Page 18 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

helicopters, and ‘acceptable risk’ seems to
the commander’s intent with the given
acceptable level of risk.
The mission’s parameters are
determined by time and distance. Do you
have all the airframes you need available?
Do aircrews have the appropriate amount
of experience? How’s their level of crew
rest? Do any additional assets need to be
brought into the theater? Do you have
the flexibility and versatility required to
meet your objective with the assets and
personnel your plan includes?
Effective DT has a high price tag as
it applies to flow of information and
resource allocation. The targeting and
assessment portions are especially
intensive, as your high-value target
(HVT) could have a last-minute change
to travel plans, weather could come into
play negatively, as could factors such as
the phase of the moon. Your assessment
needs to include the things like the
current posture of the opposing force,
as well as their capabilities and known
tactics, techniques and procedures. What’s
their leadership like? What about the
specific HVT? Have you covered centers
of gravity and specific vulnerabilities?
What about habits and pattern of life?
How many people are around for close
protection? Has an attempt to deal with
him been made before? If so, how recent
was the attempt?
Threat picture considerations
DT missions can be wrought with peril,
and most of that has more to do with
the operational environment than actual
actions on the objective. If you are public
enemy number one, and you know this,
you’re going to have protection. If you’ve
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be teetering precariously on the edge of
‘ridiculous and stupid’.
Which of those is the larger risk? While
the ‘Growler’ and ‘Greyhound’ SAMs
are really, really high on the scary scale,
perhaps the fighters are a bigger concern?
A double-digit SAM may be nothing to
scoff at, but they do have limitations,
and particular targeting criteria. If I’m a
fighter pilot covering a mission like this,
I’m probably a bit more worried about a
‘Flanker’ rolling into the operating area.
In the target area itself, the terrain
is sloped, features all manner of large
rocks, and is surrounded by olive groves.
The uneven terrain, trees, and boulders
present a significant impediment to the
insertion and extraction of the assault
force, perhaps even preventing the
helicopters from landing. As is said in the
allied yourself with state-controlled trade, ‘Getting there is half the fun.’
agencies, either foreign or domestic,
chances are you’re going to have a lot of it. Inbound ‘hot’
If you recall Operation ‘Neptune Spear’ At any altitude or time, the noise is
— the mission to go after Osama bin constant and penetrating. The MH-47G
Laden — the infiltration route had the Chinook is a massive helicopter, creating
assault force flying nap-of-the-earth a wall of sound that can be heard from
through some of the highest mountains a long way off. The pitch of that noise
on the planet, through heavily defended increases with power modulation, so
airspace in three different countries. it gets higher as you take off and the
At the actual objective, the Pakistani pilots are throttling up, or as you climb.
Military Academy was less than a mile During descent into the landing zone,
down the road. The Pakistani Air Force the throttles come back and it lowers,
was — and still is — equipped with but it never, ever goes away. The sharp
F-16s. The risk was significant enough increase of that pitch means a sharp
that two top-secret helicopters with low- power application when the pilots are
observable characteristics were used in maneuvering in the formation, avoiding
the operation. a mountain or other vertical terrain, or
In a more recent high-profile operation, halting a descent close to the ground.
when US forces raided a compound If you aren’t hooked to comms on the
housing the founder of so-called Islamic aircraft, which usually is only the team
State (IS), the infiltration portion of the leader and the USAF joint terminal attack
mission was incredibly challenging — controller (JTAC), the ear-splitting noise is
similar to ‘Neptune Spear’. Operation the only interface you have with the state
‘Kayla Mueller’ included overflight of of the aircraft or the flight itself.
mountainous terrain at low level and Imagine for a moment being on
high speed, through airspace and over that beast: if you look around in the
terrain heavily defended by Syria, Turkey, interior, almost 20 guys are packed into
and the Russian Federation. the helicopter, and perhaps a military
The surface threats alone in that part working dog or two. All the operators
of Syria are nightmarish, including the would be dressed pretty much alike:
SA-21 and SA-22 surface-to-air missile combat uniforms; hiking boots of
systems (SAMs). Both boast a very high various makes; webbing adorned with
probability of kill as well as advanced med kits, breaching tools, and spare
search and fire control radars designed magazines; GPNVG-18 panoramic night
to detect low-observable aircraft such vision goggles firmly affixed to Wilcox
as the F-22 and F-35. Not only can those mounts on OpsCore helmets; and a pretty
systems target aircraft, but they can standard weapons array — short-barreled
defend themselves and target munitions M4 rifles with suppressors, as well as a
fired at them. Throw in Russian fighters smattering of other weapons to deal with
— including Su-35s — and attack possible contingencies.
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