Post by phasselgren on Apr 10, 2007 5:11:23 GMT 12
I didn´t expect Seasprite to be a fighter but now this helicopter has made at least one air-to-air claim during an exercise. I found this in Navy Today from February.
"ASWEX was an intensive mari-
time exercise off Western Australia involving ships, sub-
marines, helicopters and aircraft. The ships taking part were three sister ships, ANZAC, BALLARAT, and TE KAHA, with ENDEAVOUR as their replenishment tanker and ‘high value’ target. The Submarines were HMA Submarines SHEEAN and FARN-
COMB TE KAHA’s Seasprite achieved all twelve missions during the two week exercise, but they reported that the both submarines seemed more elu-
sive than the previous year, however the Kiwi aircrew still managed a few sightings (captured on camera). From the other perspective, the Aussie submariners photographed the RNZAF Orion as it passed overhead during one sortie. The Exercise also involved an Anti-
Surface sortie, TE KAHA and BAL-
LARAT against ANZAC and her Se-
ahawk helicopter. TE KAHA’s aircrew reported: ‘We located and destroyed ANZAC first with two Maverick missiles. The Seahawk however shot up our ship while we were airborne, so we called BALLARAT and requested vectors to intercept the other helo. We snuck up on them and engaged them with our M60 machine gun from above!’ [The Seasprite may not have been intended for air-to-air combat, but now TE KAHA’s Flight can claim to be the Red Barons of WA!] "
"ASWEX was an intensive mari-
time exercise off Western Australia involving ships, sub-
marines, helicopters and aircraft. The ships taking part were three sister ships, ANZAC, BALLARAT, and TE KAHA, with ENDEAVOUR as their replenishment tanker and ‘high value’ target. The Submarines were HMA Submarines SHEEAN and FARN-
COMB TE KAHA’s Seasprite achieved all twelve missions during the two week exercise, but they reported that the both submarines seemed more elu-
sive than the previous year, however the Kiwi aircrew still managed a few sightings (captured on camera). From the other perspective, the Aussie submariners photographed the RNZAF Orion as it passed overhead during one sortie. The Exercise also involved an Anti-
Surface sortie, TE KAHA and BAL-
LARAT against ANZAC and her Se-
ahawk helicopter. TE KAHA’s aircrew reported: ‘We located and destroyed ANZAC first with two Maverick missiles. The Seahawk however shot up our ship while we were airborne, so we called BALLARAT and requested vectors to intercept the other helo. We snuck up on them and engaged them with our M60 machine gun from above!’ [The Seasprite may not have been intended for air-to-air combat, but now TE KAHA’s Flight can claim to be the Red Barons of WA!] "
