https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/c900a931-f80a-4484-8d98-a4867392453b Join us on Patreon. Visit https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Visit our website www.PeriscopeFilm.com "Attack Helicopter Escort Tactics", 30 minutes, color, 1982 U.S. Marine Corps pilot training film. This film provides a comprehensive overview of attack helicopter operations, focusing on the twin-engine Cobra helicopter's capabilities in escort missions. It begins by introducing the helicopter's role as a powerful gunship, emphasizing its speed, combat survivability, and advanced weaponry, such as a 20 mm automatic cannon, wire-guided tow missiles, and Zuni rockets. The importance of detailed mission planning, including enemy threat assessments and briefings, is highlighted. Strategies for approaching landing zones are discussed, addressing both low-threat and high-threat environments and using flight modes like low level, contour, and nap of the earth to maximize protection and minimize detection. Various escort patterns are explained, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Fire discipline, radio communication, and maintaining positions are stressed, ensuring coordination during critical phases like landing and withdrawal. Conclusion: mission success through preparation, execution, and the ability to deliver suppressive fire accurately. 00:00: Description of the attack helicopter, a powerful gunship. 0:32: Helicopter's role in providing escort protection during helicopter-borne operations. 0:57: Aspects of twin-engine Cobra helicopter, highlighting its flight safety and combat survivability. 1:23: The helicopter's speed and weapon capabilities, including its 20 mm automatic cannon and various armament stations. 1:43: Additional weapons, such as wire-guided TOW missiles and 5-inch Zuni rockets. 2:20: The importance of a well-researched and thought-out plan, including enemy threat assessment and mission briefing. 2:56: Determining the approach to the landing zone based on the type of enemy threat. 3:20: Explanation of low-threat and high-threat environments and their impact on flight mode and approach tactics. 3:57: Various types of terrain flight, including low level, contour flight, and nap of the earth (NOE) flight. 4:40: Planning the flight route to take advantage of natural cover and minimize detection. 5:12: The mission briefing and preparation for carrying out the mission. 5:52: The escort pattern and its role in providing protection for transport craft. 6:00: Command relationships among transport and escort ships for smooth operation. 6:32-7:19: Different escort patterns, including the box pattern, and their advantages and disadvantages. 7:19: Other basic escort patterns, such as the diamond pattern, and their variations. 8:04: The importance of maintaining lookout integrity and threat suppression during formation maneuvers. 9:02: Basic rules for escort patterns, including maintaining position during the final approach phase and avoiding distractions. 10:03: Emphasis on fire discipline and proper use of ordnance, keeping adequate reserves. 10:13: Instructions to maintain radio discipline and stay alert, even without visible enemy activity. 10:42: Movement toward the landing zone in high-threat environments, flying close to the ground for protection. 10:52: Terrain and enemy encounters may require varying close escort patterns. 11:06: Use of stealthy formations, traveling along the contours of the earth for minimal detection. 11:37: Overview of the OverWatch pattern, positioning gunships between transports and suspected enemy locations. 11:53: Explanation of the bounding pattern, where formations leapfrog between cleared areas to minimize transport exposure to enemy fire. 12:18: Various types of suppressive fire tactics, including diving, running, or hovering, to ensure mission success. 13:14: Close escort patterns with aircraft within visual range, providing protection for transport helicopters. 13:20: Detached or proximity escort tactics for larger flights, offering reconnaissance and protection over a broad approach front. 13:38: Transition between flight modes—low level, contour, and nap of the earth—as the threat increases. 14:01: A go or no-go decision is made by the Helicopter Coordinator Airborne (HCA) at the initial point of approach. 14:09: Gunships clear the way into the LZ during the final approach. 14:30: Large flights of helicopters cannot be fully concealed from the enemy. 14:49: Battlefield confusion and accurate suppressive fire are essential during the critical landing phase. 15:48: Fire discipline allocation: 25% ordnance used en route, 50% during landing zone suppression, and 25% for withdrawal. 16:11: Conclusion and summary. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHGNbtzLfcE Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:18:12 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/c900a931-f80a-4484-8d98-a4867392453b All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.