Drones force militaries to rethink helicopter tactics

Military representatives from 16 countries are discussing how helicopters and drones can work together at a symposium in Salzburg, as drones reshape the battlefield in Ukraine, ORF reports.

Helicopter pilots can no longer rely on concealment and surprise as they once did, with drones monitoring movements, gathering information and posing a direct threat. Colonel Yevhen Soloviov, a helicopter squadron commander from Kyiv, said about 8,000 drones were in the air over Ukraine each day. “The most important thing for us as helicopter pilots is that the battlefield has become transparent. You can no longer hide from enemy surveillance,” he said.

Military officers and experts at the Helicopter Tactics Symposium do not believe helicopters have become obsolete. Eva Berginc, once the Austrian armed forces’ first female attack helicopter pilot and now a tactics expert at Rheinmetall in Düsseldorf, said helicopters would continue to play an important role in transporting and moving troops.

Unmanned aircraft can provide information and show what is happening on the ground, while helicopters carry out tasks for which they are needed. “Working side by side, helicopters and drones are the future of the battlefield,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ossi Heikkinen of Finland’s Army Flight Training Center.

Learning from Ukraine

Military personnel from 16 countries are examining how to coordinate the aircraft and account for the risks. They also train new tactics at the Helicopter Training Center in Sintra, Portugal. International exchange is a central part of the Salzburg symposium.

Ukraine is a particular focus because its forces are confronting new threats in real combat. Colonel Jorge Inácio, commander of the training center in Sintra, said other militaries were learning from Ukraine’s experience in countering drones and preparing for a possible crisis.

Preparing missions by computer

Tim Ball of Battlespace Simulations, a company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, described how its technology can be used to prepare for missions in varied weather and at any time of day or night. He said the system required little equipment for a live demonstration.

Austria’s armed forces are also investing in their military capabilities. The article said international exchange and links with other armed forces could support that effort.