LSCI 106:
ONLINE RESEARCH 1: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE RESEARCH
Student Project
Dana Merwin
RESEARCH QUESTION:
What are the effects of helicopters
on modern warfare tactics?
One of the most dynamic and revolutionary developments in military
technology is the modern military helicopter. While military planners continue
to debate its’ specific roles in combat, the armed helicopter has undeniably
changed the way commanders employ their assets in the field. My goal in this
research project is to assess the effectiveness of not just armed helicopters,
but also military helicopters in general, including the important roles of
resupply and casualty evacuation, with a focus on the survivability and
effectiveness of helicopters on the battlefield.
GENERAL SEARCH WORKSHEET
CONCEPT # |
Search Terms |
1 |
Helicopters |
medevac |
Cobra |
Apache |
gunship |
2 |
Battlefield |
military |
weapons |
anti-armor |
history |
3 |
Effects |
development |
.innovation |
strategy |
.tactics |
The
http://www.dtic.mil/search97doc/aulimp/main.htm
This site has some bias issues to consider, as the materials are originating either directly from the military or from sources very close to the military. As such, any researcher would do well to remember that there may be some reluctance on the part of the writers involved to be openly critical of the military establishment. On the other hand, several of the articles I perused were quite critical of military decisions and policies, so this site may be more balanced than one might fear. There does not seem to be an undue amount of propaganda involved (although this would have to be more fully evaluated on an article-by-article basis). In terms of historical information and up-to-date specific technical data, this site is excellent. A drawback to the site’s usefulness is that it only provides citations rather than full text articles.
The site does not appear to be intended for the general audience, but rather seems targeted to those with a more than casual interest in the military. The articles I scanned appeared to be written either by active (or retired) pilots of by those who had some direct participation in the issues discussed, making their information relatively credible.
The purpose of the page seems to be to publish a wide variety of information for someone who has a genuine interest to learn about this subject in depth.
Durant, Michael J. In The Company of
Heroes.
This book is primarily about the author’s experiences as
a helicopter pilot and prisoner-of-war during the famous
Although some level of bias undeniably exists in the author’s perspective due to his closeness to these extraordinary events, his expertise in this area cannot be denied. The author was a participant in some of the most leading-edge helicopter assault operations of the last two decades. Not only was he a leading pilot, he actively participated in the formulation of new methods of armed helicopter assault tactics and strategies
Durant has very
strong conclusions about the proper way to employ helicopter assets in battle,
particularly in regards to the
The author’s conclusions and opinions regarding this action and regarding armed helicopters in general are based not on assumptions of pre-existing philosophies of warfare, but on his own personal experiences in implementing new tactics and equipment, both in training and testing environments, and in the heat of battle.
“Five
“Low-Tech
Grenades A Danger to Helicopters.” The
Mason,
Robert. Chickenhawk.
Military Policy Awareness Links (MiPAL). 18 Nov. 2003.
http://merln.ndu.edu/mipal/mipalhome.html
Nutwell, Lynn. Rev. of In The Company of Heroes by Michael J. Durant. School Library Journal, Sept. 2003: 242. 18 Nov. 2003.
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last revised: 12-2-03 by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA
These materials are copyrighted, but may be used for educational purposes if you inform and credit the author and cite the source as: LSCI 106 Computerized Research. All commercial rights are reserved. Send comments or suggestions to: Eric Brenner at brenner@smccd.net