Officials report sixth helicopter downing in Iraq(private security firm from 1/31 )

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Feb 8 (Reuters) - A helicopter operated by a private security firm came down in Iraq last week, U.S. officials said on Thursday, an incident that marks the sixth downing of a helicopter in three weeks.

Reports of the Jan. 31 incident, in which no one was killed, come a day after seven crew members and passengers aboard a U.S. Marine helicopter were killed when it crashed near Baghdad, possibly after being hit by ground fire.

The U.S. military, concerned that militants have changed tactics or are using more sophisticated weapons, has said it is adjusting its tactics.

One U.S. military official told Reuters he had heard reports that the private security helicopter came down under fire.

"It did not crash, it made a hard landing. They were able to get all crew and equipment out," the official said.

more: http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L08245305.htm

Copter Crashes Suggest Change in Iraqi Tactics

BAGHDAD, Feb. 7 — With two more helicopter crashes near Baghdad, including a Marine transport crash on Wednesday that killed seven people, the number of helicopters that have gone down in Iraq over the past three weeks rose to six. American officials say the streak strongly suggests that insurgents have adapted their tactics and are now putting more effort into shooting down the aircraft.

The number also includes a previously unreported downing of a helicopter operated by a private security firm on Jan. 31.

~snip~

The private security helicopter shot down last week was being flown in support of State Department operations and was forced down 10 miles south of the capital after insurgents attacked it with heavy-caliber ground fire as it flew from Hilla to Baghdad, American officials said Wednesday. Another American helicopter quickly swooped in to rescue the passengers and crew.

~snip~

Two American officials said the previously unreported downing of the private helicopter supporting State Department operations last week came after it was subjected to a hail of gunfire from the ground. One official described the gunfire as heavy caliber and said that after the helicopter crash-landed a second aircraft set down and evacuated the stranded passengers and crew.

more:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/08/world/middleeast/08helicopter.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=a2630624031bfc73&hp&ex=1170997200&partner=homepage

[Bhaisahab]

1. wow. they're dropping like flies

all of a sudden. what did santa bring the insurgents this christmas?

[aquart]

2. I'm guessing somebody bought the boys new shiny toys.

Wonder who paid for the wishlist. Saudi Arabia? Syria? Iran? China?

One thing: it's sure a great morale builder for the Iraqis.

[merwin]

3. "It did not crash, it made a hard landing."

Nice... maybe I should use that line next time I get in a car accident.

"No, officer. You can't give me a ticket for this accident. I didn't crash, I just made a hard landing into the guard rail! Everybody is safe and I was able to get my car stereo out, so it wasn't a crash."

[saigon68]

4. yes enter the spin zone

The repuke sheep are so stoopid--

They will believe anything the Chimp or his handlers say

[EFerrari]

8. But notice, they don't any more. I usually don't listen to Washington

Journal any more, but have been in the last two weeks.

People want outta there and they want it pretty bad.

[Posteritatis]

6. I can see a difference

One can have a forced, fairly nasty landing that's still under control of the pilot. Put another way, you can land on your landing struts, while you crash on your side.

Still spinny, yes (pardon the pun since we're talking about helicopters here), but I can definitely see a distinction between "hard landing" and "crash landing."

[youngdem]

5. Sounds to me like this recent spate of shoot downs is caused by another made

Juan Cole (and others) have pointed out that some shoulder fired missiles were in Iraq and from what I understand, the helicopters fly LOWER to counteract the accuracy of these shoulder fired missiles because they require a few seconds to lock onto the signature of the aircraft, and so they are not able to steer or activate their munitions.

So, now that the choppers are flying 200 feet off of the ground, .50 cal machine guns can take a bird down with much greater ease than if they were flying at a more typical height. The reports I have heard on the five (now six) shot down recently all mentioned small arms fire and not rockets, and with the administration's fixation on blaming Iran for some of this, it seems that if a rocket that could be spun as coming across the Iranian border actually shot down American troops, I would bet we would have heard about it.

Sounds like a case of pick your poison. Horrible.

Does anyone with military experience or knowledge have any more information on this? I am admittedly no kind of expert on weapons.

[EFerrari]

7. Shut it down. It's a meat grinder.