for the first time on
followed by a small-calibre flare with a much a proving range in May 2010, and all the test and

62 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
evaluation activities to be completed until the The AP-1V is a new-generation IR suppressor
end of the year. The dual-calibre dispensers are (exhaust-mixer box) installed onto the exhaust
now being offered as a direct replacement of the ducts of the TV3-117 turboshafts used to
1980s-vintage ASO-2V 26mm countermeasures power both the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/25 family
dispenser units widely used on both the Mi-8/17 of helicopters. This exhaust-mixer device, also
and Mi-24/25. developed by Adron in Ukraine, is used to shield
Adron is also busy with developing new- the hottest points of the helicopters in order to
generation low-temperature flares to better reduce the heat-seeking missile’s acquisition
replicate a helicopter’s signature. The currently range. As Alyoshin claimed, the main goals when
used 50mm flares are too hot, developing a designing the AP-1V included a good shielding
temperature of between 1,500 and 2,000 0C, but capability as well as reducing to the minimum
this is significantly higher than engine exhaust possible extent the consumed engine power. ‘Our
gases which range 400-600 0C (this is valid for the IR suppressor reduces the engine’s output power
TV3-117-series), reduced to about 300 0C when IR by a mere 1.5% on the ground compared to up to
suppressors are used. The low-temperature flares 13% of the original EVU IR suppressor boxes that
are intended to develop temperatures of between have been used on the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 since
600 and 900 0C. the mid-1980s.” Alyoshin revealed. v

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 63
DEGRADED VISUAL
ENVIRONMENTS (DVES) HAVE
BEEN ISSUES THAT MILITARY
HELICOPTER PILOTS HAVE HAD
TO CONTEND WITH SINCE THE
INVENTION OF THE HELICOPTER.
PAUL KENNARD WORKED IN THE
UK MoD IN DVE RESEARCH AND IS
A MEMBER OF THE NATO STUDY
GROUP INVESTIGATING POTENTIAL
TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS.
HE HAS FLOWN IN NEARLY ALL
OF THE DVE CONDITIONS OUT
THERE AND IN THIS ARTICLE, HE
EXPLORES WHERE TECHNOLOGY
MAY PROVIDE ANSWERS.

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 65
 HELICOPTER WARS threat to helicopters in these campaigns
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been that most pervasive of
have in many respects, been “helicopter enemies – the environment. Hannah
wars”. The helicopter has proven a far explained the cost of operating against
more rugged machine than sceptics this natural “threat”; nearly 400 aircraft
contended, particularly in the face of lost, over 150 fatalities and an estimated
a contested and dangerous low level fiscal cost of $1 Billion. These losses
environment. Friends of mine have were attributable to “Brownout” and
recovered aircraft back to safe locations other Degraded Visual Environment
having being struck by RPGs, received (DVE) factors, and have provoked the
multiple bullet hits or have even US Army into an urgent programme,
evaded guided weapons. However, as BORES (BrownOut Rotorcraft
articulated by Colonel Mathew Hannah Enhancement System) in an attempt to
at the recent Association of the US rapidly develop & deploy technology
Army (AUSA) gathering, the biggest to combat Brownout. However, to

66 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
paraphrase Jeanette Winterson, DVEs can be broadly subdivided
“Brownout is not the only DVE into two groups; the first are those
condition”. What “works” for Brownout circumstances that are generated by
may not work for other DVE conditions the presence of the platform disturbing
and ameliorating one problem, for the natural environment it is operating
one specific set of circumstances in in – such as sand, dust and snow.
one campaign may not provide the These are the classic “brown and
right overall capability in the future. white-out” conditions. What binds
Therefore, we need to look at the these environments together is that
problem holistically before attempting they only effect the operation of the
to find a solution; why do we fly in DVE? helicopter for the take off and landing
What’s the problems? How can TTPs phases – therefore the crew can
help and what technologies should the revert to normal TTPs/SOPs for the
community be exploring and why? majority of the sortie, only switching
Degraded Visual Environments to different techniques to deal with the

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 67
 DVE conditions. The second group are Both IFR and RNF flight require careful
far more pervasive and are created by planning and a means to descend,
the environment or by man. The most recover and land at the destination –
familiar to aviators will be darkness and such as an Instrument Approach or, at
precipitation effects (cloud, fog, mist, night if VMC, a landing aid such as a
heavy rain and falling snow), however NATO “T” or “Y” which permits the crew
battlefield effects (such as smoke), to fly a constant decelerating flight path
so called “flat light” conditions (false assured to be clear of obstructions and
horizons and “fishbowls”) as well as (broadly) into wind.
blowing sand/dust (often known as a Such procedures are fine for
Haboob) can also be encountered and peacetime transit flying but in threat
be equally disorientating. environments they become fraught
There are several ways to mitigate with risk. The need for military crews
the impact of DVE. The most frequent to be able to operate through the
example is to use IFR. Crews use full spectrum of DVE conditions is
a procedural departure and climb twofold; firstly, to deliver military effect
in approved climb out paths to an in accordance with extant doctrine
en-route altitude that is planned to be and secondly to improve platform
well clear of underlying obstructions protection and lower the operational
(allowing, where required, for risk in high threat environments.
Temperature and Error corrections for Current Western doctrine
the altimeter). Similar principles are emphasises manoeuvre and agility; the
employed at night for flight without the battlefield helicopter is a key enabler to
benefit of EO/IR or NVGs – so called providing these capabilities. By rapidly
“Reversionary Night Flying” (RNF). moving forces around the battlefield

68 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
The world’s most dynamic
helo industry mag featuring
the best helicopter photos
on Instagram...
Focus... & Click!
HELIOPS FRONTLINE 69
 commanders can seek to “get inside” A-6 and Tornado all benefitted from
the oppositions OODA loop 1; tempo technologies to permit the “all weather”
and unpredictability are the desired precision delivery of weapons. These
effects. Additionally, a rapid airborne aircraft relied, in the days before GPS,
assault can both provide flanking and on accurate internal navigation units
exploitation opportunities as they arrive. for position and Terrain Following
To be reliant upon weather and lunar Radar (TFR) to prevent CFIT. The
cycles is increasingly unacceptable fundamental difference in requirement
in the 21st century, when Western between the needs of a strike aircraft
militaries are often smaller than their and a battlefield helicopter is that the
opposition and depend upon “bleeding jet passes through the environment
edge” technologies such as surveillance, to release its weapons, then recovers
precision weapons and agility to to (normally) a well founded airfield
achieve battlefield dominance. (or aircraft carrier) with recovery aids,
Protection is the other key driver whereas the helicopter may well spend
for DVE systems – both for the aircraft the entire sortie in the DVE condition
& crew and the embarked troops. For and has to effect take offs and landings
the platform, if committed into hostile in completely austere locations to
airspace where the enemy can bring achieve the mission aim.
advanced RF/IR SAMs and fast jet Therefore, a RW DVE system has to
aircraft to bear, the best mitigation permit the helicopter to take off and
is to fly as low as possible to exploit land in unrecce’d and often opposed
terrain masking, camouflage and landing sites. It is this key difference
background radar/UV “clutter”. The that has led to many of the accidents
DVE requirement is therefore relatively and aircraft losses over the past 15
simple – to enable crews to fly low level years – especially in the landing phase.
in the full spectrum of DVE conditions For the embarked troops (all too
at acceptable risk. This is a similar often forgotten as the reason why the
requirement to that espoused in the helicopter is there in the first place….)
1960s for tactical jet aircraft; the F111, current doctrine wants to maximise the

1. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act – the distillation of the life’s work of the late Col. John Boyd USAF;
fighter pilot, defence.

70 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 TAP TAP TAP
FOR MORE FOR MORE FOR MORE
INFO INFO INFO

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 71
 technological “overmatch” by fighting help; NVGs, EO/IR cameras, TFRs and
in the darkest part of the night; this accurate navigation sources. But these
maximises the training advantage held also come with problems. NVGs rely
by regular troops, and exploits the likely on Image Intensifying Technology to
capability gap between Western kit capture and display light photons,
and any night vision equipment used and have been matured through three
by the enemy. This means, by choice, generations to the current standard
conducting operations in the very but still have an absolute limit where
darkest periods of the night – which they cannot amplify enough light for
coincidentally also targets the enemy’s a usable picture. Moreover, NVGs are
circadian cycle – but places the largest now well beyond the “80%” mark in
strain on the crews’ and aircrafts’ their development/maturity cycle,
capabilities. and increasingly the small remaining
gains available are nearly prohibitively
OPERATE 24/7 expensive. In developed areas with
Thus we’ve set the requirement. abundant light sources this is not an
Succinctly, it is to operate 24/7 in DVE issue, but recent campaigns in Iraq
as per VFR. Crews will need assistance and Afghanistan where the terrain
from a variety of technologies to “fill in” has poor spectral reflectivity as well
the visual cues that they use to achieve as little cultural lighting, NVGs were
their missions in good visual conditions. of little use for approximately half of
There are mature technologies that the Lunar Cycle – dubbed the “Red

72 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
Illumination” period. This poses issues Illumination was to deploy IR lamps or
for both maintaining the desired tempo flares (such as the LLU-2) via aircraft or
of operations and for maintaining illumination rounds from mortar/artillery
“overmatch”. Finally, NVGs and to temporarily raise the ambient light
associated balance counterweights are in the target area to permit the NVGs
a major contributor to aircrew fatigue, to be effective. This technique proved
can cause complications for Safety useful on occasion but is expensive and
Cases in crash scenarios and in severe cannot be guaranteed to be available
cases can cause Muscular Skeletal in future campaigns where airspace is
Injury (MSI). Therefore, to protect contested, or operations are conducted
our crews in the future, we should be out of the range of FIRES. It also
looking to reduce the neckborne mass requires good planning, co-operation
for our aviators to reduce fatigue (and and timing to be effective. One of
thus improve performance) and MSI. the biggest hurdles that Industry has
Aircrew, though, are often hardwired to in developing a DVE system is the
be resistant to change and have “got resistance to change in the aircrew
used” to NVGs. They like the apparent cadre, who are “comfortable” with
visual acuity (in favourable light levels) NVGs – regardless of their limitations.
and have developed TTPs to circumvent The lack of visual cues provided by
their limitations (FoV, depth perception NVGs during the Red Illumination period
etc). Indeed, in Afghanistan, one of can be partially ameliorated by the use
the palliative measures during Red of EO/IR sensors, but such sensors are

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 73
 degraded during the Thermal Crossover funded in the first place…..) the system
period and, depending on the system risks not providing the adequate level of
sensitivity, may not show a suitable certifiable protection. The three
level of detail to provide the required legs are:
visual cues for a safe landing. Neither
provide much benefit in brown out or 1. Enhanced Handling Qualities (HQs).
white out conditions. A TFR can be There are several national TTPs/SOPs
(depending on a number of factors that use a version of a “run on” or
including particulate size), but it is very “zero/zero” technique in brown out /
expensive and normally the preserve white out conditions. The concept is
of Special Ops aircraft only. It can also to keep enough groundspeed to stay
be a signature management problem ahead of the obscurant cloud until
due to the emitted radar energy – as (ideally) a zero speed or slow run on
one former USAF MH-53E pilot said to landing. A large risk in this technique
the author, an enemy with a moderately is the pilot unwittingly allowing a mall
sophisticated EW system could detect amount of lateral drift or yaw to build
the radar emissions and gather that by up before touch down. This can impose
watching something travelling at 100Kts lateral shearing loads on undercarriages
they were not tracking an F111…..GPS and, in the worst case, can trigger
is also a key enabling technology but dynamic rollover (especially in aircraft
we should be wary of reliance on it – with narrow track undercarriages and
it can and has proved susceptible to high CoGs). Enhancing the HQs by the
jamming and spoofing. Crews should use of improved autopilots, such as a
also be cautious of relying on GPS Digital AFCS can help prevent the pilot
based databases for obstacle and from permitting insidious drifts/yaws
terrain avoidance; they should ensure to build up. On take off, and for other
that they know the DTED 2 quality of military applications (such as sling load
the terrain they are flying over and work) improved HQs enable the pilot
although terrain only changes slowly, to hold a much steadier hover without
obstructions can appear in a matter external reference, and not to drift into
of hours. In effect, any Obstruction an obstruction or wingman. The pilot
database is obsolete the moment the also risks unwittingly permitting a large
complier presses “Save”. rate of descent to build up on approach
which, if unchecked, can lead to a heavy
THE THREE LEGGED STOOL landing. In order to avoid flaring to early
NATO, through the RTO 3 and and ending up in a low hover in DVE,
NIAG 4 constructs, have extensively crews often accept a run on landing.
studied this problem, as have the On a clear LS with a good surface this
R&D arms of several armed forces is a perfectly valid technique. However,
and governments. Consensus appears if the LS has got unseen obstructions
to be forming over what a fully DVE (ditches/holes/low walls – especially
compliant architecture should look like. below a snow layer) or an unfriendly
Colloquially, it has become referred to surface (eg thick mud or packed snow)
as “The Three Legged Stool” as there then the helicopter may be subject to
are three main components, which, deceleration forces that can damage
if one were removed (or, indeed, not undercarriages and, in extremis, rotor

2. Digital Terrain Elevation Database – a virtual recreation of the Earth’s surface using a notional series of
poles in the ground. The accuracy of the database depends on the virtual distance between the (virtual)
poles. There is an enormous difference in fidelity between a Level 0 mapped area (900m between “poles”)
and a Level 3 area (30m) – see MIL-PRF-89020B for more information.
3. Research and Technology Organisation – search for RTO-TR-HFM-162 AC/323(HFM-162)TP/400 which is
unclassified and was published in 2012.
4. NATO Industrial Advisory Group.

