Air Corps warriorness

[Imshi-Yallah]

Airframes aside what does the IAC need to turn it back from the most abused and least warlike (No disrespect for airmen or operational officers) service into a field worthy service capable of the holy grail of deploying air components overseas as part of our UNSAS or RRF contribution?

What kind of training is required for pilots and ground crews, how long would it take to reach an operational standard and where can it be got?

An increase in tactical training in terms of threat avoidance and appreciation and enhanced emphasis on planning of missions from HQ down would be a good start and I believe is being looked at. In addition, the ability to fly with NVG is a requisite and could be easily obtained and trained for, depending on airframe compatibility, of course.

Survival training is an area that could be expanded into the escape and evasion side which can be proveded by the BA or the ARW.

Depending on their tasks, Forward Air Control and Artillery Fire Control could be useful, but as I think I have said before, many of the required skills are already there, and just require direction and application to military tasks.

[FiannaFail]

I agree with you  scorpy and that would only be for starters!However we have to start somewhere to get where we want to be!!
FiannaFail '>

[John K]

Hey Scorpy, I remember as a heli crewman back in the early '80s we used to take up an Artillery Officer to do forward Control, where he would give instructions to the line of artillery (I think they were 155mm howitzers or something like that) once he was happy with where the shots were falling he'd order all guns to fire and we'd pop up from the hollow where we'd been hovering to witness half a mountain dissappear. Don't they still do this in Heli Sqn?

[Imshi-Yallah]

Quote (scorpy @ 04 May 2004,10:51)

In addition, the ability to fly with NVG is a requisite and could be easily obtained and trained for, depending on airframe compatibility, of course.

Is flying with NVG something that requires aviation specific equipment or is it simply a case of getting used to flying in the same NVGs Joe Infantry is wearing?

Quote

Survival training is an area that could be expanded into the escape and evasion side which can be proveded by the BA or the ARW.

I recall seeing a documentary on RAF crew survival training, the only problem with doing it here is having a big enough training area, lets face it you could walk through the glen in a day of good going.

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Depending on their tasks, Forward Air Control and Artillery Fire Control could be useful, but as I think I have said before, many of the required skills are already there, and just require direction and application to military tasks.

This must be one of the few tasks that IAC is sufficiently equipped for, other than some fancy sensor sets to work with the AMSTARs you don't need much else.

Oh an John K we use 105mm and 88mm guns not howitzers, and certainly not in 155 L45...you'd have been shaking Patricia McKennas fillings out.

[Frank]

Hi Ishmi,

Aircraft need to be made NVG capable by replacing all the lighting in the cockpit / cabin (and I think externally too) with special lighting that will not cause the Night Vision Goggles to flare up.

I don't know if you've ever used NVG but basically what they do is amplify all available light into a visible image and if someone shines a bright light or torch at you the goggles will white (or green) out, rendering the goggles temporarily useless.  That's why special lighting is needed, I think it removed all lighting hotspots from the goggles field of view.

The effect is similar to driving at night for a long distance without seeing any other traffic when suddenly a car comes around the corner towards you and blinds you because your iris is wide open from the constant darkness and can't close fast enough to adjust for the sudden bright light.


Regards,

Frank.

[Imshi-Yallah]

Yeah I've used civvy and military NVE on a number of occasions, I was aware of the compatible cockpit lighting alright just wasnt sure if it was a factor in our case.
How much effort would it be to have it fitted to whatever the next rotary asset is

[Frank]

Hi Ishmi,

I wouldn't say it would be too much trouble to include it on the production line but it could take a bit of time and money to retrofit the special lighting.

Can't be sure though, I don't know exactly what the proper process is.


Regards,

Frank.

[John K]

Thanks Imshi, like I said those army type things weren't my sort of thing, very impressive though!
I remember using some infra red binoculars from an Allouette 3 during the Don Tidy kidnapp operation. We guided some troops into bushes to find two terrorists masquerading as sheared sheep!

Modern aircraft are essentially all NVE compatible, but retrofitting is possible. You just have to figure out if it is worth it in terms of losing the aircraft to servicing for an extended time.

FF, we are essentially at a good start point for many of the items I mentioned, and there is a lot of work going on in developing new syllabi and courses to beef up previous experiences and old courses. From the Artillery pov, it hasn't been done for a while, but in the future, the heli won't need an arty observer to call corrections for 105s etc because the pilot will be capable of doing it.

For survival trg, any major mountain range could be used because it is essentially a hound and hares effort without use of ammunition or pyros - therefore, the troops are no more than hillwalkers. The slieveblooms or galtees would be ideal.

Other areas to look at would be to have at least on pilot in the heli side fully up to speed with AH tactics so if necessary, he could advise ground commanders on their employment. This could involve sending him to the USMC or Army Air Corps in the UK to undergo an AH conversion cse. By the same arguement, at least one fixed wing pilot should go on a fighter / bomber tactics course with the RAF.

The other major training developments would depend on equipment replacement, which has already been gone into in other threads.

[alpha foxtrot 07]

air corps pilots have already undergone escape and evasion training in the uk, so thats one area where we already have a poll of knowledge.

[John K]

We used to drop off Rangers in the back of beyond in Mayo! According to the Ordnance Survey over here in the UK the most remote place in Britain is still only 7 miles from the nearest road, well in some parts of Mayo that figure could easily be doubled! And of course even if you did meet up with a yokel (playing his banjo) he only speaks a rare dialect of Gaelic so you wouldn't be able to get any help! Ideal NATO survival territory!

[Imshi-Yallah]

Erm shouldnt the FACs be provided by whatever AF is providing the FB support?

FACs have to be able to interface with whatever is on call at the time. It is also not unheard of for impromptu FACs to take over the control of a situation in an emergency. This greatly enhances the situational awareness of the incoming strike crews and therefore the chances of success of a mission. Would it not be an advantage to have IAC FACs to act in this capacity if required?

[Imshi-Yallah]

Of course, but you know and I know there would be non military obstacles.
I mean I'd have no objection to an expeditionary CAS, FAC and Recce role for 4 PC9s but thats not going to happen in current circumstances.