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The UH-60 Black Hawk that crashed on September 21, 2004
The UH-60 Black Hawk that crashed on September 21, 2004

This list of Coalition aircraft losses in the Iraq War includes only incidents in which the helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft was destroyed or written off.

At least 109 helicopters and 20 fixed-wing aircraft have been lost in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. At least 39 of the crashes have been attributed to hostile fire such as anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles. In March 2007, Brig. Gen. Stephen Mundt said that 130 helicopters had been lost in both Iraq and Afghanistan, about a third to hostile fire, and he was concerned that they were not being replaced fast enough.[1]

At least 243 personnel have been killed in helicopter crashes since the invasion, and 19 have died in fixed-wing crashes.

The U.S. military said that the average month in 2006 and 2007 saw about 17 attacks against helicopters.[2] Efforts to prevent more deaths included more training for helicopter pilots. In fall 2007, the military deployed the more advanced V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. [3]


Contents

[edit] Helicopters lost

Helicopters destroyed or written off. Unrecoverable losses.

[edit] 2007

[edit] 2006

[edit] 2005

[edit] 2004

[edit] 2003

[edit] Helicopters probably lost

Helicopters that crashed but no media reported to be written off.

[edit] 2007

  • April 15 - Two British HC.1 Aérospatiale Puma helicopters XW211 and XW218 were involved in a mid-air collision near Taji, north of Baghdad. Both aircraft crashed, with two personnel killed and one seriously injured.[88]

[edit] 2004

[edit] Helicopters crash-landed

Helicopters which made emergency landing for different reasons and no media reported to have been repaired or written off, so their status remains unknown.

[edit] 2007

  • November 20 - A RAF HC.1 Puma ZA938 crashes. 2 SAS troopers died after the Puma troop transporter went down in an urban area during a covert mission over Baghdad. Two other men from 22 Special Air Service Regiment were seriously injured in the crash although their condition is not thought to be life threatening. A further seven SAS and three RAF survived the impact and were later rescued by Coalition forces. [91]
  • August 10 - A US Navy HSC-84 HH-60 "Rescue Hawk" made a forced landing in Yusufiyah. The two crew members sustained non-life threatening injuries.[92]
  • July 31 - An AH-64 Apache went down after coming under fire in eastern Baghdad. The two crew members were safely extracted.[93]
  • April 5 - A UH-60 Black Hawk carrying nine is shot down in Latifiya using anti-aircraft heavy machine guns, 4 were wounded.[94][95]
  • March 1 - An OH-58D made a hard landing south of Kirkuk, injuring both crewmembers, and becomes entangled in overhanging wires before hitting the ground.[96] Reports had varied whether the crash was due to a mechanical[97] or electronic failure[98] and whether it was shot down.[99]
  • February 21 - A UH-60 Black Hawk was hit by RPG and small arms fire north of Baghdad and made a hard landing; all nine military personnel on board were rescued.[100]
  • January 25 - A UH-60 Black Hawk shot down by gunfire near Hit. All aboard survive the incident.[101]

[edit] 2006

[edit] 2005

[edit] 2004

[edit] 2003

[edit] Helicopters crash-landed and repaired

They weren’t destroyed and weren’t written off.

[edit] 2006

[edit] 2004

[edit] Summary per case

Year Lost Probably Lost Crash-landed Crash-landed & Repaired
2007 9 2 7 0
2006 11 0 2 1
2005 11 0 1 0
2004 22 3 6 2
2003 25 0 12 0
Totals 78 5 29 3
Total: 114

[edit] Fixed-Wing Aircraft

[edit] Other aircraft

Several civilian and other aircraft have crashed in Iraq as well:

  • March 7, 2007 - A privately-contracted helicopter from the Republic of Georgia crashed due to technical failures, injuring its three Ukrainian crewmembers, and several Iraqi passengers.[133]
  • January 31, 2007 - A Bell 412 helicopter operated by a private security firm was downed under hostile fire near Karma during a flight between Al Hillah and Baghdad. A US military helicopter rescued the passengers and crew.[134][135]
  • January 23, 2007 - A Blackwater USA MD 530F helicopter participating in Coalition operations shot down by hostile fire in Baghdad. All of the 4 man crew are killed in the incident, likely executed after surviving the crash. The remaining survivor is also killed under unclear circumstances, when another Blackwater helicopter descends to the crash site.

