Page 70 - World Airnews Magazine April 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

by David Axe

The US Marine Corps’s AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter
possesses a little-known capability. In addition to attacking
ground and sea targets, they’re capable of fighting other
helicopters - and, in a pinch, even fixed-wing warplanes.
Tom Demerly, a writer for The Aviationist, was reminded
of this fact during an air show at Marine Corps Air Station
Pendleton in California in September 2019.
“The AH-1Z Viper gunship on static display had a
conspicuous armament package that drew many comments
and questions: a pair of what appeared to be inert AIM-9
Sidewinder air-to-air missiles,” Demerly wrote.
The AIM-9 is an infrared-guided dogfighting missile with
a maximum range of up to 22 miles in its latest version. [air-combat manoeuvers] training within the AH-1 community.”
“It’s a possible configuration,” one of the aircrew explained. “We Helicopter ACM training did not resume, although American
don’t train with them commonly, mostly for loading practice, but it AH-1s still can carry and fire Sidewinders and also could employ
is a capability we have and we wanted to show it.” their guns and unguided rockets in the air-to-air role.
The Viper flier might be overstating the rareness of air-to-air But absent specific training, it’s unclear how effective the
missiles on AH-1s.Photos from as recently as 2019 show AH-1s ‘copters would be as dogfighters. “In order to be an effective
carrying sidewinders while flying from US navy assault ships sailing [air-to-air warfare] platform, the AH-1 must be flown by aircrew
the Persian Gulf. that are knowledgeable and proficient in air combat maneuvers,”
And at least one country actually has deployed AH-1s in the Brady wrote.
air-to-air role during a major war. One Marine recently said the AH-1’s air-to-air role could expand,
“The 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War witnessed numerous helicopter thanks to the introduction of the F-35B stealth fighter.
air-combat engagements,” Marine major R. M. Brady wrote in Capt. Daniel Kelly, an AH-1Z pilot with Marine Light Attack
1992. Helicopter Squadron 169 in Okinawa told AIN that the F-35 helps
Marine forces to neutralize radar threats, making helicopters more
“During this war, Iranian AH-1s engaged Iraqi MI-8 Hip and MI-24 survivable in the aerial escort role.
Hind helicopters. Unclassified sources report that the Iranian AH-1
pilots achieved a 10:1 kill ratio over the Iraqi helicopter pilots The escort role involves AH-1s flying alongside transport
during these engagements. Additionally, Iranian AH-1 and Iraqi helicopters and tilt rotors in order to protect them from enemy
fixed-wing aircraft engagements also occurred.” forces. Those forces could include fixed-wing warplanes, or even
Brady noted that until the late 1980s the Marine Corps trained enemy helicopters firing air-to-air missiles.
its AH-1 pilots in air-to-air tactics, but halted the practice after *David Axe is defence editor of the National Interest. He is the
deciding that the training strained the helicopters’ airframes. He author of the graphic novels War Fix, War Is Boring and Machete
argued for the tactical training to resume. Squad. Q
“There must be a renewed emphasis within the Marine Corps
and [the U.S. Navy] on the importance of conducting realistic Article courtesy: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/

NEWS DIGITAL
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

The company completed the Chamber staff and their and all of their amazing
multiple flight tests of its proof- members for continuing to achievements in such a short
Bye Aerospace, developer of-concept eFlyer 2 airplane, recognise and provide services period of time.”
of the eFlyer family of FAA Part was featured in a Forbes article, that help support the challeng- The eFlyer family of aircraft,
23-certified all-electric aircraft, and launched collaboration es faced by small businesses including the 2-seat eFlyer 2
has received the Small Business with Oxis Energy to research every day.” and the 4-seat eFlyer 4, aims
of the Year award from the the benefit of significantly “It’s an exciting time at Bye to be the first FAA-certified,
increased energy density of
Aurora (Colorado) Chamber of the Oxis Lithium Sulfur battery Aerospace,” said Kevin Hougen, practical, all-electric airplanes
Commerce. technology. CEO of the Aurora Chamber of to serve the flight training and
Commerce.
general aviation markets.
In addition to being an “We are so grateful to the
“Their growth and achieve-
Bye Aerospace is an
active Chamber member, Bye Aurora Chamber for this ments are the results of hard innovator of sophisticated
Aerospace was recognised for honour,” said George E. Bye, work, a talented workforce and general aviation and aerospace
achieving significant milestones CEO of Bye Aerospace. the vision of George Bye. We technology, based in Denver,
in 2019. “My thanks to Kevin Hougen, are so proud of Bye Aerospace Colorado. Q
World Airnews | April Extra 2020
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