UH-1H Huey Bushranger

NOME: UH-1H HueyBushranger

MODELO: UH-1H

ANO: 1969

DESCRIÇÃO:
Early in 1966 the Australian Government decided to increase the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) active commitment in Vietnam . Later that year on 12 June, No. 9 Squadron RAAF arrived in Vung Tau equipped with eight Iroquois UH-1B helicopters.
The squadron was posted to Vietnam with the specific task of operating in direct support of the 1st Australian Task Force which was based at Nui Dat, a rubber plantation situated in the centre of Phuoc Tuy Province, about eighteen miles due north of the Vung Tau air base.
In the later part of 1967, the RAAF began to replace 9 Squadron's UH-1B aircraft with the larger and more powerful UH-1H variant. At the same time the squadron's strength was to be doubled from eight to sixteen helicopters. Due to the RAAF's other commitments in Vietnam , Malaysia and within Australia , this decision resulted in a severe shortage of airforce pilots and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was asked to fill the gap temporarily. Consequently eight RAN Fleet Air Arm pilots were assigned for duties with 9 Squadron in 1968.
In equally important role was aerial fire support, and to give 9 Squadron a greater capacity for direct support of Army ground operations, a specially modified UH-1H was introduced early in 1969. The 'Bushranger' helicopter was a UH-1H equipped with a modified XM-21 armament sub-system of two rocket pods each holding seven 2.75 rockets; two miniguns, each capable of firing 4,800 rounds per minute; and two M60 machine guns, handled by door-gunners. This armament sub-system could be removed in three hours to convert the Bushranger gunship to a troop carrying utility (slick) if additional troop lift capacity was required for operation.

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He Bushrangers, operating as a light fire team of two helicopters, escorted slicks in combat assaults, provided suppressive fire on enemy bunkers and protected MEDEVAC aircraft. They also supported slicks that inserted and extracted Army Special Air Service (SAS) patrols in enemy occupied jungle areas. The extraction of SAS patrols, especially 'hot extractions' when the patrols were in contact with the enemy, was a particularly dangerous operation. 9 Squadron aircraft were regularly required to land and take off in small clearings, or hover over jungle within range of hostile fire while taking on board the SAS troopers.
The rows of steel ammunition boxes on the floor of the cargo area behind the cockpit, hold thousands of rounds of 7.62mm x 51mm ammunition which feeds the electrically operated M134 six barrelled minigun, mounted outboard between the cargo hold and the pilot's door. Note the flexible ammunition feed chute and the red shroud protecting the minigun barrels. A pair of M60 machine guns with 1000 rounds of ammunition per gun, are mounted on a pintle post, at the rear of the cargo hold and are used by a designated door gunner. Note the door gunner's body armour and flight helmet on the seat behind the twin guns. Fitted below the waist guns is a seven barrelled rocket launcher, with each tube containing a 2.75 inch rocket. Identical weaponry is also fitted to the other side of the aircraft. The standard cargo hook and the rescue hoist, seen on most other UH-1H Iroquois has been removed.

 More information:

www.navy.gov.au

cas.awm.gov.au