[136][137]

[edit] Summary per type

TO BE RECOUNTED

Rotary-wing losses

109 (39 to hostile fire)

Type #
AH-64 Apache 24
OH-58 Kiowa 23
UH-60 Black Hawk 19
AH-1W Super Cobra 8
CH-46 Sea Knight 6
CH-47 Chinook 6
CH-53E Super Stallion 4
SA 330 Puma 4
SH-3 Sea King 2
MH-53 Pave Low 2
UH-1N Huey 2
Agusta Bell-412 2
AH-6M Little Bird 1
CH-53D Sea Stallion 1
PZL W-3 Sokół 1
Westland Lynx 1
Mil Mi-24 Hind 1
Mil Mi-8 Hip 1
MD530F 1

Fixed-wing losses

20 (*3 to hostile fire, **2 to friendly fire)

Type #
F/A-18 Hornet 4/1**
F-16 Falcon 4
C-130 Hercules 2/1*
A-10 Warthog 1*
AV-8 Harrier 1
F-14 Tomcat 1
F-15E Strike Eagle 1*
S-3 Viking 1
Tornado GR4 1**
Aerocomp Comp Air 7 1
Antonov An-26 1

Note: Numerous crashes involving unmanned aircraft and drones are not included in the lists above.


[edit] Aircraft Shot Down

2007

July 31 - An AH-64 Apache went down after coming under fire in eastern Bagdad. The two crew members OK

July 2, 2007 - An OH-58D was shot down along a canal south of Baghdad in Babil province with small arms, both pilots were rescued by strapping themselves onto the stub wings of an AH-64 Apache.

May 29, 2007 - An OH-58D was shot down between Baquba and Muqdadiyah with small arms, killing the two pilots.

April 5, 2007 - UH-60 Black Hawk in Latifiyah, using anti-aircraft heavy machine guns. there were 4 wounded, and none killed.

February 21, 2007 - A UH-60 Black Hawk was hit by RPG and small arms fire north of Baghdad and made a hard landing; all nine military personnel on board were rescued.

February 7, 2007 - CH-46E Sea Knight from HMM-364, crashed north-west of Taji, killing all 7 on board

February 2, 2007 - AH-64 Apache from 1-227 Avn, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, and 1st Cavalry Division shot down by hostile fire near Taji, killing the two pilots.

January 28, 2007 - AH-64 Apache from 4-227th Avn, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division shot down by hostile fire during the Battle of Najaf, killing the two pilots

January 20, 2007 -A UH-60 Black Hawk from 36th Combat Aviation Brigade shot down by a shoulder-fired missile north-east of Baghdad. All 12 crew and passengers on board are killed in the incident.

2006

July 13, 2006 - AH-64D Apache from 4-4 Avn shot down south of Baghdad. The two pilots survive.

May 14, 2006 - AH-6M from 1-160th SOAR shot down southwest of Baghdad, killing the two crewmen.

May 6 - A Westland Lynx AH.7 (Royal Navy) from 847 Squadron is shot down with a SA-14 over Basra, killing five crewmen..

April 1, 2006 - AH-64D Apache from 4-4 Avn shot down southwest of Baghdad, killing the two crewmen.

January 16, 2006 - AH-64D Apache from 1-4 Avn shot down north of Baghdad, killing the two pilots.

January 13, 2006 - OH-58D Kiowa from 1-10th Avn shot down near the al-Sukar district of Mosul, killing the two pilots.

2005

November 2, 2005 - AH-1W Super Cobra 165321 from HMLA-369 shot down near Ramadi, killing the two pilots.

June 27, 2005 - AH-64D Apache from 3-3d Avn shot down near Taji, killing the two pilots.

May 26, 2005 - An OH-58D (I) Kiowa from 1-17th Cav is shot down near Baquba, killing the two crewmen.

2004

November 12, 2004 - UH-60A Black Hawk from 1-106th Avn shot down northeast of Baghdad, wounding three of the four crew members.

