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| Sunday, 6 January 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A formidable force
Pilots of No. 9 Attack Helicopter Squadron spend most of their time at low level, skimming the tree tops or flying 'nap-of-the-earth' in support of ground troops engaging Tamil Tiger rebels. They operate a formidable flying machine - the Mi-24 'Hind' helicopter gunship which, when first deployed by Warsaw Pact armies in Europe at the height of the Cold War, was called a 'flying tank' because of its firepower and armour protection. The squadron, based in Hingurakgoda, was formed in 1995 with just three Mi-24s. It now has a fleet of nearly two dozen attack helicopters.
The unit's role is to provide close air support to ground forces, usually operating over the army's own lines. Pilots start their training on the Jet Ranger, a small utility helicopter, and then go on to fly the Bell 212, for long a SLAF workhorse, used both in the attack and transport role, and the bigger Mi-17 transport helicopters. Pilots are selected to fly the Mi-24 of the No. 9 Attack Helicopter Squadron only after some experience flying in operational areas. "We need experienced pilots to fly this machine," says Flight Lieutenant Channa Dissanayake. The nature of attack helicopter missions in support of ground forces in the Eelam war differs somewhat from those in other conflicts such as the Soviet deployment against the Mujahideen in Afghanistan in the 1980s and, more recently, in Chechnya and those of Western forces in the Balkans.
Differences in the operating theatre and the terrain, and above all in the number of machines, create particular difficulties in flying close air support missions here. In the Jaffna theatre, for instance, pilots operate on a very narrow front of about 15-km. This makes it difficult to achieve surprise on which the success of close air support missions depend. "We depend completely on achieving surprise," says Flt Lt Dissanayake. "The enemy is aware from which direction aircraft will approach. So the amount of surprise we can achieve is reduced when the operating area is limited." As a result, the squadron has had to improvise tactics and adopt systems to suit their operating environment. One notable difference is in the use of electronic counter-measures to protect aircraft against the threat of heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles. In Afghanistan, Soviet Mi-24 pilots had many approach paths when attacking isolated guerrilla camps, and far more helicopters. They also lost a considerable number of machines to Stinger surface-to-air missiles of the Mujahideen. The unit was first deployed in Operation Riviresa in Jaffna and has flown missions in support of ground troops in all operations since then. Although the squadron's strength has been expanding ever since it was set up, operational commitments are such that the aircrews are stretched to the maximum. "When an operation is under way the whole squadron is deployed," says Flt. Lieutenant Dissanayake. "It is quite a difficult time for pilots who have to fly throughout the day." Attack helicopter pilots log an unusually high number of flying hours compared with their counterparts in other air forces. For instance, Dissanayake, 29, has logged 3,000 hours in the past six years. And it is not uncommon for pilots to do 500 hours a year. In the early 1990s, when numbers were smaller and commitments higher, some pilots logged as much as 1,000 flying hours a year. |
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