>Yes, actually, we can - because the Russians came to an entirely different conclusion that’s worked out just about as well in reality:
I don’t know much about attack choppers, but after looking at the failures of the Apaches in Iraq didn’t the Russians have a better solution with their attack choppers?
Did the Apache “fail” in Iraq? Several countries have purchased it after the Iraq invasion.
Yes and no. The Apache is more technically capable, but the Hind is still their mainstay attack/limited transport chopper and the platform’s so old all the bugs have long since been exterminated. The Hind is also more heavily armored and rugged.
Typically, Russian helicopters trade off some advanced technology for a great deal of simplicity, reliability and ruggedness. Russian choppers are designed for minimal maintenance performed by undertrained conscripts and they do very well in service in less advanced countries like the third world. Western choppers require skilled maintenance technicians and generally more maintenance per flight hour.
Or, put another way - an Apache is mostly going to be a better tank hunter-killer when it’s on the battlefield when compared to a Ka-50/52M. But it’s going to be down for maintenance more so it will be on the battlefield less and it is easier to achieve a mission kill and force the Apache to have to RTB than it will be for any of the Russian counterparts.
The Apache’s were mis-used in a famous battle where they went in deep rather than as part of a coordinated Air-Ground Mech assault. That interdiction mission should have gone to the USAF. CAS is the attack helo’s game.
In Red Dawn, A Hind took a direct hit from an RPG and kept on going!