American Journal of Applied Science and Technology
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https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajast
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue01 2025
PAGE NO.
21-24
10.37547/ajast/Volume05Issue02-07
Modern approaches to the combat use of combined
aircraft units in tactical groups
Rakhimov Murod Jumabaevich
Head of the Department of Tactics and Special Disciplines, Military Aviation Institute of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Parmonov Baxtiyor Saribayevich
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Tactics and Special Disciplines of the Military aviation institute of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Received:
17 December 2024;
Accepted:
19 January 2025;
Published:
21 February 2025
Abstract:
This article analyzes the views of foreign military experts on the procedure for using helicopter units in
modern armed conflicts and the development of tactics for helicopter aviation operations, both independently
and in conjunction with other types of aviation. Special attention is given to the nature of helicopter unit actions
in both offensive and defensive operations, as well as the tactics for helicopter aviation operations, whether
conducted independently or as part of joint operations within mixed UAV-aircraft-helicopter groups. In such
groups, the presence of helicopters and unmanned reconnaissance systems with real-time information
transmission has become mandatory.
Keywords:
Unmanned aerial vehicle, helicopter aviation, joint operations, air strike group, effectiveness, battle
formation, combat capabilities of helicopter aviation.
Introduction:
The Experience of Foreign Countries in
the Use of Helicopter Aviation in Local Wars and
Armed Conflicts
The experience of using helicopter aviation by foreign
countries in local wars and armed conflicts allows for
the conclusion that, overall, it has demonstrated high
mobility and combat effectiveness when planning and
executing combat tasks in cooperation with other
branches of the Air Force.
However, the actions of helicopter units and
formations were mostly limited in scope. Typically,
helicopters carried out tasks directly on the front line
and in the tactical depth of the battlefield, as well as in
hard-to-reach areas within their territory, detecting
and eliminating bandit formations, terrorist groups,
and other threats. Additionally, helicopter units were
responsible for airlifting troops to eliminate small
bandit groups and provide fire support with onboard
weapons during combat missions. Various special tasks
were also performed to ensure the logistical and
humanitarian needs of troops and civilians by
transporting supplies to regions with unstable
situations.
In the context of limited military operations, the use of
helicopter units would be justified. However, in local or
large-scale warfare, the use of helicopter units in all
types of combat operations, both offensive and
defensive, will have specific features depending on the
following factors:
•
The tasks of the combined arms unit or
formation;
•
The combat composition, position, and
capabilities of enemy forces regarding air defense (AD)
and aviation cover;
•
Meteorological conditions and the nature of
the terrain in the operational area;
•
The level of training of the flight crew, and
other considerations.
In this context, the clear organization of joint actions
between ground forces and helicopter aviation in
modern conditions becomes especially significant.
According to military experts, helicopter aviation is
most effectively employed in difficult-to-access, rugged
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American Journal of Applied Science and Technology (ISSN: 2771-2745)
terrain. Its high mobility allows it to easily traverse
hard-to-reach areas and water obstacles, launching
strikes from any direction on targets located in areas
inaccessible to other types of forces. It is believed that
the speed and flexibility of helicopter aviation actions
have a psychological impact on the enemy, reducing
the combat effectiveness of their forces.
In offensive operations, helicopter units participate in
massed fire strikes and, as they approach the enemy,
are integrated into the covering forces to conduct
reconnaissance
and
enhance
their
anti-tank
capabilities. During an offensive, reconnaissance UAVs
(Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and attack helicopters
operate across a wide area in front of the line of contact
and on the flanks of the main forces, aiming to uncover
the enemy's combat composition, weak points in their
defense, and ensure the timely and effective
employment of attack helicopters within the air
echelon.
Reconnaissance can be carried out by zones, areas, and
routes, divided into tactical (up to 10-25 km) and, less
frequently, into the nearest operational depth (up to
100 km using UAVs). Reconnaissance UAVs detect
targets for strikes, adjust artillery fire, and guide attack
aircraft and helicopters onto targets. Additionally, if
equipped with weapons, they can strike identified
targets while carrying out reconnaissance tasks.
Attack helicopters follow reconnaissance UAVs, using
the masking properties of the terrain, and remain on
standby to be deployed into combat.
To inflict the maximum possible losses on the enemy in
the shortest time, simultaneous strikes by two to three
tactical groups of attack helicopters can be conducted.
If sustained pressure on the enemy is required over a
long period, sequential strikes are carried out according
to the "one-third rule" (one-third attacking, one-third
en route to strike, and one-third at the forward supply
point for ammunition and fuel). The helicopters can re-
engage the target after 45-60 minutes, depending on
the number of helicopters involved, to allow for
replenishment and combat readiness.
Today, with various types of aircraft in service, it is
possible to employ a brigade of attack helicopters
against an enemy tank brigade or a squadron against an
enemy tank battalion. For strikes on tank
concentrations, mixed aircraft-helicopter-UAV groups
can be used, for example, a pair of attack aircraft, a pair
of attack helicopters, and a pair of UAVs such as the
WING LONG 1 (see illustration). In this configuration,
UAVs conduct target search and target designation
with laser rangefinders and target designators, while
the attack aircraft suppress enemy air defense systems,
and attack helicopters locate and automatically track
targets up to
10 km away, allowing for strikes on the move.
