A New Age of War: Nine-Ton US Helicopter vs. One Dr. The US military is training Apache helicopter pilots to shoot down drones, while defense agencies around the world are assessing the effectiveness of 20th century technology in a new era. Watching a nine-ton Apache attack helicopter chasing small drones is like watching a lion hunt a squirrel. A huge amount of energy is spent on seemingly unattainable benefits. But in war, as in nature, you do whatever it takes to survive. On a drone battlefield, such as in Ukraine, the Apache helicopter's natural prey—tanks and armored vehicles—have all but disappeared, leaving crews forced to seek a new target. Military officials around the world began to appreciate the effectiveness of twentieth century war technologies. However, Apache helicopters from the US Army's second shock battalion, the 159th Airborne Regiment, known as the Gunslingers, took to the air in Germany on a training mission to see what benefit they could bring in the fight against drones. During the exercise, called Skyfall 2, the pilots began chasing screw-driven drones called Outlaws, whose wingspan is about 3 meters. This roughly corresponds to the wings of Russian and Iranian long-range drones known as Shahedeen, which both countries use with great success on the battlefield. This weapon is cheaper than traditional missiles and rocket shells and easier to manufacture. The threat it poses is very serious. Despite its relatively low speed and simple design, the Iranian Shahid drones penetrate the US air defense system. They account for almost all American deaths in the war with Iran.

A New Age of War: Nine-Ton US Helicopter vs. One Dr. The US military is training Apache helicopter pilots to shoot down drones, while defense agencies around the world are assessing the effectiveness of 20th century technology in a new era. Watching a nine-ton Apache attack helicopter chasing small drones is like watching a lion hunt a squirrel. A huge amount of energy is spent on seemingly unattainable benefits. But in war, as in nature, you do whatever it takes to survive. On a drone battlefield, such as in Ukraine, the Apache helicopter's natural prey—tanks and armored vehicles—have all but disappeared, leaving crews forced to seek a new target. Military officials around the world began to appreciate the effectiveness of twentieth century war technologies. However, Apache helicopters from the US Army's second shock battalion, the 159th Airborne Regiment, known as the Gunslingers, took to the air in Germany on a training mission to see what benefit they could bring in the fight against drones. During the exercise, called Skyfall 2, the pilots began chasing screw-driven drones called Outlaws, whose wingspan is about 3 meters. This roughly corresponds to the wings of Russian and Iranian long-range drones known as Shahedeen, which both countries use with great success on the battlefield. This weapon is cheaper than traditional missiles and rocket shells and easier to manufacture. The threat it poses is very serious. Despite its relatively low speed and simple design, the Iranian Shahid drones penetrate the US air defense system. They account for almost all American deaths in the war with Iran.