Helicopters from Iraq’s Army Air Wing play a critical role against terrorism
UNIPATH STAFF
IRAQI AIR FORCE
The Army Air Wing played an essential role in winning battles by destroying the enemy’s targets, securing supply routes and handling logistics in difficult terrain. But the campaign against Daesh has elevated its role even further, making these helicopter forces strategic weapons beyond anything envisioned at the war college. This asset has provided the upper hand through precise reconnaissance, identifying camouflaged targets, cutting enemy supply routes and airlifting humanitarian aid to besieged villages. Unipath interviewed Staff Gen. Hamid al-Maliki, commander of the Iraqi Army Air Wing, who personally tracks the daily operations of his helicopters and pilots.
UNIPATH: What is the role of Army Air Wing in the war against Daesh?
GEN. HAMID: First, I would like to mention that the Army Air Wing doctrine is to provide support to ground troops on a conventional battlefield where the front lines are well-defined and the defensive trenches identified on the map. In this scenario, our elements conduct missions to destroy enemy targets on the battlefield. However, there are no doctrines or studies about helicopter tactics in urban warfare. In addition, our forces are fighting an unconventional enemy that has the ability to change tactics rapidly and hide among civilians disguised in ordinary clothes. These terrorists follow no rules of war, disregard the lives of innocents and detonate homes to blame the Iraqi Armed Forces for their crimes. That being said, the Army Air Wing played a significant and effective role in supporting ground forces throughout the theater. On average, we conduct 70 missions and destroy about 13 targets a day. Like hawks, our forces hover over the battlefield to hunt down terrorists and support the advance of our ground forces. The roar of the helicopter engines over our military positions boosts Soldiers’ morale and makes them stronger.
UNIPATH: How many missions have your units completed?
GEN. HAMID: For the year 2015, our force conducted 13,670 missions, including kinetic operations, logistics and humanitarian aid. For the kinetic, we killed about 11,000 terrorists and destroyed 1,450 vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and heavy weapons, in addition to 180 armored vehicles and 80 booby-trapped homes. Our targets are vetted through military intelligence and reconnaissance and confirmed by tribal elements on the ground to try to avoid collateral damage among civilians.
UNIPATH: As commander of this strategic force, what
is your plan to improve it?
GEN. HAMID: We began building and improving this important force in 2010, when it was established as a separate branch from the Air Force. We had a very modest number of Mi-17 helicopters and Eurocopters. We acquired Bell 407s and plan to buy even more advanced helicopters. We have ambitions to obtain the American gunship helicopter AH-64 Apache. Unfortunately, we ran into obstacles to get this advanced weapon; we almost reached an agreement in 2014, but because of the current global economic situation and the high price of the Apache, we suspended negotiations. We decided to obtain the Russian fighter helicopters Mi-28 and Mi-35. We also acquired unmanned aerial vehicles that changed the dynamic on the battlefield and extended our reach 250 kilometers. Our goal is to obtain advanced and multiple-origin helicopters with advanced technology such as laser-guided missiles and long ranges to target distant enemy locations and create the ability to fly in all conditions.
UNIPATH: What challenges does the Army Air Wing face?
GEN. HAMID: The first challenge is the budget, and the second is the misunderstanding of the concept of using gunship helicopters by ground forces. We also face the air defense system of the enemy and face difficulties striking Daesh targets so entrenched among civilians. In the name of saving civilians, we avoid many high-value targets. In addition, the undefined and overlapping front lines make the pilot’s mission complex — sometime a small village in the remote desert is controlled partly by our forces and partly by Daesh.
UNIPATH: What is the difference between the Army Air Wing and the Air Force?
GEN. HAMID: The difference is that the Army Air Wing uses primarily helicopters whereas the Air Force uses fixed-winged fighter jets. The Air Force mission is to destroy the enemy’s strategic targets situated far away from the front. It has the capability to reach targets swiftly and efficiently, as the F-16 can fly 1,600 kilometers an hour and destroy targets from an altitude of up to 40,000 feet. However, the F-16 is limited when providing close combat support for entrenched forces with the same effectiveness as helicopters. Helicopters have the ability to hunt down armored vehicles and small targets precisely and efficiently at close range. Helicopters have advanced proficiency to survey the battlefield to detect and destroy enemy assets. Furthermore, the essential capacity of the Air Wing is to move troops and ammunition rapidly to the front lines or besieged areas. The Army Air Wing and the Air Force complete each other and collaborate at all levels.
