Helo's at low-level are sufficiently safe if escorted by gunships. Whenever we did people-sniffers in Vietnam at ultra low-level we had gunships in 2 click trail and all it took was a smoke-pop and an R/T call to deter the gooks from taking potshots or engaging you with LAW's or RPG's. They eventually found it wiser to keep their heads down. Escorted helos at low-level using terrain-hugging and nap-of-the-earth masking techniques have the distinct advantage of their tracking and destination being indeterminate and time precious - as far as the opposition is concerned. Courtesy of modern NVG'ss you can do it night and day. Contrast that tactic to a foot-slogger patrol heading fortress outbound in daylight on a known tracking with an obvious objective. Chalk and cheese.
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The Taliban are not gooks and don't care about dying. I am not sure how you conclude that helos are safe at low-level.....
Even if MANPADS come into the equation, very few of these are effective against low-level helos and they'd be easily engaged by follow-up supportive gunships. Contrast this effective quid pro quo against the current nil cost to the insurgents of simply detonating an IED from a safe hidey-hole.
You are very wide of the mark........too late for gunships when the Stinger RMP has taken the side off the aircraft.
Things have moved in........
HPT