Fig. Combat order of mixed aircraft-helicopter and UAV groups
The use of long-range guided weapons ensures high
strike accuracy and aircraft survivability, as it does not
enter the enemy's air defense zone. Additionally, the
helicopter itself can strike targets or air defense
systems, as well as jam radio communications. It is
believed that the deployment of such groups will
increase the effectiveness of attack aircraft and
helicopter aviation in combating tanks by 2-3 times,
while simultaneously reducing their own losses by 50%.
In modern conditions, during the offensive of the units
of the general forces, the reconnaissance (UAV) of
aviation will conduct reconnaissance to suppress the
firefighting and the vital force of the enemy,
concentrating the main efforts on destroying tanks and
other armoured targets, air defense and control system
elements, while carefully coordinating their actions and
3 – 5 minutes
5 – 7 minutes
Stormovik aircraft
aviation bombs
cannon
WING LONG 1
Unmanned Vehicle
Controllable Missiles
and Bombs
Combat helicopters
controllable anti-
tank missiles
Tank Elimination Squad
Air Defense Suppression Group
Exploration Team
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American Journal of Applied Science and Technology (ISSN: 2771-2745)
interacting with artillery units.
In
defensive
operations,
helicopter
and
reconnaissance (BPL) aviation is expected to be
involved
in the initial period to conduct reconnaissance
in the supply zone and block possible ways of advancing
enemy troops.
At the same time, the main efforts of reconnaissance
and helicopter aviation are focused on:
disclosure of exit routes of enemy attack helicopters;
artillery fire correction and others.
Attacking helicopter units are located in the security
zone directly in front of the contact lines or in the main
base area, as well as in the possible areas of their
combat use. Attacking helicopters are launched after
receiving intelligence and determining the direction of
the main attack on the most threatened areas in order
to destroy tanks and other objects of the enemy.
Using helicopter aviation in defense, the following
tasks must be solved:
prevent (decelerate) advancement and deployment of
enemy units, especially tank units;
to dismember, isolate and defeat advancing troops;
to prohibit the entry into battle of his second eshelons
(reserves).
Military conflicts and local fighters of recent years have
convincingly demonstrated the increasing role of not
only helicopter aviation in modern combat, but also the
joint actions of various types of aviation in solving
combat tasks.
According to American specialists, it is advisable to use
shock helicopters in the desert in groups of up to 10
units together with assault aircraft and independent
groups of up to 30-35 units (up to two battalions)
accompanied by reconnaissance UAVs. The joint use of
the AN-64A with the ON-58 helicopters allows for an
increase in the launch range of the PTUR to 8 km. The
AN-64A Apache helicopters were used not only against
armoured objects, but also to destroy small protected
objects.
During the operation in Yugoslavia in 1999, the AN-64A
Apache attack helicopters conducted reconnaissance
missions to study the area and flight routes, checked
the connection with the advanced reconnaissance
points located directly near the border. The crews
trained the tactics of attack helicopters from several
jump sites, prepared in the immediate vicinity of the
Albanian-Yugoslav border.
The possibility of interaction between AN-64A
helicopters and "Hunter" unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) has been tested in practice. During the joint
operations, intelligence was transferred from the
"Hunter" UAV to the ship
AN-64A through the ground control stations of the UAV
in a time scale close to reality. This enabled helicopter
crews to receive timely information about changes in
tactical conditions, locations
and the direction of potential targets, as well as
choosing the most optimal flight routes to the targets,
returning to the base and quickly receiving information
about the results of combat application of helicopter
aviation helicopters.
Analyzing the procedure for using helicopter units in
conjunction with other types of aviation in modern
combat conditions allows us to draw the following
conclusions:
the tactics of helicopter aviation were developed both
independently and jointly as part of mixed aircraft-
helicopter and reconnaissance (UAV) groups;
the presence of attack helicopters in such groups
became mandatory and unmanned reconnaissance
vehicles with real-time information transmission;
rational allocation of available forces and means
(application of tactics of actions of aviation groups
according to the rule of "one third");
jet helicopters were used to break through the enemy's
air defense system in a narrow area of combat to
ensure further aviation actions and reduce its losses;
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were used to conduct
reconnaissance of the area and provide reconnaissance
information in real time, in order to timely inform
about changes in the tactical situation and the results
of combat use of combined aircraft and helicopter
groups;
due to its high mobility, speed, and flexibility,
helicopter aviation is best used in inaccessible areas.
In mountainous and desert areas, it is advisable to use
shock helicopters in groups of up to 8 units together
with attack aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV), as well as independent groups of up to 30-35
units accompanied by reconnaissance (UAV).
CONCLUSION
The conducted research made it possible to assess the
combat capabilities and effectiveness of the actions of
not only helicopter aviation units in various situations,
but also to determine the prospective directions for the
development of tactics in joint combat operations with
ground troops and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as
possible ways to organize joint actions in modern
conditions by creating a mixed aircraft-helicopter and
reconnaissance (UAV) groups.
In addition, it is necessary to emphasize that the
provision of intelligence information from the UAV in
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American Journal of Applied Science and Technology (ISSN: 2771-2745)
real time ensures the timely and competent decision-
making of the command on the effective distribution of
forces and resources.
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2005. No. 10
Panov A. Brigades of helicopter aviation of the US land
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U.S. Army Field Charter EM 100-5. Conducting combat
operations. 0perations. Dept. of the Army. 1986.
Simonyan R.G. On offensive operations in the US army.
1989. No. 1, pp. 69-77.
