The gunships are part of the 16th Special Operations Wing from Hurlburt Field in Florida, where the U.S. "It shows the seriousness with which we're pursuing them. "This is the main new tactic they are using," said one official. But he quietly ordered elite Air Force Special Operations pilots to begin flying the AC-130s in missions against Yugoslav forces along the border with Albania and elsewhere about three weeks ago, according to NATO and Defense Department officials. Clark, remains in a standoff with Pentagon officials over use of the Army's 24 AH-64A Apache helicopter gunships stationed in Albania because of fears in Washington that the helicopters would be too vulnerable to antiaircraft fire. Because of their slow speed and low altitude during operations, the gunships are more vulnerable to antiaircraft missiles than the high-flying jets that have provided the firepower so far in NATO's eight-week-old air war over Yugoslavia. Use of the slow-flying gunships, which spit out howitzer and cannon fire at a withering 2,500 rounds per minute, marks a new, slightly more daring tactic in an air war largely characterized by its lack of risk-taking. pilots have begun flying low-circling AC-130 "Spectre" gunships over Kosovo in an effort to hasten the destruction of Yugoslav troops, tanks and artillery concentrations, according to officials briefed on the operation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |