Are Insurgents Using New Methods To Target US Aircraft?

In the wake of three recent fatal downings of US helicopters in Iraq, the Pentagon is investigating the possibility insurgents are utilizing new methods to target the helicopters, a senior Defense Department official said Tuesday.

"Is there a pattern? Certainly, in recent weeks three helicopters have gone down. Nothing has been ruled in or out in any of those three cases yet," DoD spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told Pentagon reporters in a news conference

Twelve US servicemembers and four civilians were killed as the result of three separate helicopter crashes that occurred in Iraq this month.

As was reported in Aero-News, two US soldiers died Monday when their AH-64 Apache helicopter (file photo, above) went down north of Taji. Two US soldiers were killed January 13 when their OH-58D Kiowa recon helicopter (file photo, center) crashed in Mosul. Both incidents are believed to have been caused by ground fire.

Eight soldiers and four civilians were killed January 7, when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter (file photo, below) crashed near Tal Afar. Officials previously believed poor weather was the reason for that accident... although no official determination has been reached.

Di Rita told reporters military aviation experts are examining whether the terrorists are targeting US helicopters by some new means.

"Is there a new threat out there that we need to be more aware of?" Di Rita asked, while also cautioning the media not to jump to any conclusions.

"The first reports are very often wrong," Di Rita said.

(Aero-News thanks Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service)

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