November 11, 2004 - AH-1W Super Cobra 161021 from HMLA-169 was shot down by RPG and small arms fire near Fallujah. It was destroyed by Iraqi rebel forces, crew recovered intact. A second Super Cobra was damaged, but was recovered by US forces.

September 4, 2004 - OH-58D Kiowa shot down over Tal Afar, Iraq; both pilots safe.

August 5, 2004 - UH-1N Huey 160439 from HMM-166 shot down near Najaf; crew wounded.

June 24, 2004 - AH-1W Super Cobra 163939 shot down in Fallujah; pilots safe.

April 11, 2004 - An AH-64D Apache (02-5301) from 1-227 AVN shot down west of Baghdad, killing the two pilots.

April 7, 2004 - OH-58D Kiowa crashes near Baquba after being hit by ground fire; pilots rescued

January 13, 2004 - AH-64 Apache from 4-3 CAV shot down near Habbaniyah, pilots rescued.

January 8, 2004 - A UH-60 Black Hawk (86-24488) from 571st Medical Company (Air Ambulance) shot down near Fallujah, killing 9 crew and passengers.

January 2, 2004 - A OH-58D Kiowa from 1-17 CAV (assigned to 1-82) Avn shot down near Fallujah, killing a pilot.

2003

December 11, 2003 - AH-64D Apache from 101st Avn shot down 15 miles south of Mosul, pilots survive.

November 15, 2003 - Mosul, two UH-60 Black Hawks from 4-101 Avn and 9-101 Avn collide and crash after one aircraft coming under fire; 6 and 11 soldiers (crew and passengers) onboard are killed, respectively, and 5 others onboard the first AC are injured.

November 7, 2003 - near Tikrit, UH-60 Black Hawk from 5-101 Avn shot down by an SA-16; 6 crew and passengers are killed.

November 2, 2003 - near Fallujah, CH-47D Chinook 91-0230 of Detachment 1/F Company/106th Avn shot down; 16 soldiers killed.

October 25, 2003 - near Tikrit, UH-60L Black Hawk crashes after reportedly being hit by ground fire, 5 soldiers injured.

June 12, 2003 - near Baghdad, AH-64D Apache of 101st Avn helicopter shot down; pilots rescued.

March 27, 2003 – AH-64D shot down in southern Iraq, pilots survive.

March 23, 2003 - AH-64D Apache 85-25407 from C Company/1-227th Avn shot down; two pilots taken prisoner.

Fixed-Wing Aircraft

January 30, 2005 - A British C-130K C.1P XV179 is shot down north of Baghdad, killing 10 British personnel.

April 8, 2003 - A-10A 78-0691 of 124th Wing/190th FS shot down by AAA; pilot OK.

April 7, 2003 - F-15E 88-1694/SJ of 4th FW/333rd FS shot down, both the pilot and Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) killed

AH-64D: 13 UH-60L: 8 OH-58D: 8 AH-1W: 3 UH-1N: 1 AH-6M: 1 CH-47D: 1 CH-46E: 1

[edit] References



[edit] ==============

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Criticism of economic policy in CPI(M) ruled states

CPI(M) is criticised of moving away from its ideological moorings[1] and becoming a Social Democratics outfit. Some CPI(M) insiders have also raised questions about CPI(M) compromising with corporate interests at the expense of ordinary people. Budhadeb Bhattacharya's own cabinet minister (Land Reform Minister) and CPI(M) leader Abdul Razzak Mollah opposed Buddhadeb's supposedly "neo-liberal" line.[citation needed] He opposed the provisions of the land acquisition bill in the West Bengal state assembly. Former West Bengal finance minister and former CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Dr. Ashok Mitra also expressed his disagreements with CPI(M)'s ideological shift towards economic liberalisation.