74 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
systems. Tactically, the zero/zero when any drift or yaw occurred. In
technique can leave the platform on a the UK a 3D CS set was developed
slow, predictable flightpath within range under the Dstl sponsored Low Visibility
of the enemy’s weapon systems. Ideally, Landing (LVL) project; extensive
the DVE system should permit the crew aircrew testing in a simulated and
to fly tactically for as late as possible airborne environment provided the
before touchdown – and HQs have a basic outline of what crews needed to
large part to play in achieving this. operate on the Symbology alone. The
Symbology is based around a standard
2. 3D Conformal Symbology (3D CS). LS, with enough reference markers to
Helicopter crews of several nations aid the pilot in detecting drift/yaw.
have experience in operating Helmet However, there are two major issues
Mounted Display Systems (HMDS). associated with 3D CS. Firstly, given
These range form the applique that the image is presented in the
Display NVG (such as the Elbit NVIS pilot’s primary Field of Regard (FoR),
HUD-24), which projects aircraft and the system requires a high degree
navigational data into the dominant eye of assurance and certification as the
NVG tube, through to fully integrated pilot will naturally want to believe the
display helmets such as the BAE compelling picture presented. The
Systems Striker 2 and Thales TopOwl integrity of both the data and the
(a common option on the NH90 and display will have to be high – in effect
Tiger helicopters). The Symbology sets the same as Primary Instruments - as
associated with conventional Head the pilot will be using them to take off
Up Displays (HUDs) are optimised for and land. This is a major change from
cruise flying, and don’t provide the DNVG and conventional HUDs which
necessary visual cues for low speed were often cleared as “advisory only”
flight and take/off landing. What was and used in the cruise. This high level
required was a Symbology set that of assurance and integrity, typically
allowed the crew to hover accurately Design Assurance Level (DAL) A/B as
in DVE, and to instantly recognise mandated in DO-178B, does not come

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 75
 cheap and is often considered too those darkest periods of the night.
high for a helicopter application. These technologies, however, will not
Secondly, the synthetic nature of the allow crews to detect obstructions
Symbology relies upon accurate through obscurants. An active sensor,
INS/GPS registration to be displayed such a radar or LiDAR 7, is required
in the correct place in the FoV, and to penetrate the DVE and declare
accurate DTED and Obstruction potential threats. Radar is well known,
databases are required to place but as mentioned before regarding
the proposed LS and surrounding TFR, traditional systems are large,
obstructions into the scene in their expensive and electronically noisy.
correct places. However, as we’ve Recent efforts have looked at smaller,
already discussed, an obstruction cheaper systems, often derived from
database is only accurate at the missile seeker heads – such as the
moment it was “saved”; without BLAST (Brownout Landing-Aid System
live updates the crew may well fly Technology) project from BAE Systems
a perfectly executed approach on which uses a modified MBDA Brimstone
their 3D CS only to collide with missile seeker (called Sandstone)
an obstruction that has not been operating in the 94 GHz (milli-metric)
registered in the Obstacle database. range. These seekers have had a
significant proportion of the
3. Active and Passive Sensors. To NRE 8 already spent, and are fully
overcome the real-time concern over mature in their original guise. However,
obstacles espoused above a “live” such radar based seekers are sensitive
update facility is required. This enables to particle size and will operate better
the DVE system to place unexpected through certain obscurants than others.
obstructions and objects into the LiDAR is a competing technology,
synthetic scene generated by the using lasers to detect and declare
3D CS. As always it seems with DVE potential obscurants. Indeed, some
problems, there is no simple one- LiDAR technology has already been
sensor “silver bullet”. Enhanced vision fielded operationally as an obstacle
systems (such as Selex-ES’ VigilX) and wirestrike protection system for
can stitch the picture generated from helicopters (for example, the LOAM 9
several advanced vision technologies, system from Selex-ES and the Hellas
such as Short Wave IR, EB CMOS 5 and product from Airbus Defence &
EBAPS 6 (subject to ITAR restrictions), Space). A subtle alternative to both
into a wide FoV image that can be MMR and LiDAR has been to “see and
accessed simultaneously by several remember” the LS before it is engulfed
crewmembers. The use of advanced in obscurants to ensure it matches
digitally enhanced vision technology the pre-flight imagery and to provide
is driving usable visual cues into a “picture” for the crews to land on.
the low single digit MLux territory, This was experimented with in the US
providing references further into under the PhLASH 10 programme on an

5. Electron Bombarded Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor.

6. Electron Bombarded Active Pixel Sensor.
7. Light radar.
8. Non Recurring Expenditure – the one off design costs.
9. Laser Obstacle Avoidance and Monitoring.
10. Photographic Landing Augmentation System for Helicopters.

76 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
MH-53E. However, the improvements to in NVG and EO/IR technology, and with
“real time” technologies appear to have TTPs. However, there have also been a
overtaken this concept. frustrating number of false dawns which
The “three legged stool” approach threatened to but never quite delivered
requires the combination of all of the the fundamental breakthrough; these
above technologies to deliver a true have included CONDOR (Covert
pan-DVE system that is reliable, usable Night Day Operations for Rotorcraft),
and, most importantly, certifiable. DNAE (Day Night All Environments)
The emphasis is on architecture more and LVL in the UK, and Sandblaster
than systems. Future initiatives such and Helicopter Autonomous Landing
as FACE 11 and ECOS 12 offer the System (HALS) among several in the
opportunity to rapidly insert technology US. None have progressed beyond
as it matures onto front line aircraft – the experimental flight test phase; the
and to reduce the costs associated with cost of certification often proving the
clearing new systems onto them. stumbling block.
It is perhaps cynical to note
PRIORITY? that the numbers involved to certify
DVE mitigation has been a constant such systems are a drop in the
challenge for helicopter operators and ocean compared to the expense
industry over the past two decades. of programmes such as the F-35. Yet
Much has been done with improvements again, it appears, helicopters are not

11. Future Airborne Capability Environment

12. European Common Operating System

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 77
78 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
To be reliant upon weather and lunar cycles
is increasingly unacceptable in the 21st
century, when Western militaries are often
smaller than their opposition and depend
upon “bleeding edge” technologies such as
surveillance, precision weapons and agility
to achieve battlefield dominance.

Photos courtesy of Mark Lupton

at Finmeccanica (formally Selex-ES)

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 79
80 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
considered a priority. Perhaps, One thing is for certain; in “leading
ironically, notwithstanding Colonel with the chin” by placing certification
Hannah’s comments at the start of front and centre of new initiatives there
this article, helicopter crews have is now a better chance than ever that
displayed such outstanding airmanship military crews (and subsequently their
and flying skills over the past 15 civil equivalents) will have the benefits
years that the loss rate has never of a certifiable “three legged stool”
quite reached the pain threshold that DVE mitigation system in the near to
ensures “something must be done” and medium future, and thus move closer to
appropriate funding released. the end goal – to fly VFR in DVE. v

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 81
 For the past thirty years, the French air force has trained
its marksmen in the demanding role of air to air precision
shooting from the AS355 Fennec. The twin-engined
helicopter makes a good platform when it comes to
intercepting a large range of slow flying targets...

STORY & PHOTOS BY FREDERIC LERT

82 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 83
 TARGET and during overseas operations. Their marksmen
are also trained for the airborne work either for
2000ft above the Mediterranean, three armée air to ground or air-to-air firing. “Every year the
de l’Air’s Fennechead out to the high sea. The air force organizes around ten air to ground firing
leader tows a target at the end of a 300m cable. campaigns for the marksmen,” says Dan, a long
Following are two other helicopters, each with time instructor. “In flight firing campaigns are rarer
a team of marksmen on board. All took off a since they are more difficult to organize. At the
few minutes earlier from base aérienne 126 de moment, there are just two: one at the beginning,
Solenzara, the only French air force base on the and the other at the end of the year.”
island. Ten miles off the coast, with no ships in To renew their operational qualifications, each
sight, they place themselves to start firing, taking marksman has to complete at least an air to
advantage of the vast empty air space reserved ground and one air to air exercise a year.
for gunnery training. Today’s mission is to qualify During our visit, the training was for nine
marksmen for MASA (Mesures Actives de Sureté team leaders and as many again marksmen. The
Aérienne – Air security measures) operation. preferred weapon is the German made Heckler
Snipers are used to counter threats coming not & Koch HK 417 automatic rifle with an Eotech
only from light aircraft and helicopters, but also holographic sight. “With it, an average shooter
increasingly from drones, balloons or even kites! riding a helicopter can easily hit a target at a
From the Paris airshow to Head of State meetings distance of more than 100 meters,” says Dan. “The
and high profile football games, no high-level Eotech holographic sight is ideal for this mission
event is organized without a protective buffer zone because it allows the gunner to keep both eyes
provided by armed helicopters. open and maintain a clear view of the external
The air force marksmen come from the CPAs, environment, without losing sight of the target.”
Air Force parachutist commandos units. The For night missions the Eotech sight can also be
French Air Force runs three CPAs named CPA used with NVGs and a laser pointer. The HK 417
10, CPA 20 and CPA 30. The first one belongs to is complemented with a 12 gauge FN Herstal
the Special Forces and remains very discreet in tactical police shotgun. The latter is primarily used
its activities. On the other hand, the CPA 20 and for firing warning shots with illuminating flares
30 are tasked with protecting air bases in France (red and green) and can also utilize nine-bullet

84 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 85
86 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 87
 cartridges to shoot down smaller targets such TRAINING
as drones, kites, and balloons. Depending on Training the marksmen requires, at least,
the distance, it can also hit and destroy ultralight two helicopters; one towing the target and the
aircraft. An 11kg electronic panel is also used to second has the shooters on board. Most of the
communicate visually with the intercepted aircraft, time, however, three helicopters are engaged
in case the radio fails. The panel can display easy to maximize the use of the towing machine.
to read orders such as ‘turn away,’ ‘land now,’ “The firing helicopters take turns at the target,”
‘change radio frequency,’ etc. explains one of the pilots, “and when a firing

88 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 89
 team is done, the helicopter quickly returns to his precision, but also his ease, and compliance
base and loads another team. In the meantime, with the safety regulations, etc.”
the second helicopter will unload its weapon The tablet computer, also known as a ‘pocket,’
on the target.” Four teams are trained during a has an embedded GPS, as does the target itself.
one-hour flight. By comparing the position given by the two GPS
Each training flight starts with the hooking up of trackers, the firing team can accurately determine
the target. The operation takes place at a holding its position in relation to the target and check if it
area at the end of the runway. The long towing can open fire. During the firing phase, the towing
cable is hooked to the aircraft, which hovers two helicopter flies a straight line at an altitude of
meters above the ground. The pilots follow the between 2000 and 3000ft. The position of the
orders of the ground team and also monitor the firing helicopter is closely monitored; above all, it
operation with large mirrors. Once the cable is must keep clear of a virtual 30o cone centered on
hooked, the helicopter rises vertically to unroll the the target, to avoid any misfires that may break
300m cable until the target lifts off the ground. the towing cable. The danger is that the loose
Once the target is lifted, the helicopter heads to target may fall and crash on the firing helicopter.
the training area at a speed of around 100kts. In any case, positioning on the 7 or 8 o’clock
Stabilized by the tetraplan, the recorder remains relative to the target is the same as would be used
horizontal low and behind the helicopter, which is in a real life interception situation. The distance
limited to 30° bank. to the target during real life interception can vary
The Secapem TAC 100 target is very similar to but is usually between 50 and 200 meters. The
the ones used by fast jets for air to air gunnery. marksman sits at the door with the team leader
The main body, a thick metallic envelope, houses a holding him tightly with his arms and legs and
sound recorder, battery, GPS and a datalink which acting as a stabilizer. The firing position is said to
transmits in real-time the information collected by be stable, although it could be improved in the
the sound recorder. Behind it, looking like a kite near future with the use of the ‘Strike’ weapon
and acting as a stabilizer, an X-shaped piece of support. This support was developed at the
clothing is called the ‘tetraplan.’ The blackened request of the French Special Forces for firing a
section of the tetraplan is the real target for the heavy caliber precision weapon from the Gazelle.
shooters. But it is not uncommon that the main All the participants agree to say that the
body receives some hits, damaging one or several Fennec is well suited to the exercise. In some
of its hi-tech parts. The sound recorder detects the instances, Pumas were used by MASA teams.
bullet and calculates the precision using the noise These helicopters, of course, provided more space
made by the projectiles. The recorded distance is in the cabin for the marksmen. But the Fennec
sent in real time to the controller’s tablet computer present an excellent compromise between speed,
who can immediately note the result. “Every 40 agility and cost. The helicopter is also very stable
shots, we compute an average of the best 30” and flies with a low level of vibration, a guarantee
explains Dan. “The result must be inferior to the for a good firing accuracy. “An ideal helicopter for
meter to qualify the marksman. We not only note us,” concludes Dan. v

