6 NATO helicopters down in 2 months

This is interesting, 6 helicopters down in 2 months, this could be a game changer. (Source) The NATO alliances relies on these helicopters for its offensive missions, and it is less collateral. Without these helicopters the alliance has to rely on Jets, which can cause huge collateral damage.

The Soviets also relied on helicopters heavily in Afghanistan, here is a snip of a great article:

Without the helicopter gunship, the Soviets may have withdrawn years earlier. Its firepower and mobility and initial invulnerability put the guerrillas on the defensive. The Soviets used helicopters extensively and ruthlessly against the unprotected guerrillas. But like all innovations in war, this advantage also did not last long. The guerrillas adapted. They fought at night when the helicopter was least effective. Guerrilla intelligence discovered the time and location of planned Soviet attacks and set up air defense ambushes and dug protective bunkers. The guerrillas received newer and more powerful weapons which they used against the helicopters.

Source

This is interesting, what could be the cause of these NATO helicopter crashes? Malfunctions? Human error? Insurgent new tactics? or New weapons?

Either one could be possible, Taliban might not even be behind these crashes, as Taliban are not the only resistance groups fighting, there is the Haqani network, and the Hekmatyar HezbeIslami.

Now the interesting part is, that Hekmatyar had stingers, he was the leader of the biggest Afghan "freedom fighter" group in Afghanistan, he received many stingers, but the batteries have finished.

It was Hekmatyar who received anti-aircraft Stinger missiles from the U.S. government through Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). "Hekmatyar's commanders in eastern Afghanistan were those who fired the first Stinger anti-aircraft missiles at Soviet warplanes," explained Mujda [3]. Indeed, it was Hezb-e-Islami Commander Abdul Ghaffar who hit the first Soviet helicopter gunship with an anti-aircraft Stinger missile in eastern Nangarhar province in September 1986 [4].

Source

Not long ago accusations came froward that Iran has provided Hekmatyar new batteries for the Stingers.

According to SpyTalk’s Jeff Stein, however, an Afghan domestic intelligence agency report “says that Iran has supplied fresh batteries for some three dozen shoulder-fired SA-7 missiles stockpiled by Taliban forces in Kandahar, in anticipation of a U.S. attack.”

Source

Iran has been working on these stingers long, long time ago, so they have the technology, it is just a matter of knowing whether they have given some to Hekmatyar.

October 11, 1987|From Times Wire Services

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that Tehran is making its own version of the U.S. Stinger anti-aircraft missile, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

Source

This should be interesting, a new phase or a complete game changer. Helicopters are vital, and if the insurgents have gained new weapons, or activated old weapons, it could be devastating. This could explain the troop withdrawal being talked about Gates right now, and also talking to Taliban..

KANDAHAR— Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday that the date for withdrawal of the full 30,000-troop surge in Afghanistan is even more important than the number of troops who leave next month.

Source

Also this could explain NATO's call to remove Taliban leader's names from UN black list..

Much like the Soviet campaign against Afghanistan, when the U.S. was supplying the guerilla fighters with high-tech weaponry for use against the Soviet helicopters, I believe the same is happening against us. Newer, more sophisticated weapons than what the Afghan fighters have in their arsenal are being supplied to them, possibly by the Russians or Chinese.

However, you can bet the U.S. government will point their finger solely at the Iranians. Giving us, of course, yet another reason why we should waste no time in attacking Iran.

Geez what is this the 60's all over again,, ok,,
Nato all u need too do is "show on any tube u desire,, "Actuall Russian arms,, or chinese arms,, etc,, being supplied to Gaddaffi forces" in great big headlines,,,, IS Communism back with a BIG C,,and i don't mean cancer baby,,
In other news,, fukishima continues,,,,,,

Nato has too fight Russia/China and Libia???,,all by it's widdle self??

common,, what were those treaties for??

Or did someone ,,,change the rules again,,??

reply to post by IamAbeliever


You're right, but we can't forget that the Hekmatyar stayed in Iran after Taliban took power.

Iran removed him from its territory because of US threats, but still support him and his movement.

Ofcourse this doesn't mean Iran is actually giving him weapons or upgrades, rather showing that there is a connection and possibilites.

I believe that more than one nation is helping the insurgency, or different forces within different nations.

The Arab states are pretty silent because of their governments, but the people in secret, with some governmental element oversight, help the Afghan insurgency.

I'm quiet sure of this.

Regards stingers, there are some old and newer topics on them,


www.strategypage.com...

That link gives no real information in time and date. This one is a little more meaty but allows for improvisation,

www.mwilliams.info...

Helicopters are inherently dangerous when they have to use that dirty great propeller as a means of lift, are far too complex in the means to achieve even that lift, and just one fault, could mean that they vibrate themselves to death. Then they have a habit of being motionless in the sky for too long.

reply to post by smurfy


It can't be a coincidence that 6 helicopters have gone down in 2 months. I'm just saying, if it continues, then something is up, if not then we will be forced to go with coincidence.