The US Navy has designated helicopter squadrons to support Special Operations Command.
Awesome. Good for them.
But its time the Navy took care of its core missions first.
Like adequate defense and attack in the littoral regions and further inland.
Fast attack aircraft are awesome weapons of war but after deploying the Riverine Units its time to give those units the support they need.
The Navy needs to bring back the Sea Wolves.
How this fabulous capability was allowed to die is beyond me but if the Navy were to procure a sufficient number of AH-1Z's...put them in Navy markings with Navy pilots and attach them to Riverine Units during wartime...and carriers during the time in between then you'd have a tremendous capability. My concept of employment might be off but the war record is undeniable...check out the website here.
"And so it has been said many times, many ways" SOl the Gamewardens and real Seawolves have been telling big blue Navy about the need for CAS armed helos for about five years now. Guess who is just getting around to seeing those units/helos first?
ReplyDeleteBTW the NECC has reogranized its boat units into a Coastal Riverine Force. So now there is need for offshore CAS which could come from H-60 gunships on warships IF ANY were near enough and not otherwise occupied?~~
i've been a critic of the Riverines but i'm coming around. they need more CB-90's...a dedicated attack helos and some type of mothership to operate those CB boats from.
ReplyDeletewhat has me changing my mind? geography. the PI is a place made for Riverine action...even more so than SOCOM. Spratly Islands....the islands off Japan...basically the Pacific is made for Riverines.
I went looking briefly for the new helo gunship squadrons and I think they are HSC-22 and 26?
ReplyDelete