J-CATCH
Encyclopedia
J-CATCH, short for Joint Countering Attack Helicopter, was a joint US Army-US Air Force experiment in dissimilar air combat
between jet fighters and attack helicopter
s. To everyone's surprise, the helicopters proved extremely dangerous to the fighters when they were properly employed, racking up a 5-to-1 kill ratio over the fighters. The lesson was that fixed-wing aircraft should not attack helicopters except at long range and/or high altitudes. This was worrying for forces based primarily on fixed-wing assets, leading to several design studies for helicopter-hunting aircraft.
Sikorsky H-19's, which the Army believed would be easy targets for enemy fighters. Many years later, in 1971 the new Combat Development Evaluation Center conducted an experiment with Army Bell AH-1 Cobras vs. US Navy F-4 Phantoms. The later demonstrated that the Cobra was a fleeting target when employed over land, but worried the Navy, whose search and rescue
helicopters operated over water with no cover available.
By the 1970s it was clear the Soviets were dramatically increasing their own helicopter force. The urgency of this threat grew as the west learned of the capabilities of the Hind
and (later) the 9K114 Shturm (AT-6 Spiral) anti-tank missile. The platform represented a serious threat to NATO armour. The results of earlier experiments, and the lack of modern organic air-defence units in the Army, suggested that the Hind would run rampant over the battlefield.
and the Tactical Air Command
participated in the tests, which involved the simulation of both armed and unarmed helicopters.
, Alabama. Blue Force, representing a US Army anti-armour group, was taken from forces based at Fort Rucker, including three AH-1 Cobra
s and two OH-58 Scouts.
Selecting a force to represent Red Team was not so easy. The Hind was a large aircraft with high speed and relatively low maneuverability, like the CH-3E Sea King
, but heavily armed with a two-man crew, like the Cobra. This role was filled by the 20th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field
in Florida. The 20th's primary mission is infiltration/exfiltration of special operations
units, and were equipped (at the time) with the Bell UH-1N Twin Huey and CH-3E Sea King
.
CIA intelligence officers who had some knowledge of the Hind were called in to brief the 20th's pilots on what little was known of the new aircraft, and its tactics. The Hind was in some respects a combination of these two aircraft, so they were used in concert in an attempt to simulate it. In order to provide a reasonable gun system, a number of Emerson Mini-TAT turrets were loaned by the Canadian Forces
, who used the system on their own UH-1Ns.
These missions developed a number of new helicopter air-to-air maneuvering (HAAM) techniques, which had not been considered before J-CATCH. Helicopters proved to be every bit as capable of air combat as their fixed-wing brethren, at least when operating against other helicopters.
During the two-week exercise, the helicopters proved devastating to the fixed-wing aircraft. In most cases the fighter pilots had no idea they were being "attacked" until they returned to base for debriefing. This led to a series of claims and counter-claims, so for the second week the helicopter pilots were instructed to follow Air Force procedure and call out "guns-guns-guns" when "firing". The kill ratio in favour of the helicopters climbed even higher during this period. Over the entire two-week period, the outcome was a 5-to-1 ratio in favour of the helicopters.
As the exercise continued, the 20th increasingly took on the role of the Soviet pilots. The maintenance crews hung a red tablecloth on a pole and mounted it to the back of their truck, and then added red scarves made of cut up rags. Aircrew took up this bit of flair, which has remained part of the uniform of the 20th to this day. A red star was added as a mission patch.
to test these concepts. In the UK, British Aerospace
started a similar project called Small Agile Battlefield Aircraft.
Dissimilar air combat training
Dissimilar air combat training was introduced as a formal part of US air combat training after disappointing aerial combat exchange rates in the Vietnam War.Traditionally, pilots would undertake air combat training against similar aircraft...
between jet fighters and attack helicopter
Attack helicopter
An attack helicopter is a military helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armored vehicles...
s. To everyone's surprise, the helicopters proved extremely dangerous to the fighters when they were properly employed, racking up a 5-to-1 kill ratio over the fighters. The lesson was that fixed-wing aircraft should not attack helicopters except at long range and/or high altitudes. This was worrying for forces based primarily on fixed-wing assets, leading to several design studies for helicopter-hunting aircraft.
Background
Prior to J-CATCH, there had been little effort in the US to explore fighter-helicopter tactics. One of the earliest involved MASHMobile Army Surgical Hospital
The Mobile Army Surgical Hospital refers to a United States Army medical unit serving as a fully functional hospital in a combat area of operations. The units were first established in August 1945, and were deployed during the Korean War and later conflicts. The U.S...