UNIPATH: How do you select and train pilots?
GEN. HAMID: We recruit pilots from among talented high school graduates as well as select students from the military college. They must pass the medical and physical examinations, then they enroll in military college to earn a bachelor’s degree in military science. Afterward comes the Military Air College, to be trained at the hands of skilled and experienced Iraqi pilots. It is worth noting that our college is considered one of the best in the region. In their first year, they will study basic aviation science. In the second year, they train to fly using light helicopters, before transitioning to midsized craft. During this training, we assess their ability and enroll them in specialized study about specific helicopters, a process that takes two to three years.
UNIPATH: Are you satisfied with your equipment, or would you like to obtain more advanced technology?
GEN. HAMID: If it were up to me, I would build an Army Air Wing as advanced as that of the United States and other modern nations. What we have achieved thus far doesn’t fulfill my ambitions, but is good enough to meet current demand. Our elements are considered a deterrence force in the war against Daesh. You would see military air helicopters hovering over the battlefield during sandstorms, day and night. Sometimes there are large enemy offensives halted by the Army Air Wing alone. We conduct battles against Daesh terrorists, such as two helicopters fighting and defeating a large convoy of Daesh in the desert beyond enemy lines. We have strategic missions on the outskirts of Mosul and sometimes reach to the Syrian border. In terms of my ambitions, I would like to own advanced helicopters like the Apache, Blackhawk and MD. Today, fighting capability is not measured by the engine or body armor of the helicopters but by three important elements: the rockets, the camera and the target-locking device. These three factors determine the tactical advancement of the helicopter.
UNIPATH: What can you tell us about dropping humanitarian aid in besieged areas?
GEN. HAMID: This was one of the primary roles for us after the roads were cut due to intensive fighting and many villages fell under control of the terrorists. Therefore, there was no other way to reach remote villages but by helicopter. In many circumstances, our brave pilots conducted dangerous missions by dropping humanitarian aid in areas within range of enemy fire; however, pilots knew how critical it was to save the lives of civilians. I have to send an assault helicopter to escort cargo helicopters so that it can engage the enemy while the cargo is dropped. We conducted many similar missions in Sinjar, Amerly, on the outskirts of Baiji, Amiriyat al-Fallujah, Hadetha and Baghdadi. Without these courageous missions, many civilians would starve.
UNIPATH: How do you view the international partnership
to defeat Daesh?
GEN. HAMID: We began to notice the benefit of the partnership as we worked as a team to divide the workload. We assign targets to the Army Air Wing, the Iraqi Air Force and coalition air power. As a result, this great team was able to destroy approximately 60 percent of enemy assets. The coalition forces equipped with advanced technology played a huge role in finding and destroying strategic targets. We have direct communication with our friends in the U.S. forces through the joint forces command. Our partners are already on the ground, and they are essential in this war to defeat Daesh. Daesh is the enemy not only of Iraq but of all mankind. These terrorists already displayed their aggression against many nations and are spreading across the world, whether as sleeper cells, financiers, recruiters and promoters. The world must team up to fight their activities wherever they exist; otherwise terror won’t stop.
UNIPATH: Do you have any advice for young officers?
GEN. HAMID: I am very proud of our sons, the young officers who bravely fought Daesh and put to the test their faith in defending a unified Iraq. They put their lives at risk every day, whether to airlift essential aid or destroy Daesh targets. Our pilots set an example for the rest of Iraqi military officers by their bravery and dedication. I want them to honor the flag of our nation by rising above sectarianism and treating all Iraqis with respect and dignity. The Iraqi military was founded on the basis of national loyalty, in which all Iraqi factions played an important role in making its military great. We must continue the mission to include all Iraqis. The civilians in the war zone are your people — do whatever it takes to protect them and deliver them essential aid. When your mission is to evacuate civilians from battlefields to safe zones, treat them with respect, make them feel proud of you and comfort them. They are your eyes and ears; without them you can’t successfully destroy the enemy’s vital resources. I salute you all. You make me — and all Iraqis — proud. F