Is another staple of warfare headed to being prey rather than predator?
The armed helicopter, [CSIS senior advisor Mark] Cancian warns, could be an inflection point. “It might be that new weapons and tactics will reestablish their value on the battlefield ... but at some point, unmanned systems would do just as well.” That could mean a range of unmanned systems, even an attack helicopter close in size to the Apache, but without the life-support systems required for a human crew.
I've long wondered if a role can be salvaged:
Yes, that 2003 strike was a failure of tactical execution. But even if modern conditions don't preclude a good strike, I wonder if they are worth the effort given alternatives. The Army is adapting to Air Force lack of interest in close air support that will lose hard-learned capabilities. The Army would like its own long-range fires.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
NOTE: I'm adding updates on the Last Hamas War in this post.NOTE: I'm now on Substack, with The Dignified Rant: Evolved.