Sikorsky H-19's, which the Army believed would be easy targets for enemy fighters. Many years later, in 1971 the new Combat Development Evaluation Center conducted an experiment with Army Bell AH-1 Cobras vs. US Navy F-4 Phantoms. The later demonstrated that the Cobra was a fleeting target when employed over land, but worried the Navy, whose search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
helicopters operated over water with no cover available.
By the 1970s it was clear the Soviets were dramatically increasing their own helicopter force. The urgency of this threat grew as the west learned of the capabilities of the Hind
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
and (later) the 9K114 Shturm (AT-6 Spiral) anti-tank missile. The platform represented a serious threat to NATO armour. The results of earlier experiments, and the lack of modern organic air-defence units in the Army, suggested that the Hind would run rampant over the battlefield.
J-CATCH
Starting in 1978 the situation was addressed with the organization of the J-CATCH program.Phase I
This started with simulator efforts in the Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS) at NASA Langley in May 1978. The DMS was developed to simulate two spacecraft or aircraft maneuvering together, and was a natural fit for simulating one-on-one encounters between helicopters and other aircraft. Aircrew from the Army, Marines, Military Airlift CommandMilitary Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
and the Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
participated in the tests, which involved the simulation of both armed and unarmed helicopters.
Phase II
Experience from the simulator tests led to a series of field studies in Phase II, studying helicopter vs. helicopter tactics, a field that had never been officially studied before. The tests took place at at Fort RuckerFort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Alabama. Blue Force, representing a US Army anti-armour group, was taken from forces based at Fort Rucker, including three AH-1 Cobra
AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
s and two OH-58 Scouts.
Selecting a force to represent Red Team was not so easy. The Hind was a large aircraft with high speed and relatively low maneuverability, like the CH-3E Sea King
Sikorsky S-61R
The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R...
, but heavily armed with a two-man crew, like the Cobra. This role was filled by the 20th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
in Florida. The 20th's primary mission is infiltration/exfiltration of special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
units, and were equipped (at the time) with the Bell UH-1N Twin Huey and CH-3E Sea King
Sikorsky S-61R
The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R...
.
CIA intelligence officers who had some knowledge of the Hind were called in to brief the 20th's pilots on what little was known of the new aircraft, and its tactics. The Hind was in some respects a combination of these two aircraft, so they were used in concert in an attempt to simulate it. In order to provide a reasonable gun system, a number of Emerson Mini-TAT turrets were loaned by the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
, who used the system on their own UH-1Ns.
These missions developed a number of new helicopter air-to-air maneuvering (HAAM) techniques, which had not been considered before J-CATCH. Helicopters proved to be every bit as capable of air combat as their fixed-wing brethren, at least when operating against other helicopters.
Phase III
To answer the question of whether or not the same was true in helicopter-vs-fighter encounters, a selection of F-4, A-7, A-10 and F-15 aircraft were selected by the Air Force to take part in the tests. The F-4 and F-15 represented front-line fighters who might be ordered to deal with helicopters as part of their anti-air roles, while the A-7 and A-10 represented ground-attack aircraft who might encounter helicopters as part of their missions near the front lines.During the two-week exercise, the helicopters proved devastating to the fixed-wing aircraft. In most cases the fighter pilots had no idea they were being "attacked" until they returned to base for debriefing. This led to a series of claims and counter-claims, so for the second week the helicopter pilots were instructed to follow Air Force procedure and call out "guns-guns-guns" when "firing". The kill ratio in favour of the helicopters climbed even higher during this period. Over the entire two-week period, the outcome was a 5-to-1 ratio in favour of the helicopters.
As the exercise continued, the 20th increasingly took on the role of the Soviet pilots. The maintenance crews hung a red tablecloth on a pole and mounted it to the back of their truck, and then added red scarves made of cut up rags. Aircrew took up this bit of flair, which has remained part of the uniform of the 20th to this day. A red star was added as a mission patch.
Phase IV and on
The surprising outcome of Phase III was not ignored. In Phase IV through VI of the project, during 1979, the lessons learned in Phase II and III were digested and fed back to the aircrews through new combat doctrine. To this day, the basic lesson is that fighters should stay away from helicopters, and only attack from high altitudes and only if the situation presents itself.Helicopter hunters
The introduction of newer attack helicopters, and the expected proliferation of existing types, led to a number of design studies for aircraft that would be able to protect a wide area of the front from these attacks. In particular, in 1981 the Army started the Low Cost Battlefield Attack Aircraft project and eventually built the Scaled Composites ARESScaled Composites ARES
The Scaled Composites ARES is a demonstrator aircraft built by the company Scaled Composites. ARES is an acronym for Agile Responsive Effective Support.-Development:In 1981, the U.S...
to test these concepts. In the UK, British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
started a similar project called Small Agile Battlefield Aircraft.