OV-1 Mohawk: STOL & Stealth "Whispering Death" O/A Plane
Video description:
Marvel at the OV-1D Mohawk observation/attack aircraft on active duty today with the Argentine Army short take-off from a grassy field, and disappear into the blue sky with its light gray camouflage. http://www.combatreform.com/strikephotos.htm
With amazing maneuverability, it turns around before you know it and swoops down to less than 100 feet for a low-level pass. Notice how QUIET the twin tubroprop OV-1 is as it approaches and when it flies by, demonstrating why the Vietnamese called it the "Whispering Death" far quieter than ANY helicopter even to the present day. Consider how quiet OV-1s with 5-bladed props and heat/sound silencing at altitude would be and how they could be scouring the skies over places like Afghanistan/Iraq with both human eyes and sensors to deny those on the ground below an ability to emplace high explosive land mines. The words of former Iraqi Coalition Authority Director of Air Ops, Major General George Molan, Australian Defence Forces:
"Even in this, the highest technology war in history, there is a role for a man in a light manoeuvrable aircraft who can use his initiative, report and transfer data, remain on station with the ground troops day and night and most importantly, establish a personal relationship with the warriors.
I do not accept the argument that a manned aircraft cannot be used ... due to the threat. I believe that this argument has been confused by the control of training and operations of the aircraft by the U.S. Air Force in Iraq.
The threat to the pilot of ... aircraft in Iraq operations ... is far less than to the equivalent Soldier on the ground in an equally expensive and complicated armoured vehicle. The benefit in having a pilot in the loop in talking to troops on the ground is priceless, particularly in less highly technically advanced armed forces.
The threat to a pilot manoevring low to optimise his effectiveness is not at all unreasonable in an Iraq-like insurgency. Threat is relative and should not be judged by highly sophisticated U.S. standards."
http://www.geocities.com/usarmyaviationdigest/grasshoppersmustreturn.htm
Want to know more?
Our book, "Air-Mech-Strike: Asymmetric Maneuver Warfare for the 21st Century" is ONLINE for FREE skyjacked by Google!
http://books.google.com/books?id=RCWtHnYZ0LMC&pg (more)
