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AR15.COM
8/10/2011 9:00:42 AM EDT
So today at work i was thinking about this, i know dangerous.

From what i have heard about this, they think it was an RPG hit, but weren't sure. I don't know how high or fast the Chinook was flying, but even if it was pretty close, hittinga moving target with an RPG-7 would take some luck.

I know that one of the major turning points in the Afghan / Soviet war was the intraduction of U.S. Stinger missles.

I think that one could assume that there are one or two of the Stingers still hanging out in that part of the world.

Could there helicopters that get shot down possiblly be getting hit with Stingers.

Or could one of those Stingers be giver to someone like Iran, and other anti-U.S. country and reverse engineered for use in this conflict.

Or for that matter, is some country just supplying them with anti-air missles similar to what we did for them fighting the Soviets.

We seems to lose quite a few helicopters to RPGs that are not that accurate.

Anyways just thinking.
8/10/2011 9:02:12 AM EDT
[#1]
They have to land, or hover (fast rope), to unload.  That's probably when they get shot at.
8/10/2011 9:03:31 AM EDT
[#2]
A team just left from Ft. Rucker to survey the Chinook and verify the cause/causes of the downing.
8/10/2011 9:05:10 AM EDT
[#3]
For every 1 helo you hear about going down there are hundreds that don't.

Even a blind clock gets lucky.
8/10/2011 9:06:46 AM EDT
[#4]
Quoted:
We seems to lose quite a few helicopters to RPGs that are not that accurate.



Accurate enough to hit a big-ass helicopter that's moving slow because it's about to land or hover.  Plus, for every one that hits there are probably 50 that miss; you only hear about it when they hit, though.
8/10/2011 9:11:05 AM EDT
[#5]
It has been confirmed by Afghan Command, an RPG hit.
8/10/2011 9:17:58 AM EDT
[#6]
Quoted:
For every 1 helo you hear about going down there are hundreds that don't.

Even a blind clock gets lucky.


People do seem to forget about all the helicopters that don't get shot down.
8/10/2011 9:22:29 AM EDT
[#7]
Seems like there were a couple of helicopters shot down by RPGs during a very famous raid in Somalia.

I don't think it is far fetched to believe it was an RPG hit.
8/10/2011 9:26:30 AM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
Seems like there were a couple of helicopters shot down by RPGs during a very famous raid in Somalia.

I don't think it is far fetched to believe it was an RPG hit.


In Mogadishu in a one day long firefight, 2 blackhawks were shot down and 2 more crash landed back at safe area. Basically the whole operation went tits up after the first blackhawk was shot down, and the rest were rescuers or support. Some RPG's were set to airburst instead of contact fuze.

8/10/2011 9:27:06 AM EDT
[#9]
In the book "Lone Survivor" a helo full of seals was shot down exactly the same way. Heading in on a rescue mission thrown together in a hurry.  No doubt it was probably the single biggest loss of seals at one time prior to last weekend.
8/10/2011 9:28:34 AM EDT
[#10]
This is the very first time we've ever had a thread on the CH-47 Chinook being shot down.
8/10/2011 9:29:32 AM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
For every 1 helo you hear about going down there are hundreds thousands that don't.

Even a blind clock gets lucky.


8/10/2011 9:29:33 AM EDT
[#12]
Can someone please explain to me why they had all of those men on ONE helo?
christ! talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket. Someone should swing for that.
8/10/2011 9:30:42 AM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Seems like there were a couple of helicopters shot down by RPGs during a very famous raid in Somalia.

I don't think it is far fetched to believe it was an RPG hit.


In Mogadishu in a one day long firefight, 2 blackhawks were shot down and 2 more crash landed back at safe area. Basically the whole operation went tits up after the first blackhawk was shot down, and the rest were rescuers or support. Some RPG's were set to airburst instead of contact fuze.



they aren't "set to Air Burst" the war head has an auto detonate at a specific range. The Somalis knew this and used it to thier advantage.

If you put enough rpgs in the air in the same vicinity as a helicopter you may get lucky. Some times you get the bear sometimes the bear gets you
8/10/2011 9:31:46 AM EDT
[#14]





Quoted:



Can someone please explain to me why they had all of those men on ONE helo?


christ! talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket. Someone should swing for that.



Bcuz goovment merdered dem uhv corse!!!





 
8/10/2011 9:33:01 AM EDT
[#15]
Stingers would be over 20 years old by now. I don't think they'd work properly any more.



They might have picked up an SA-7 or something else, though.
8/10/2011 9:36:57 AM EDT
[#16]
Oh well i can understand if the were dropping them off and hovering, i just hadn't heard that.

How high do they fast rope from, if they were close enough to the ground to rope you would think at least a couple could have survived right? Would explosion from the RPG wouldn't actually destroy the whole bird or was it the abrupt stop at the bottom that got em? Some of both?

8/10/2011 10:16:28 AM EDT
[#17]
Quoted:
Oh well i can understand if the were dropping them off and hovering, i just hadn't heard that.

How high do they fast rope from, if they were close enough to the ground to rope you would think at least a couple could have survived right? Would explosion from the RPG wouldn't actually destroy the whole bird or was it the abrupt stop at the bottom that got em? Some of both?



100s of possible scenarios in the one situation you describe.  The post crash investigation will sort it all out.  Until then its pretty much pointless to try to MMQB it.
8/10/2011 10:18:23 AM EDT
[#18]
Quoted:
Seems like there were a couple of helicopters shot down by RPGs during a very famous raid in Somalia.

I don't think it is far fetched to believe it was an RPG hit.


I believe that was attributed to the volume of fire in such a small area.