Existing comment:
Vietnam
The Helicopter War
During the Korean War and insurgencies in former British and French colonies, the helicopter emerged as an invaluable tool of "limited" warfare. However, it was not until US involvement in Vietnam, from 1961 to 1975, that the helicopter provided it was indispensable in medical actions. The earlier French defeat on the same impassable terrain in the Indochina War showed that only helicopter-borne airmobile forces could effectively combat the Viet Cong guerillas.
By the late 1950s, new advances in helicopter design had increased performance. Chief among them was the application of the gas turbine engine, which proved critical for maintaining the power-to-weight ratios needed to transport militarily useful loads in the hot and humid conditions of Southwest Asia. |