The Russians had a little different point of view. While the fixed-wing fighters were upstairs fighting the air battle, the Russians preferred to support their ground forces with rotary-wing aircraft, excellent tank killers, neatly working together in four-ship flights, and which could double as cargo birds bringing in additional water/food/ammo/troops or evacuating medcasualties.
The Gorbach [Nato name Hind] and followon assault helos did for Ivan what the Specters did for U.S. troops. And a four-ship flight could split up, and be in two places at once.
BTW, you know about the USAF/ATK plans about 5 years back to turn the C-27J into a *gunship lite* for USAF Special Operations support? The USAF didn't buy, going for C130s instead. But the Army seems to have been interested....
