Anti-Helicopter Mines: An Asymmetric Threat to Our Apaches?

Tango1 SG

Seems probable that these mines are some of the ways an opponent can counter helicopter gunships, and even potential landing zones (LZs)...and there are a few producers of this types of mines: Bulgaria, Russia, U.S., U.K.. Check it out:

http://www.hemusbg.org/Web%20Catalogue/en/products/1_6_6_2/index.htm (Bulgaria)

http://ndmic-cidnm.forces.gc.ca/LandmineLists.asp?lang=e&MineTypeID=2 (U.S. and Rus.)

http://www.bahdayton.com/surviac/PDF/JTCGAS_spr02.pdf Scroll to the section on "Modeling The Anti-Helicopter Mine Threat."

http://www.sptimesrussia.com/archive/times/548/rest/russian.htm A bit of old news....but still good... Mr. Green

Imagine this scenario: A flight of RSAF Apaches responds to recce reports that a company of tanks are spotted in a rubber/palm palm plantation...goes there....sekali kena ambushed by anti-helo mines (AHM) exploding all round them, all well-camouflaged...And when pioneers move in to disarm them, the whole place is also AP/AT mined...

Second scenario might in BUA...imagine putting a couple of AHMs around rooftops of buildings that are in the likely flightpath of enemy helos... Mr. Green

Good thing about these mines? They are technically considered legal by the Ottawa Treaty...its not covered under the scope of mines that are banned...

What do you guys think?

SingaporeTyrannosaur SG

Nah… it’s something you have to manage… nobody said war was going to be a cakewalk, and sitting around on your bum saying “we’re screwed” isn’t exactly the solution either (which is oddly, what plenty of self-proclaimed Malaysian military “experts” think is our response to their do-all ASTROs system. THey underestimate the Singaporean art of self-criticism and kiasunism, whcih they oddly think to a disadvantage in battle).

Fairyland SG

I tot our Apaches are networked to Searchers UAV already.

There are portable GCS you can put on your thigh......

Just radio the Searcher ahead and control the payload to see what you want to.

ZermanAUG3 SG

I honestly dont think these 'anti-heli mines' would work. We just cant place these mines in every potential LZ. The best way to eliminate airborne threats is to blow them up in the sky.

Btw, we dont think that Astros is the mother of all weapons for our armed forces.

|-|05| SG

ya i doubt they will work as advertised.....might even be dangerous to both sides troops....
And dude he was refering to certain malaysians who called themselves experts.I know not all malaysians think that way..heck not all singaporeans think our armed forces is good...heck most think we wld just roll over and die! Mr. Green

ZermanAUG3 SG

You are right there dude. Those guys at BATM think they are such an expert, but most of them are crap. They talk of war, but most of them had never serve their country.
Dude, I dont think you guys will roll over and die when theres war. Your goverment wouldnt spend lots of money to produce incompetent soldiers or NS. Heck, your NS program is way lot better than our program.

ziezoe SG

That's a good one Laughing

Why not just put some steel pipe around the potential LZs? Cheaper that way.

And why do AH need to go to LZs?

eurofighter SG

Forward refuelling points?

ziezoe SG

??? Enemy found the forward refuelling point, doesn't want to take over/ lay ambush but..."let's plant mines around it"

???

Tango1 SG

Actually the VC/NVA used to attach mines to small chutes retrieved from illum mortar rds and hang them in trees around LZs... let the U.S. Hueys come in and the upwind would carry it towards the helo..BAM!! But most of the time this crude anti-helo mine didn't work well... Mr. Green

As for AH going to LZs, AHs may have to run suppressing fire if the LZ is hot...AHMs can prevent them from doing so, therefore putting them at risk from other types of AA fire...handheld SAMs, AA guns, etc...

AHMs, when activated, travel at high enough speeds, giving the pilot(s) little time to take evasive action...Imagine leh, the Russian AHM is pretty cheap at about $6000....compared to a multimillion chopper...even worse if its a UH, considering they are slower and carry troops...how to heli-repel like that? Mr. Green

|-|05| SG

ahh but ur NS is nothing more then a social camp while ours is military....and i really do think your government rushed the damn thing.....annouced it and implemented it in the same bloody year!!

Ok back to point well while the mines are a threat we have to take into account,we have also to consider how our choppers would be used.....however this does pose a threat to our guards and their heli ops.Maybe something can be done using other troops to clear the way 1st.