Is spreading out Army helicopters on ships and remote sites the means of sustaining air power in the face of lethal threats to airfields?
An Army Apache attack helicopter operated from the deck of a Navy amphibious warfare ship:
The demonstration shows how the U.S. military is increasing the mobility and survivability of its attack aviation by enabling Apaches to operate from ships, islands and expeditionary sites, complicating an adversary’s ability to target a limited number of fixed airfields across the Indo-Pacific.
If the Army wants more sea platforms for its Apaches, may I suggest The AFRICOM PACOM Queen, that I discussed in Military Review?
As long as we have these helicopters in our arsenal, sure. Dispersing assets will help. Unless enemy cheap missiles and drones are numerous enough to find and strike any potentially suitable flat area or ship within helicopter range.
In the long run, drones may be superior to attack helicopters. Even if the drones aren't cheap suicide drones because of the need to put expensive counter-measures on the drones to survive expanding defenses.
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NOTE: Picture from the initial article.