90 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
JACK OF ALL TRADES - WITH A ROTOR
The Fennec is the military twin-engine version of the best seller Ecureuil (or
Astar in the USA), also known today as the H125. The French army operates
around 15 aircraft for IFR and multi-engine training from its Le Luc en Provence
flying school, in Southern France. The Air Force took delivery of some 40
helicopters between 1988 and 1994 to replace its last Alouette III. The Escadron
d’Hélicoptères EH 3/67 Paris helicopter squadron based at Villacoublay, near
Paris, has a dozen helicopters. The EH 5/67 Alpilles squadron, which also provides
training for the Air Force Fennec pilots, operates 24 helicopters from Orange
air force base, in Southern France. These helicopters carry a hoist and can be
armed with a side mounted 20mm gun, as were the ALAT’s Gazelle before them.
During operation Sangaris in Central African Republic, the air force deployed a
couple of Fennec which were used as a jack of all trades, flying reconnaissance
missions, close air support with the 20mm gun, casevac, light resupply for the
benefice of French forces on the move, etc. In some circumstances, the Fennec
were flying with a marksman teamed with a photo specialist. The specialist was
photographing the scenes of interest, had an immediate close look at the pictures
and the marksman was ready to deliver a support fire should the need arises.
Turned into a low cost and flexible armed reconnaissance asset, the Fennec was
very popular among the French forces.
The Fennecs are set to fly for another twenty years and squadrons are looking
to make the most of their performances and retrofit them with new missions
systems. “For Masa mission there is a clear need for better target detection,
improved imagery and capacity for real-time images downloading,” says the unit’s
commander. The French air force wants quickly to adapt a modern Optronic turret
with good detection capabilities for days and night missions. This turret could
be combined with a mobile display unit in the cabin that could be used either
by the pilots or the rear crew. As with the rotorcraft already used by the French
Gendarmerie, using a datalink would also facilitate the real-time transfer of images
to authorities or a command post on the ground.

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 91
 Ukraine’s army aviation
force saw an active
participation in the internal
conflict in Ukraine during 2014.
HeliOps Frontline looks at
the combat operations and the
lessons learned.
STORY BY A LE X M L A DE NOV A N D K R AS S M I R GROZ E V

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 93
 T he bloody and protracted
internal conflict in Ukraine
has seen the struggle of
a once mighty Ukrainian military force
NVG-capable helicopters has also made
it impossible for the Ukrainian forces
to conduct casualty evacuation and
resupply operations at night.
During almost five months of
that has failed to modernize its Soviet-
era air power by failing to field modern asymmetrical warfare the old-fashioned
day/night sensors, self-protection aids and cumbersome Ukrainian military
and precision-guided munitions. machine reportedly failed to suppress
A combination of poor and rigid the uprising of the pro-Russian
tactics, antiquated helicopters lack of separatists. As a result, the militia forces
any modern self-protection aids are of the separatists became powerful
cited as the main reasons for the losses enough to repulse the Ukrainian
in the 2014 internal conflict. Five Mi-24s offensive and encircle the Ukrainian
and five Mi-8s were written-off in four troops in several pockets around
months in low-intensity combat, while Lugansk and Donetsk, inflicting heavy
at least three additional Mi-24s and four losses. In early September 2014 the
Mi-8s sustained combat damages that warring parties agreed a truce, with the
required prolonged repair. Another Mi-8 separatists managing to retain control
was written-off in the combat zone due over their self-proclaimed Donetsk
to pilot error. All attack aircraft and and Lugansk people’s republics in the
helicopters types involved in the wide- easternmost part of the country, and
scale military operation against the pro- the situation remained unchanged by
Russian separatists in the easternmost early 2016.
provinces of Ukraine – Lugansk and
Donetsk - have proved susceptible to HELICOPTER OPERATIONS
ground-to-air threats such as small At the onset of hostilities the UkAA
arms, anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) or had a fleet of about 60 Mi-24s but no
man-portable air defence systems more than 20 of them were operable.
(MANPADS). The branch also had a fleet of between
The Kiev air power has also lacked 30 and 35 airworthy Mi-8MTs but only
any adequate night-operating capability 19 of these have been noticed in use
on the ground and in the air. This in turn inside the combat zone, in addition to
prevented the Ukrainian Army Aviation two National Guard of Ukraine’s (NGU)
(UkAA) branch to launch effective aviation service and six Ukrainian Air
attacks at night. This, as it could be Force (UkAF) examples.
guessed, gave a lot of freedom to the Maj Gen Valentin Pistruga, UkAA’s
pro-Russian separatists to undertake CO, said in front of Ukrainian aviation
their movements and regrouping at magazine, Aviatsia i Vremya, that the
night virtually unobstructed. service’s Mi-8MT tactical transport
There were also no assault transport helicopters have extensively been
helicopters with NVG-trained crews involved in medical evacuation
capable to infiltrate and exfiltrate (MEDEVAC), resupply and assault
special operations teams in insurgent- party delivery/recovery missions. Their
controlled areas to interrupt the enemy deployment was mainly to ferry troops
communications and supply channels, and supplies into areas inaccessible for
while doing this at daylight proved to ground transport, including right on
be a too risky business. The lack of the forward line and sometimes into

