Helicopter War: Air Assault

Air mobile infantry revolutionized the speed and range in which infantry units could be deployed. Utilizing helicopters, air-assault units focus on seizing and holding key terrain that has not been fully secured, and are used to directly engage enemy forces. In Helicopter War: Air Assault we trace the evolution of Helicopter War: Air Assault we trace the evolution of air assault from the legendary Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” to the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.

Episode 1: Vertical Flight: Origin and Development

This episode traces the evolution of vertical flight including the first World War II era prototypes to the first deployment of helicopters during the Korean War.

Episode 2: The HU-1 “Huey”: Birth of Air Assault

The Bell HU-1 was developed to meet the US Army’s requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter, and first fl ew in 1956. Later designated as the UH-1, it was the first turbine-powered helicopter to enter production for the US military, with over 7,000 used during Vietnam. More than 16,000 have been produced worldwide.

Episode 3: Black Hawk: Next Generation Air Assault

The UH-60 entered service with the US Army in 1979 to replace the Bell UH-1 as the Army’s tactical transport helicopter. This was followed by the fielding of electronic warfare and special operations variants of the Black Hawk. Black Hawks have served in conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and in the Middle East.

BONUS: Operation Neptune Spear: The bin Laden Raid

Stunning footage of legendary Seal Team 6 and the raid that led to the capture and death of Osama bin Laden.

FEATURING:

• Bell 47 Sioux
• Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey”
• Piasecki PV-3
• Piasecki H-21 Shawnee
• Sikorsky R-4
• Sikorsky H-5
• Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw
• Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk