Agreed.
It also shows that helicopters can be used to infiltrate heavily defended spaces with good planning and NAP-of-the-earth technique. This is something that scores of members here struggle to digest.
Nap of the earth flying (NOE) is both science and art. Then add in a good dose of human courage.
What did the Ukrainian pilots know of the terrain from home to target?
What were the fuel and time calculations?
In flying nap of the earth (NOE), the advantage fixed wings have over helos is speed, but at the increased risk of detection because depending on terrain the jet will have to momentarily be outside of the radar 'shadow' zones created by the terrain. Because of the need for speed, which also translate to time, jets like my F-111 have to fly terrain following (TF) or
OVER the topos, whereas with helos, their advantage is they are able to fly terrain avoidance (TA) meaning they can fly
AROUND the topos, remaining inside the radar 'shadow' zones, but at the cost of increased time, fuel, and distance.
Terrain Following (TF) are designed to be real time responsive, meaning the jet is under real time control of the TF radar sub-system.
Terrain Avoidance (TA) should not be confused with Ground Collision Avoidance which is an emergency pitch up to avoid -- what else -- the ground. There is an oft confusion that if you fly over the topo, is that not qualify as an 'avoidance' ? Technically, it is. But in combat perspective, it is incorrect. In TA flight, you set a maximum flight altitude that you cannot breach, basically for fear of being outside that radar 'shadow' zone.
If the topo's physical feature, such as a hill top, is greater than your set max altitude, you must fly
AROUND that topo, hence the word 'avoidance'. Because of this flying around the hill, mission time, distance, and fuel cost increases. The hilltop may reach 2,000 ft but the hill itself could be 5,000 ft all round the base. It is easier to fly over the hill than around it, but at the risk of being detected. Further, the aircrew cannot simply fly at 1,900 ft and around the hill because that altitude could still be inside the radar scan on the other side, even at the radar beam's edge of usable echoes, the aircrew cannot risk detection, so the best solution could be 1,000 - 1,200 ft altitude so when they are on the other side of the hill, they are still below the radar's scan.
So overall, NOE/TA flights takes advanced human skills and daring especially if knowledge of the course's topographic map is less than complete.