94 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 HELIOPS FRONTLINE 95
 enemy rear areas when dispatched to was launched on 24 April. The Ukrainian
resupply besieged troops and evacuate forces failed to wipe out the insurgent
casualties in hot zones. The Mi-24 attack checkpoints and have sustained loses of
force was involved in close air support military equipment, taken as war trophy
missions to support the offensive of the of the militants. All UkAA, UkAF and
Ukrainian ground forces and escort the NGU helicopters used in the operations
troop-carrying Mi-8s. in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions
When speaking about aircrew received rapid visual ID markings in the
training, Maj Gen Pistruga has boasted form of two white-colored wide vertical
that all UkAA pilots who flew combat stripes on the tail boom; in fact, these
missions in eastern Ukraine had in stripes were applied for the first time in
excess of 1,000 flight hours under their March during the height of the Crimea
belts and were regarded as well-fit for crisis.
combat. The UkAA used its helicopter
force in anger against the separatist
HIPS AND HINDS IN ACTION militia for the first time on 15 April,
The initial ground clashes with supporting the ground forces offensive.
exchange of fire around Slavyansk This involved an airborne assault with
and Kramatorsk took place between Mi-8MT tactical transport helicopters
17 and 20 April. Then the first massed escorted by Mi-24s, aimed at taking
large-scale ground assault against the control of Kramatorsk airfield – it was a
defensive positions set up by the pro- combat zone largely controlled by pro-
Russian separatists around Slavyansk Russian militants at the time. The initial

96 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
Ukrainian air assault operation was a During the assault, the attackers
success but insurgents soon began encountered a large number of die-
taking measures to block helicopter hard pockets of resistance at hardened
resupply operations in to the combat checkpoints and eventually failed to
zone. The first Ukrainian loss was penetrate insurgent defenses. Mi-8MT
reported ten days later, on 25 April, helicopters were used once again
when an Mi-8MT, laden with munitions, to deliver an airborne assault to the
took a hit from sniper fire just before strategically important Krachun-
take-off from Kramatorsk airfield with Mogila Heights overlooking the city of
rotors turning. There are different Slavyansk and its vicinity, with top cover
accounts, some of them claiming that provided by pairs of Mi-24s. In this
the militants used an anti-tank guided battle, the pro-Russian militants for the
missile or an unguided rocket-propelled first time used 9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grouse)
grenade to destroy the Hip-H. The man-portable air defence systems
helicopter crew of three managed (MANPADS). This proved to be a major
to escape from the burning machine unpleasant surprise for the Ukrainian
before it was consumed by fire. helicopter aircrews, resulting in two
The next series of UkAA combat UkAA Mi-24Ps being shot down. These
losses were sustained during a major Hind-Fs were involved in supporting
escalation of violence in the crisis – in the ground push by performing show
the second massed ground assault of force over Slavyansk. Five crewmen
launched against the city of Slavyansk were killed and only the weapon system
in the early morning hours on 2 May. operator (WSO) of one of the Mi-24Ps

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 97
 had managed to bail out and survived by truck to the helicopter repair facility
albeit suffering wounds. Both Hind-Fs lost at Konotop, where it had been restored
on 2 May belonged to the 16th Aviation to airworthy condition.
Brigade (AvB) stationed at Brody, and Another Mi-24P, this time
those crewmembers killed were among belonging to the 11th AvB stationed
the most experienced in the unit. at Tchernobaevka, sustained serious
In addition to the Mi-24Ps, an Mi-8MT combat damage three days later around
flying near Slavyansk was seriously Slavyansk while trying to search and
damaged by small arms fire while destroy hardened checkpoints set-up
returning to the base after delivering by the separatist militia just outside the
an assault party in to the combat zone. city. This time, the damage was caused
It took no less than 20 hits when flying by hits from heavy-caliber machine gun
over a highway with several militant (HMG) fire, with the Hind-F losing both
checkpoints. The damaged Hip-H made hydraulic systems. The pilot had nothing
a forced landing in the field and was to do but to crash-land the machine in a
subsequently dismantled and transported swampy area. The three crew members

98 HELIOPS FRONTLINE
 UKAA’S COMBAT RECORD
In total, as Maj Gen Pistruga claimed, the UkAA has amassed more than 8,000 combat sorties,
most of these reported between 15 April and 5 September 2014. The total combat flight time
logged by the branch amounted to about 8,000 flight hours. During the most intense combat
operations in June, July and August - such as the battles of Slavyansk and Saur-Mogila height -
the Mi-8MT fleet was used for delivering many assault parties directory on the forward line and
providing subsequently resupply of ammunition. It also saw extensive use in the medevac role,
transporting wounded troops from the forward positions to the field hospitals in the rear areas. In
the busiest days, the Mi-8MT aircrews amassed up to six combat missions, flown mostly in daylight.
Among the most effective UkAA operations in the conflict, as Maj Gen Pistruga claimed, were
those to deliver assault parties directly on to the front line at Saur-Mogila height as well as an
assault party delivery and air attacks on the separatists occupying the new terminal at Donetsk
Airport which inflicted sensible losses on May 26.

were promptly recovered by an UkAA It was a helicopter used before in a

Mi-8MT, and soon after the damaged peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone,
machine was destroyed by a Su-25 still wearing its ‘UN’ tittle on fuselage
attack aircraft with 80mm rockets, sides but also adorned with dark
in order to prevent its capture by the blue tail boom stripes introduced for
militants. rapid visual ID in the combat zone.
On May 13, the UkAA Mi-8MTs and Appearance of a helicopter with ‘UN’
Mi-24s were called in action once again titles on the battlefield caused a lot of
- the transport helicopters conducted confusion and noise when it was seen
a medevac mission at the site of an on video footage. That is why, shortly
ambush staged by the insurgents near afterwards all white UkAA Mi-24s and
the village of Oktybarskoe, situated Mi-8s received camouflage paint in
some 11nm (20km) south of Kramatrosk. green and brown shades with light blue
Two Hinds were seen providing top undersides. In addition the serials of all
cover to the medevac Mi-8MT and one helicopters involved in the ‘anti-terrorist
of these was a white painted Mi-24R. operation’ (ATO) were painted over,

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 99
 replaced by the so-called ‘fake’ serials heavy casualties. The Ukrainian attack
applied on paper sheets on the cabin jets and helicopters used the element of
windows. surprise to heavily pound the terminal
building, featuring largely glass and
DONETSK AIRPORT CLASH steel frame construction, which offered
little or no protection for the militants
One of the few occasions of effective
who also lacked effective air defence
use of the Mi-24 in the conflict was the
weapons. This allowed the UkAA Hinds
clash at Donetsk Airport on 26 May. This
to strafe with impunity from close
saw an airborne assault party delivered
distance.
by four Mi-8MTs, while at least two pairs
All the aircraft flying low in the battle
of Mi-24s mounted a series of attack
zone dispersed flares all the time in
passes, unleashing rockets and cannon
order to avoid heat-seeking MANPADS
rounds against the newly-built terminal
and reported suppression of at least
building occupied by militants from the
one ZU-23 twin-barrel 23mm anti-
so-called Vostok battalion, inflicting

