SMALL ARMS AIR DEFENSE
"If it flies it dies." - - Anon. ADA NCO
COMBAT EXPERIENCE
When facing an enemy that has air superiority or air parity, air attacks are not just a probability--they are a certainty. The following battlefield experiences relate some success by ground units engaging enemy aircraft with small arms.
Lesson Learned
Fire at a coordinated selected aiming point (football field method) in front of the aircraft so that it will fly into the "Curtain of Lead."
FALKLANDS
British troops were preparing to move out of the beachhead at San Carlos Bay when four Argentine jets flying at a low level appeared without warning and headed out over the water. Forces on the ground firing small arms and automatic weapons placed a "curtain of lead" in front of the flight path of the aircraft. As the four aircraft exited from the area, pieces of the tail section from one of the Mirages began to fall off and smoke appeared to be coming from out of its side just before it crashed. [15]
Lesson Learned
The use of a higher proportion of tracer rounds can disturb an enemy pilot's concentration enough to cause him to miss the target or abort his attack plan.
FALKLANDS
One British officer said that everything fired at attacking aircraft had good effect. If the aircraft was not shot down, the tracers and pyrotechnics intimidated the pilot into using his weapons prematurely, changing his interest, or aborting the mission. To ensure that the Argentine pilots knew they were being engaged by ground forces, the British relinked their machine gun ammunition to add more tracers. British ground forces were credited with downing three Argentine jet aircraft with small arms. [16]
Lesson Learned
Helicopters are especially vulnerable to ground fire.
FALKLANDS
Helicopter losses to ground fire on both sides were minimal. The British lost four helicopters to ground fire and the Argentines lost one. However, these low losses can be attributed to the support mission (resupply) assigned to the helicopters and to the relatively few helicopters used by both sides. Attack and air assault missions would have exposed these critical assets to more small arms and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles. [17]
GRENADA
U.S. forces in Grenada lost two helicopters to ground fire from Cubans at Edgmont military barracks. The Rangers used four UH-60 to conduct an air mobile assault on the Cuban stronghold. The landing zone was tight and surrounded by a high barbed wire fence. In the last wave, one helicopter was hit by small arms fire. The pilot, wounded in the arm and leg, lost control of his aircraft and it tumbled into another UH-60 already on the ground. Several soldiers on the ground were killed by the falling aircraft. [18]
AFGHANISTAN
The Mujahideen, Afghanistan freedom fighters, have proved to be major threats to Soviet air during combat operations. An Afghan pilot of the Communist Afghan Army, who defected in 1984, disclosed that the Soviet built MI 24 (Hind) was extremely vulnerable to machine gun fire, especially when it is engaged from elevated positions in the mountains. The Mujahideens' effectiveness in engaging Soviet aircraft with all weapons systems forced the Soviets to adopt the technique of engaging the Mujahideen at maximum range. For example, the Soviets began to drop their bombs from 5000 feet and fire their rockets beyond maximum effective ranges at the Mujahideen. As of 1984, the Mujahideen were credited with shooting down close to 300 Soviet helicopters using small arms and anti-tank weapons. After the arrival of Stingers in great numbers, the combined use of small-arms fire and anti-aircraft missile reportedly brought down an average of one Soviet aircraft a day during 1987. [19]
Lesson Learned
A coordinated team effort using all organic weapons can help win the airspace battle over friendly forces.
IRAN / IRAQ
Air defense in the Iranian and Iraqi armies relies on air defense artillery, SA-7s, and the concentrated fire of automatic weapons. Both sides use the "curtain of lead" technique to focus the firepower of their small arms. However, this technique works best as a supplement to other ADA systems. Small arms fire and SAMs used together caused both Iran and Iraq to change their close air support tactics. Aircraft from both sides now have to engage their targets at the weapons system's maximum effective standoff range rather than overflying the target. This makes them less accurate and provides some measure of relief to the beleaguered infantrymen. [20]
References
These publications will help you train your unit to defeat attacking enemy aircraft.
FM 44-8, Small Unit Self-Defense Against Air Attack, Dec 1981, is the primary doctrine for defense against enemy air attacks.
FM 7-8, The Infantry Platoon and Squad (Infantry, Airborne, Assault, Ranger), 31 Dec 1980. Appendix H describes the procedures that small units should use in engaging enemy aircraft with small arms.
FM 7-10, The Infantry Rifle Company (Infantry, Airborne, Assault, Ranger), Jan 1982. Appendix P provides doctrine at the company level on how to engage enemy aircraft.
FM 7-20, The Infantry Battalion (Infantry, Airborne, and Air Assault), Dec 1981. Chapter 5 provides doctrine at the battalion level on engaging enemy aircraft.
Bottom Line
Coordinated fire from small arms is effective against enemy aircraft. Even if an aircraft is not hit or destroyed, it can intimidate the pilot and cause him to fly higher or seek an easier target.
Lesson Learned
Live fire training teaches the importance of accurate and disciplined fire and helps prepare the soldier for the shock and noise of combat.
Table
of Contents
Military
Operations in Urban Terrain
Realistic
Training
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