Is There a Role for Attack Helicopters in Peace Operations?

This thesis is a study to determine if attack helicopters are needed in peace operations. It uses case studies of two peace operations in which the U.S. Army employed attack helicopters: Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti and Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia. The case studies examine the doctrine, mission analysis, predeployment training, new equipment and equipment modifications, task organization, deployment, and employment of attack helicopter units in each operation. Because the operations are very recent, the study relies heavily on interviews and lessons learned from individuals who took part in each operation. The analysis evaluated each operation using six criteria that were common to both operations. These criteria included doctrine, mission analysis, task organization, training, aircraft modifications/preparation, and employment. This thesis concludes that there is a role for attack helicopters in peace operations. Attack helicopters were critical to the success of operations in both Haiti and Bosnia because of their ability to operate in the ground environment without restrictions due to terrain or land mines, and their psychological impact as a deterrent to the escalation of violence.