OUTSET OF THE CONFLICT IN EASTERN UKRAINE

The pro-Russian separatist movement in Ukraine’s easternmost two provinces began in March
2014, just after the annexation of Crimea peninsula by Russia and the inauguration of the interim
government in Kiev. In early April anti-government activists, eager their regions to follow the
example set by breakaway Crimea, proceeded with an occupation of the most important government
and security services headquarters in the large industrial cities of Donetsk and Lugansk. Then the
self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk people’s republics voted for independence from Ukraine in
the first half of April 2014. The two non-recognized breakaway provinces (which later formed a loose
federation known as Novorossia) have immediately started to establish their own militia self—defence
forces, staffed by both volunteers coming from Russia and locals of Russian nationality. The overall
military aim of the anti-Kiev forces in the breakaway republics was to draw Russia more overtly into
the conflict (as was the case in Crimea), through wide-ranging military assistance, including direct
armed intervention or some sort of peacekeeping mission directed and managed by Moscow.
The situation in the breakaway provinces heated to a boiling point after a group of lightly armed
Russian volunteers led by Col (Ret) Igor Gyrkin-Strelkov (a former Federal Security Service officer
with a rich combat experience under his belt) had managed to establish control over the large city
of Slavyansk, some 51nm (95km) north of Donetsk on April 12. Two days later, members of the same
separatist group, reinforced by local volunteers, seized control over the nearby city of Kramatorsk.
In a prompt response to the escalation of the separatist movement in Lugansk and Donetsk
regions, the Ukrainian government declared the beginning of a wide-scale ‘anti-terrorist operation’
(ATO) on April 14. Its chief aim was to retake the urban centres in the easternmost provinces
controlled by the separatist militants, wiping out the self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk people’
republics.

100 HELIOPS FRONTLINE

aircraft gun emplacement defending the for repair to the large helicopter
terminal. The insurgents are known to maintenance plant at Konotop.
have fired at least one MANPAD against The Ukrainian authorities initially
the attacking Su-25s and Mi-24P/ announced that only two Mi-24s
VPs but it missed its intended targets. sustained heavy damage during the
In this battle however, UkAA attack battle for Slavyansk, and that their
helicopters were observed operating at crews survived the forced landings. One
500 to 650ft (150 to 200m) altitude, of the three recovered Hips took hits by
conducting long and shallow firing 23mm AAA while and the other two are
passes which has rendered them easy believed to have been knocked out by
targets for small arms, MANPADS and MANPADS. There is a reasonably good
AAA. This way, the chief factor for amateur video footage recorded from
success of the air attacks during this several miles away on 4 June showing
battle was the weak air defence of an Mi-24 hit and subsequent crash
Vostok battalion rather than the suitable landing. This unlucky Hind was flying a
tactics and skilled crews. racetrack pattern in a pair with another
Mi-24 and took the missile hit from
LOSSES CONTINUE TO MOUNT behind while flying straight and level
at a slow speed and at about 500ft
UkAA helicopters continued to be
(150m) above terrain. The stricken
used heavily for resupply of the forces
Hind-F began pumping flares only
entrenched on the strategic Krachun-
after the detonation of the Igla missile
Mogila height in May and June. From
warhead next to the engine area and
there, Ukrainian spotters directed
continued doing so for some time even
artillery fire against separatist positions
after touching down the ground.
around and inside and around the city
On June 24, another UkAA Mi-8MT
of Slavyansk. By mid-day on 29 May,
fell victim to an ambush set up by
an NGU Mi-8MT conducting a routine
a militant’s dedicated anti-air team,
re-supply mission to Krachun-Mogila
exactly in the same area where Gen
was shot down on the return leg by
Kulchitskiy’s helicopter had been
the insurgents using an Igla MANPAD.
gunned down nearly a month before.
The helicopter delivered supplies to the
The doomed Hip-H took an Igla hit
forward line in the vicinity of Slavyansk
just after take-off from Krachun-
and on the return flight it took on board
Mogila Heights, and the impact with
a special operations team headed by
ground killed all nine people on-board,
Maj Gen Sergey Kulchitskiy, head of
including the three crew members,
NGU’s combat training department.
two special operations troops and four
The helicopter was brought down when
security services operatives.
it took an Igla hit soon after takeoff.
Upon impact with the ground, all ten
passengers and two crewmembers
MODERN SELF-PROTECTION
perished. The co-pilot survived the
SYSTEMS IN SHORT SUPPLY
crash with bad wounds. UkAA Hinds and Hips used in the
The period between 3 and 5 June conflict were equipped with defensive
saw an Mi-24 fully destroyed and three aids of 1980s-vintage, made of four to
more examples suffering heavy damage six ASO-2V 32-round flare dispensers,
during another massed and ultimately L-166V-1A Lipa IR jammer and EVU
unsuccessful ground offensive against exhaust-mixer boxes over exhaust
Slavyansk. On 4 June The Mi-24P ducts for protection of heat-seeking
had a bad crash landing after taking MANPADS. This kind of simple and
combat damage from ground fire and rather obsolete aids proved ill-suited
was rapidly consumed by fire but its against new-generation MANPADS such
wounded pilot managed to escape, as the 9K38 Igla deployed in a massed
dragging out from the cockpit the badly manner by the militants.
wounded WSO. Three other Hinds, At the onset of the conflict, all Mi-24s
which crash-landed after taking hits in and Mi-8MTs flew in the combat zone
this battle were successfully recovered without engine exhaust duct mixers that
from the battle zone to be dispatched suppress IR emissions and thus shorten