In Kerala, Prof. M.N. Vijayan, former editor of the CPI(M) owned “Deshabhimani weekly”, warned that CPI(M) policies are now influenced by neoliberalism and rebelled against the influence of foreign fund on party functioning, influence of capital in the cultural field, and attempt to replace class politics with that of identity politics.[2] Under M.N.Vijayan's leadership, in Kerala Adhinivesa Prathirodha Samithi (Council for Resisting Imperialist Globalisation), was formed by CPI(M) activists. He said: “This is degradation, and under neoliberalism it has assumed the character of greater individualism and vulgar depoliticisation.”[3]

By acquitting M.N. Vijayan in a related court case, the court has endorsed Vijayan's charges against Shastra Sahitya Parishad, a science forum led by section of CPI(M) leaders, of accepting imperialist funding.[4][5]

Prabhat Patnaik, a CPI(M) economist, has also questioned the influence of the logic of industrialisation using the Grande Industry route as being the sine qua non of industrial policy in West Bengal.[6][7]. Criticism against CPI(M) is that by raising TINA argument now, it is allegedly taking the Third Way.[8] These critics argue that CPI(M)’s Social Democratic deviation limits CPI(M) to operate only within the constraints of the existing capitalist orientated economic system, and buy into the capitalist system to such an extent that they eventually become indistinguishable from conservatives. Corporates and right wing political leaders have expressed happiness on CPI(M)'s rightward shift.[9][10]

Ratan Tata expressed happiness saying "Budhadeb has showed loyalty to TATA even at the risk of sacrificing his political career." and Ravi Kant MD Tata Motors expressed happiness the way Budhadeb served TATA.[11]. But the critics argue that there was secret understanding to take over public property, between Chief Minister and TATA which was not revealed even after several petitions were filed under the Right to Information Act. [12][13][14] The allegation is that TATA helps Budhadeb's political career in return of gifting thousands of acres of land free of cost to TATA.[15]

[edit] Mass killing in Nandigram

A SEZ was planned in Nandigram in West Bengal, which received opposition from resident villagers who adopted a violent means of protest, which included driving away ruling party partisans away from the village. On March 14, 2007, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya ordered a "police action" against the villagers that led to the deaths of 14 villagers and 70 injuries.[1]

CPI(M) came under heavy criticism from opposition parties (such as the SUCI & Trinamool Congress), Left Front coalition allies like CPI, RSP and Forward Block and from the state's former Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu.[2] On March 15, 2007 Jyoti Basu criticized the failing to restrain the police action in Nandigram. Bhattacharya and CPI(M) tried to justify the police firing at Nandigram, although the party has also expressed regret for the shootings. This incident has resulted in the many of the left intellectuals, writers, singers and actors declaring their mistrust on CPI(M) and Buddhadev Bhattacharya[3][4] [5] and many authors returning their state-given awards like Rabindra Puroskar, Bankim Puroskar, Vidyasagar Puroskar or stepping down from their honorary posts in various state-government cultural organizations. The CPI(M) has declared that they are totally behind Bhattacharya and support the police action and have drawn "plans" to placate his critics. CBI officials in charge of the firing probe have arrested 8 people from a local brick kiln called Janani Itbhata, and seized arms, ammunition and CPI(M) flags. The arrested people are alleged to be CPI(M) supporters, who had fired at the villagers in co-operation with the police [6]. [7].

Vir Sanghvi has referred to the CPI(M) as "Thugs and murderers" for the massacre in Nandigram and went on to draw parallels with Mao and Stalin and the finest traditions of ‘global communism’.[8]

Further information: Nandigram SEZ controversy

[edit] "Red terror" in Nandigram

Another violence came up in Nandigram in November 2007. Evidence pointed that the operation was conducted entirely by the party keeping the state administration inactive. The party eulogized the operation with its state chairman describing it as "a new dawn" and the chief minister as `paying them back in their own coin'[16]. In November 10, CPM cadres opened fire on two unarmed rallies and killed three people.[17] Social activist Medha Patkar in a message to National Human Rights Commission of India said that war like situation prevailed in Nandigram due to presence of thousands of CPM cadres. Police officers were present in the area, but supported their programme to attack Nandigram.[18] A 62-year-old retired schoolteacher who assaulted by CPM supporters told, "A group of people stormed into my house at 8 am and asked for my son. They started beating me up, saying 'why haven't I taken part in our rallies', and threatened to burn my house."[19] The situation was described as one of "Red Terror".[19]

