Helicopters in Irregular Warfare: Algeria, Vietnam, and Afghanistan - Counterinsurgency, COIN, American, French, Soviet Militaries, Airmobility and Political Goals in Combat

This excellent report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. The preponderance of conflicts fought over the last seventy years have included or been centered on irregular warfare and counter-insurgency. Indeed, the helicopter's first significant trials in combat took place during the Algerian War 1954-1962, the Vietnam War 1955-1975, and the Soviet-Afghan War 1979-1989. During these wars, French, U.S., and Soviet militaries used significant numbers of helicopters to fight insurgents and guerrillas, and each country lost their respective conflict. As conventional organizations, these militaries used helicopters to seek military dominance, often blind to or in spite of politico-strategic goals like legitimacy. The helicopter's firepower and mobility tactically decimated insurgents, but the nature of irregular warfare rendered tactical dominance indecisive. Helicopters were indecisive or bad at enabling legitimacy, population control, and isolation, key tenets of successful COIN. Convinced that helicopter enabled military dominance could win, the French, U.S., and Soviet militaries were unable to balance the pursuit of military and politically objectives. Airmobility distracted leaders from focusing on the political aspects of counter-insurgency.

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION * Warfare Terms Defined * Literature Review * Algeria Sources * Vietnam Sources * Afghanistan Sources * The Problem * CHAPTER 2 - FRENCH HELICOPTERS VERSUS THE ALN * French and Algerian History * French Rotary Wing History Prior to 1955 * Algeria's Operational Environment * French Rotary Wing Organizational Structure in Algeria * French Use of Helicopters in the Utility and Assault Roles * French Use of Helicopters in the Reconnaissance and Attack Roles * Tactical Case Study: Air Assaults at Dgebels Ergou, el Aloui, and el Azega * Conclusions from Algeria * CHAPTER 3 - AIRMOBILITY VERSUS THE VIET CONG AND PAVN * History of the Twentieth Century Indochina Wars * United States Rotary Wing History Prior to Vietnam * Vietnam's Operational Environment * United States Rotary Wing Organizational Structure in Vietnam * United States Use of Helicopters in the Utility and Assault Roles * United States Use of Helicopters in the Reconnaissance and Attack Roles * Tactical Case Study: Air Assault at Quang Tri City * Conclusions from Vietnam * CHAPTER 4 - SOVIET HELICOPTERS VERSUS THE MUJAHIDEEN * History of Soviet Involvement in Afghanistan * Soviet Rotary Wing History Prior to Afghanistan * Afghan Operational Environment * Soviet Rotary Wing Aircraft and Frontal Aviation Organization * Soviet Use of Helicopters in the Utility and Assault Roles * Soviet Use of Helicopters in the Reconnaissance and Attack Roles * Tactical Case Study: Air Assault at Islam-Dara Canyon * Conclusions from Afghanistan * CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSION * Algerian War Lessons * Vietnam War Lessons * Soviet-Afghan War Lessons * The Lie of Military Success in Expeditionary COIN * Lack of Rotary Wing COIN Doctrine * For Further Study: Revised Doctrine