And what about our straight five changes?

While covering other helicopters, you should also pay attention to your own safety...... Once you are targeted by an anti-aircraft machine gun or even an ordinary machine gun, it is no joke!

So there is Zhao Jingping's sentence: Our army must protect the safety of five helicopters for every two straight five reforms, which is obviously very difficult for the straight five changes with insufficient firepower!

"So what are we going to do?" The instructor asked: "Increase the helicopters in the formation that are responsible for cover?" ”

"Or ......," Zhao Jingping hesitated and said: "We can expand the formation to six, three helicopters are responsible for landing, and three helicopters are responsible for fire cover!" ”

"No!" I shook my head and said: "My idea is to reduce the number of helicopters in the formation!" ”

"What?" Hearing this, Zhao Jingping and the instructor couldn't help but be stunned.

"Battalion commander ......" Zhao Jingping asked: "Our firepower itself is insufficient, how can it be reduced?" ”

"yes!" The instructor also looked at me suspiciously: "This reduction...... Are we still covering four helicopters with one helicopter? ”

"Why not four cover four, or three cover three?" I asked rhetorically.

"What the battalion commander means......" Zhao Jingping seemed to have heard of something.

"That's right!" I nodded: "I want the Zhiwu to carry infantry while loading ammunition!" In this way, every helicopter can be made of combat capability, and it can also make up for the lack of firepower of our helicopters! ”

"It's good ...... this way," Zhao Jingping said, "but the load of the straight five changes ......"

"Here's what I think!" As I spoke, I squatted on the ground and wrote a few numbers: "I remember that the number of the straight five changes to the load jù, which can carry 1,200 kilograms under normal circumstances." Up to 1550 kg ...... in case of overload

"What the battalion commander means...... Let the helicopter fight in an overloaded state? Zhao Jingping said with doubts: "In the state of overload...... Helicopters will appear bulky and will increase the risk of helicopters being shot down over a large distance! ”

"I know this!" I went on to say, "I mean...... Weigh between 1,200 kg and 1,550 kg, and load both men and weapons on top of that! Like what...... The number of armed personnel can be appropriately reduced. Reduce the weight of the equipment you carry, when performing certain tasks, not too necessary equipment such as marching quilts, cans, etc., you can not bring it, plus the AK74 we use is relatively light both in terms of gun body and bullets, if you can control the weight at about 150 pounds, the saved load capacity can be used for the helicopter to mount weapons and ammunition...... In this way, the purpose of the straight five changes can be carried both infantry and weapons! ”

There was silence for a while...... Zhao Jingping nodded and said, "What the battalion commander said makes sense...... This option may also work, on the one hand...... Doing so makes the most of each helicopter. This allows the helicopter to be fully functional on the battlefield without being as we envisioned it to be...... Either you have the ability to be armed, or you only have the ability to carry infantry! On the other hand...... For the same task. It can also reduce the number of helicopters, which virtually reduces a lot of dangers! ”

What Zhao Jingping is talking about here...... Reducing the number of helicopters is reducing many dangers, and although he did not elaborate, I was convinced...... The main reason is that the direct five changes of our army are not the Mi-24 of the Soviet army...... For a helicopter like the Soviet Mi-24. The more the safer, of course...... Because of its firepower and defense. The ability to provide cover on the battlefield is significantly greater than the danger.

But what about our straight five...... Providing firepower on the battlefield is also a danger of its own, so this is a problem...... For the same mission, a company of fifteen helicopters was required in the previous formation, of which only six could provide fire cover. But now...... The same task requires a company, but only nine helicopters are needed, and nine helicopters are enough to provide cover......

This is not only because the number of helicopters is smaller, so that the enemy can attack fewer targets, but also because of the increase in firepower, which is naturally much less dangerous!

"But there's a problem here!" After thinking about it, the instructor said, "Have you thought about it...... Under such restrictions, helicopters cannot carry too much ammunition. IN ADDITION, THE WEAPONS MOUNTED ON THE HELICOPTER ARE ALL 12.7MM MACHINE GUNS AND ROCKET NESTS, WHICH ARE EQUIPMENT WITH A HIGH RATE OF FIRE...... In other words. It is very likely that there is only an instantaneous strike ability, and there is a lack of continuity and durability of firepower! ”

I nodded...... The question that the instructor said is indeed true, this is the two sides of things, there is an advantage and there must be a disadvantage.

Merely......

"Maybe it's not that big of a problem!" I said, "On the one hand...... It is very likely that the war we are facing now, or the mission we are going to carry out, is not like that of the Soviet army...... Use helicopters to carry out strong attacks on the positions......"

This is obvious, and it is also determined by the weak defense capability of the five reforms...... We can even penetrate anti-aircraft machine guns with this straight five changes, where will we fight hard with the enemy's regular army like the Soviet army on the battlefield in Afghanistan with the Mi-24!

For this, Zhao Jingping and the instructor nodded without objection...... They are also people who participated in the war in Afghanistan, and of course they know this.

"That's what ......," I continued, "the task we're going to perform...... Its nature itself is the type of quick fight and quick withdrawal, what is needed is the instantaneous firepower of the helicopter, and the continuity of firepower is not required! ”

"On the other hand......" Seeing that neither Zhao Jingping nor the instructor spoke, I continued: "We can still solve these problems by tactical means...... For example, if some missions need to take into account the issue of fire continuity, then we can divide the helicopters into two groups...... One group is used as an advance strike force, and this group of troops is organized in the same way as I just envisioned, with a small number of weapons and infantry on board, and use this instantaneous firepower to drop the troops to the destination...... Another batch of helicopters followed...... These helicopters are simply loaded with weapons to provide aerial fire cover for the infantry, and if necessary, they can also bring some reserves! ”

"Oh!" Hearing this, Zhao Jingping and the instructor couldn't help but nod.

"This should work!" Zhao Jingping agreed: "I will immediately discuss with the staff officers and work out specific training subjects, and I can try it tomorrow!" (To be continued......)