Aircraft turnaround times

[jenrick]

Sabre21: Thanks for the info.

Question for you: Would attack helo assets be released to the ground commander to utilize as additional units, or would they function more like fixed wing CAS where they can call in a target and wait for the helo's to deal with it? The modern usage of rotary assets for CAS is kind of a cross between the too. A commander can request rotary support, and if/when a flight gets assigned to him his TACP/JTAC/FAC can provide direction. I'd say there is a bit more granular control over rotary assets and how they prosecute a target then fixed wing, but in general they are left alone to do their thing. Historically was it similar?

-Jenrick

[Sabre21]

ORIGINAL: jenrick

Sabre21: Thanks for the info.

Question for you: Would attack helo assets be released to the ground commander to utilize as additional units, or would they function more like fixed wing CAS where they can call in a target and wait for the helo's to deal with it? The modern usage of rotary assets for CAS is kind of a cross between the too. A commander can request rotary support, and if/when a flight gets assigned to him his TACP/JTAC/FAC can provide direction. I'd say there is a bit more granular control over rotary assets and how they prosecute a target then fixed wing, but in general they are left alone to do their thing. Historically was it similar?

-Jenrick

During the 80's an army aviation liason officer was usually attached to the forward maneuver brigade Hq to help coordinate army aviation assets that were attached to it for a given mission. So yes, there were times when attack helicopter companies or battalions would be directly attached to a ground commander.

By the late 80's and into the 90's though, tactics were evolving that would allow the aviation brigades assigned to each army division to become a "maneuver brigade" in their own right. This allowed the division commander another maneuver Hq that he could use as needed. When that brigade would take over a segment of the battlefield, they had the attack helicopter battalions, the mixed ground/air cav squadron, and usually a couple other ground assets attached to it.

The cavalry assets within the division were directly controlled by our own Squadron TOC. They were in direct contact with both the divisional and forward brigade(s) HQs. We operated well forward of or to the flanks of the friendly brigades main body while our ground cavalry brethren would be much closer. In those days the divional cav rarely if ever got directly attached to a ground maneuver brigade.

Whenever we (aircav) went out on a mission we always had the radio freqs and callsigns of those ground forces that we were operating over. There were many occasions where the friendly brigade would be on the move with their lead elements not far off and we would make contact with them to let them know of any threats or obstacles nearby.

[Sabre21]

I'll add that during the 80's and early 90's we had a lot of attack helicopter assets stationed in Germany. Each of the 4 heavy divisions had 2 full strength AH-64 battalions. Initially these battalions had 18 Apaches and a dozen OH-58's assigned to them, but over time the Apache strength was increased to 24 and the 58's were removed since they couldn't keep up with the Apache's.

Each of the 2 corps in Germany had an Apache Regiment with 2 battalions in Germany and a 3rd that would be assigned during wartime. Along with these, each division had a cavalry squadron of 2 ground troops of 19 M-3's each (40 in the Squadron total), and 2 air cav squadrons of 6 OH-58's and 4 AH-1's. We would also have a tank company attached to us from one of the maneuver brigades whenever we went to the field.

The 2 ACR's had 5 air cavalry troops each. Three had 6 OH-58's and 4 AH-1's and 2 had 6 Apaches and 4 OH-58's.

I watched the last cobra fly off from Ft Cambell, Ky on its way to the boneyard in 97. That was a sad day, I had 18 years of flying them. By the mid 90's the army was rapidly downsizing and all the divisions that had them except the 101st lost their 2nd AH battalion. The 101st kept 3 attack battalions.

As a side note, I spent 5 years in the 101st and we had a Europe battleplan as well as one for Korea so I would hope to see a scenario involving the 101st for this game