US ARMY HELICOPTER PILOT - VIETNAM WAR 1960 - 1975

The Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975) is a conflict fought between the government of South Vietnam, supported very intensively (economically, politically, militarily) by the United States, and North Vietnam, supported by the USSR and the PRC. On the American side, in the course of this conflict, aviation played a gigantic role, and great changes in the approach of the American armed forces to helicopter warfare. Even during the war in Korea (1950-1953), helicopters were treated primarily as a very mobile means of transport, and their role in supporting the battlefield was relatively small. This point of view changed considerably during the course of the Vietnam War. On the one hand, helicopter transport capabilities were developed (e.g. by introducing UH-1 Huey helicopters into service a few before the Vietnam War), which was very important in the unfavorable terrain of Vietnam (jungle, numerous hills), and on the other - strictly attack machines, such as AH-1 Cobra. It is worth adding that the USA engaged about 12,000 helicopters in this conflict, of which about 5,600 were irretrievably lost. It is also worth adding that during the Vietnam War, for the first time in history, an airmobile division using helicopters was used on such a scale - of course, we are talking about the 1st Cavalry Division[ang. 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)] .