[org.whodat]

Do they have better weapons now?

Wouldn't doubt if we didn't train someone to shoot better. Any good marksman, with a 30cal are larger rife can bring down a copter every now and then. It's also a matter of knowing where to shoot.

[batter]

There is, likely, Iranian tactical support and training that is helping them.

[M-cubed]

every now and then is right....Not as easy as u might think...as an old crewchief/doorgunner with 2 tours in VN and lots of hours on slicks and loches...I was always amazed at how much lead a bird could carry off....on another note...on my first tour, they would shoot at u every chance they got...by the 2nd tour, they would hide, run, what ever it took not to give their position away....Took awhile but we "trained" em...
if they fired...they knew that their world was about to turn to homemade $hit in less then 30 seconds...the Gunships circling above were more than happy to engage em...Im thinking that same tactic would work, over time, in Iraq....if our boys are fired upon from the city....a couple of 500 pound bomb in the general location might make the civilians police themselves..........over time....*G*