Aviation in the Support of MOUT

This thesis demonstrates that Army Aviation can perform many functions during Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). It will address how helicopters can provide support to the MOUT commander on a routine basis in an environment characterized by a sophisticated air defense threat. Despite what current doctrine, states, many people, both aviators and non-aviators, feel that the helicopter has too many limitations to overcome before it can be considered as a feasible means of support in MOUT operations. Others consider the use of helicopters in MOUT by prefacing any possible employment with a whimsical notion of air superiority or using them during the absence of the enemy's air defense capabilities. This thesis shows that our doctrine is viable. It examines the helicopter's limitations and addresses what is being done to overcome these limitations. It portrays to the reader how helicopters can be employed now, and in the future during MOUT operations.