Nationwide protests resulted from the new offensive[20]. Film director Aparna Sen and Rituporno Ghosh boycotted the film festival in Kolkata in protest.[17] Aparna Sen said, "Nandigram has become a slaughter house with blood being shed every day. CPM might be at the helm of affairs but the state still belongs to us."[17] CPI(M)-led government came under all-round attack in the issue in Lok Sabha.[21]

Further information: Nandigram SEZ controversy

[edit] Forced expulsion of Taslima Nasrin

On 21 November 2007, a protest was started by the Islamist "All India Minority Forum" in Kolkata against granting of Indian visa to Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who received death threats from Islamic fundamentalists. As a consequence, she has been forced to leave Kolkata and seek refuge in New Delhi, as both Bengal and Rajasthan Governments hurriedly shifted her out of their states. [22].[23] The state secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Biman Bose said that the author's visa should be cancelled if her presence was causing problems.[23] The author's defenders, including some Muslim figures such as Dr Mansoor claim she is being used by the West Bengal government as a way of diverting attention from the dispute in Nandigram. Taslima said: "In the last three months I have been put under severe pressure to leave Bengal by the police.".[24]

[edit] Electoral fraud

CPI(M) and the opposition Trinamool and Congress parties in West Bengal have traded accusations of vote-rigging and intimidation. In 1999, opposition parties in West Bengal complained largescale rigging by CPI(M) activists in many constituencies, although the CPM had also called for repolling in over 100 booths alleging they were captured by Trinamool activists.[25] Journalists were threatened by CPI(M) activists and they were preventing from entering vote-booths.[25] In the 2005 municipal election, opposition parties complained that the police and state administration had joined hands with the CPM cadres in rigging, while members of the Trinamool Congress were accused of bomb-making and rioting by the state government and the police.[26]

[edit] Allegations of casteism

The CPM has been criticised for alleged upper-caste Brahmin-domination (Brahmins are the highest caste in the Indian Caste System) at the top echelons of the party hierarchy.[27][28][29]. However, some of the parties leading figures come from lower castes as well as the Muslim and Sikh communities. The CPM has also made public declarations against what it sees as Brahmin domination of politics at a state level and has stated that fighting caste oppression is an integral part of socialism.[9] [10]

[edit] CIA documents and CPI(M)

The Central Intelligence Agency has recently declassified documents related to "the Sino-Indian war and what it claims as the role of the Communist Party of India in China's favor in the process. The accusations CIA has made can be downloaded and viewed from CIA's foia site

[11][12][13][14]Highlights include:

  1. CPI(M) heavyweight HK Surjeet influenced by Communist Soviet Russia to setup an underground organization
  2. CPI(M) did proceed to recruit a secret organization within the Indian Army.
  3. The Peoples Republic of China and Soviet Russia both insisted that the CPI(M) must develop a standby apparatus capable of armed resistance, while intensifying penetration of Indian Military forces.
  4. With the People's Liberation Army now present along the Indian Border the Indian Party had a channel of support for Armed Operations and a potential "liberator" in the event of mass uprisings - 13 Sept 1959
  5. 4 powerful radio sets had been installed in the office of the China Review in Calcutta to listen to broadcasts from Beijing
  6. Chinese Financial Subsidies to sections of the CPI(M) particularly the left faction strongholds in West Bengal
  7. A foreign supply base was now available for the underground organizations with the Chinese occupation of Tibet and other frontier areas.
  8. Letter asking for collaboration in Indian underground organization work aimed at an eventual revolution, because China has a border with India and can provide arms and supplies.
  9. Also Jaipal Singh, head of the illegal organization within the Indian Army decided to reactivate his organization in May 1961 following the hard left faction gaining control of the party.


[edit] Collectivisation and anti-National ideology

Communists in India, in particular, the CPI(M), have been criticized for failing to engender a new form of national identity, which has allegedly led to the failure of Communist parties to establish a national following.[30] [31] Some criticize the CPI(M) in Kerala for ignoring the inherently Capitalist nature of the agrarian system in the region and trying to impose collectivist[32][33] and allegedly Stalinist economic policies without due regard to the disastrous consequences of Stalinist economy such as the Ukranian Holodomor, which critics point out would be a distinct possibility with CPM's policies in India[32]