HELIOPS FRONTLINE 101

 MANPADS lock-on range. Only after the heat-seeking missiles, in combination
first series of painful losses in May and with flares and engine exhaust mixers.
June most of the rotorcraft operating These otherwise affordable anti-missile
in the troubled regions received EVU systems, however, were donated to
exhaust mixers. All Mi-8MTs also the branch by Ukrainskiye Vertolety,
sported makeshift additional protection a commercial helicopter operator
of their glazed cockpit, with a pack of which uses leased UkAA and MoI
armored vests covering all downward helicopters for operations in support
and sideward windows to prevent hits of UN humanitarian and peacekeeping
from small-arms projectiles coming missions in Africa. According to Maj
from bellow and forward. Gen Pistruga, the Adros KT-01AV IR
Maj Gen Pistruga claimed that the jammer alone could not be regarded as
lack of a clearly-defined front-line in a 100% effective solution for ensuring
the restive regions was among the protection from modern MANPADS.
chief factors that rendered impossible Despite this assertion, he revealed that
the UkAA to deploy any more or there were two occasions when the
less suitable threat evasion tactics. new jammer has protected the carrier
The helicopters flew their attack helicopters as separatist-fired missiles
and combat missions over own and are reported to have missed their
separatist-held territory remaining intended targets.
exposed to ground fire most of the The Mi-24 force involved in the
time throughout the mission. In such operation fired S-8 80mm rockets in
conditions, helicopters took enemy addition to 23mm and 30mm cannon
fire when flying over both territories rounds, while Shturm-V (AT-6 Spiral)
as there were anti-air teams of the anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs)
separatists operating within Ukrainian were employed on rare occasions
rear areas and therefore the threat was only, when point targets had to be hit.
omnipresent. This anti-air tactic was Among the few known instances of
used to a great effect on June 24 ATGM employment in the conflict was
when an UkAA Mi-8MT was brought an attack on May 5 mounted against a
down by MANPADS near Slavyansk makeshift armored and armed train of
immediately after take-off while flying the separatists in Donetsk region.
over territory supposedly controlled by In July and August, UkAA Mi-8MTs
the Ukrainian forces. used for tactical transport and medevac
At the same time Maj Gen Pistruga commenced operations with forward-
acknowledged that the lack of effective firing weapons for self-defense such
self-protection aids to counter the as B8M1 80mm rocket packs or GUV
separatist MANPADS threat was gun-pods, containing a four-barrel
among the chief issues encountered YaKB-12.7 machine guns and two four-
by the UkAA throughout the entire barrel 7.62mm GShG machine guns. In
‘anti-terror’ operation. Despite the addition, most Mi-8MTs were armed
promise of the Chief of the Ukrainian with a cockpit-mounted and rear-
Armed Forces General Staff for an mounted 7.62mm machine-guns for
urgent delivery of effective IR jammers, self-defense.
given after the first helicopter loses By the end of the active phase
in early May, such deliveries never of the conflict, as Maj Gen Pistruga
materialized, presumably due to the claimed, the UkAA has received a
heavy procurement bureaucracy yet undisclosed number of upgraded
plaguing Ukraine’s MoD. As it was, Mi-24PU-1 helicopters with improved
only five sets of the combat-proven targeting and self-protection suite
Adros KT-01AV omnidirectional IR (believed to be between one and three).
jammer (manufactured by the local At that time, the service also had six
company Andron based in Kiev) were aircrews trained to fly the Mi-24PN-1
eventually taken on strength by the in night missions on NVGs; in addition,
UkAA for installation onto Mi-24s, there were several crews qualified for
replacing the reportedly ineffective NVG operations on modified Mi-8MTs.
Lipa. The KT-01AV is advertised as These new capabilities however, were
being effective against man-portable never been used in anger during the

102 HELIOPS FRONTLINE

 AGE OF T

100
ER H
V E
O

H
EL
L
GLOBA

ICOPTER
ISSUE
S

G
IN

IN
R
E D
U
IV ST
RY• DEL

The HeliOps 100th Issue Anniversary Poster

is a must have collectable for anyone who is
involved in the helicopter industry – civil or
military. Its a collection of some amazing paint
schemes of some operators we have worked
with over the years. There is a limited print run
on our 100th Anniversary Issue Poster so
grab yours while you can. They make a great
addition to your office, hangar, home or as a
gift for friends and colleagues.
HELIOPS FRONTLINE 103
 active phase of the conflict which helicopter losses on 3-5 May that
ended on September 5. included three Mi-24s and then on 3-4
June with another Hind brought down
LAST SERIES OF LOSSES and three more sustaining
Another peak of rotary-wing losses, heavy damage, the UkAA aircrews
preassembly due to the more intense adopted a set of improved survivability
combat operations during the counter- measures. The Mi-24s commenced
offensive of the pro-Russian separatists, flying at tree-top level, while firing
was reported between August 7 and 20, rockets and cannons at enemy targets
comprising no fewer than three Mi-8MTs wherever possible outside the lethal
and one Mi-24VP. range of the MANPADS and 23mm
The first Mi-8MT was brought down anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) operated
on August 7 near Manuilovka in Donetsk by the militants. This overtly cautious
region by small arms fire while on a combat employment tactics, as
casualty evacuation mission (in fact, no could be expected, proved not so
wounded troops were transported and effective, but the survivability rate
only three crew members were onboard nevertheless improved.
at the time of the shoot down). The During the most intense battles in
helicopter crash-landed on separatist- July and August, only one Mi-24 was
held territory and was abandoned. The lost when flying in a hot zone saturated
second Hip-H was damaged from small with modern air defence weapons.
arms fire two days later; it suffered This ill-fated Mi-24VP was brought
projectile hits in one engine, cockpit and down on August 20 in the vicinity of
cabin area and the co-pilot was badly Georgievka village in Lugansk region,
wounded. The damaged helicopter while attempting to attack separatist
with on engine inoperative landed on positions; the pilot and WSO were
territory controlled by own forces. Three killed. The second Hind in the pair,
days later the badly wounded co-pilot however, managed to escape from
died in the hospital while the helicopter the incoming missiles by descending
was recovered and sent for repair to the down to rooftop level in urban area.
Konotop-based plant. On August 27, a Mi-8MT heavy laden
Another Mi-8MT was damaged with troops and munitions crashed
by small arms fire on August 18 near on landing due to pilot error near the
Georgievka village and made an village of Alanovka in Donetsk region.
emergency landing. The crewmembers It hit the ground hard turning on its port
escaped intact and continued flying side sustaining irreparable damages.
combat missions on the next day. Two more Mi-8MTs were claimed
Their new helicopter, however, was by the pro-Russian insurgents on
immediately gunned down once again September 1 as hit by artillery fire
while flying in the same area, and this at their forward operating base at
time the aircrew had less luck, surviving Litugino in Lugansk region, but this
the crash landing with serious wounds. information has never been confirmed
After the first series of painful by Ukrainian sources. v

104 HELIOPS FRONTLINE

 Presenting Heliops Frontline Downloads
Click on the covers to have access to a whole new world
of possibilities at your fingertips.
Save it to iBooks, Kindle or any PDF reader – your magazine, your choice.

www.heliopsmag.com/magazine-downloads
© 2015 BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.

21ST CENTURY MULTI-ROLE CAPABILITY

With every mission, the Bell AH-1Z and UH-1Y earn the reputation of being the most capable attack and utility helicopters flying
today. Individually or combined, these helicopters accomplish a wide array of missions, effectively and efficiently, anywhere in the
world. The Bell AH-1Z and UH-1Y – among the most combat-effective and survivable aircraft on the modern battlefield.

BELLHELICOPTER.COM