Eagles soar over Somalia

After three months of flying dusty missions over Somalia in the venerable Sea King, we believed that we had seen and done everything there was to do. Enjoying the flexibility of the Maritime Helicopter, HMCS Preserver's three Sea Kings had flown over most of southern Somalia supporting our troops on the ground. The missions ran from the mundane, troop transport and resupply, to the thrilling low-level escort missions and the punishing 8-hour reconnaissance missions at night along the Ethiopia-Somalia border. And, while we had seen the odd aggressive display underscoring the displeasure of the Somali warlords, we had become adept at developing and employing tactics that limited our exposure to the unfriendly skies.

We had become proud of our reputation among our allies as the "Bodysnatchers", an allusion to our propensity towards being in the wrong place at the right time to scoop several medical evacuations. But we did not know that our reputation for night time tactical reconnaissance was well known among both our coalition allies and the Somali Warlords. This reputation earned our shipmates and us a trip south in February 1993 to the port city of Kismayu, to support coalition efforts to calm the region.

Our reputation had also earned us the directive not to be seen flying in the daytime as the local Coalition Commander feared that the Somalis, were they to know that we had shifted our attentions southward, might alter their night time habits. It was believed, by the coalition forces in the sector, that the Somalis were using the cover of night to reinforce and redeploy their forces surrounding the city of Kismayu. Lacking any theatre level, night time reconnaissance capability, the Americans turned to our small contingent of Sea Kings to confirm their suspicions.

Despite our ability to cover large areas of terrain with great precision, we lacked (and still do) the capability to equip our pilots with Night Vision Goggles (NVGs). Therefore, it had become our SOP to fly a daytime mission over an area, to identify any obstacles or threats to our low-flying helicopter, prior to engaging in the demanding nighttime missions. Since our Sea Kings were restricted from being seen in the light of day around Kismayu, we turned to the local American UH-60 Blackhawk unit to brief us on the lay of the ground, the disposition of forces, and the likely threats. The briefing was reinforced with a ride in a Blackhawk, designed to give all the Sea King Crew Commanders and Navigators a feel for the area.

That night we would fly our first night missions around Kismayu, and it was quickly recognized that the combination of terrain and force dispositions would place heavy demands on the crew in back to rapidly acquire, classify, and pinpoint contacts. It was also recognized that the demanding flying would take a great toll on the pilots as they maneuvered the Sea King at low level, typically between 200 and 300 feet, hobbled without NVGs and relying solely on their instruments and direction from the Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) camera operator. Because of these factors, it was decided to combine the back-end teams of two crews to fly with the pilots from one crew. This allowed better tactical coverage, while still allowing us to rotate pilots often.

The first mission that night launched into the waning light of the day to begin surveillance of known cantonment areas belonging to one of the local Warlords. Using the FLIR, the crew knew that they would not only be able to locate any vehicles in the cantonment area but would also be able to tell if they had been in use by the heat from their engines. After three hours of painstaking search and inconclusive results, the aircraft recovered onboard Preserver to refuel and switch crews. A short fifteen minutes later, a fresh crew launched into the dark Somali night to search a different sector for the elusive forces known to be massed in the desert outside Kismayu.

As the second crew combed the desert, the first crew sat down to review their mission tapes recorded from the FLIR. It was soon discovered that they had briefly overflown a force of several hundred troops only a few miles west of Kismayu. Occupying only a few frames on the tape, the contact had been missed during the hectic mission. Recognizing the significance of the force size and their location, Preserver quickly contacted the airborne Sea King and re-tasked it to search the last known position. Minutes later, the Sea King was combing the area around the reported contact without success. Correctly assuming that the force was on the move towards one of two likely targets, the city or the American forces just west of the city, the crew began a painstaking low altitude search along the most likely avenues of advance.

The search would not take long. Approaching the city from the west, the pilots' eyes were drawn to the opening salvoes of what was to be a lengthy battle. As the aircraft continued to approach the city, it was clearly evident that the two local warlords were engaged in a desperate battle for the port city.

The Sea King and her crew quickly set themselves to work. The activity level in the aircraft soared as the crew reported contact all over the city and began the difficult task of building a recognizable picture of the situation on the ground. After careful assessment of the situation it was decided to risk an overflight to help clarify the confused and dynamic situation unfolding below. Approaching from the north end of the city, the pilots aimed to bisect the battle at about 300 feet to optimize the FLIR's effectiveness. Below, several hundred troops were engaged in a violent clash in the city streets using assault rifles, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), and Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs). As the aircraft overflew, the muzzle flashes of small arms, the flash-pause-bang of the RPGs, and the tracers from the HMGs became very distinct and very real. Sporadic tracer fire was seen to arc up behind the aircraft as the gunners on the ground took wild aim at the unwelcome eyes of the Sea King.

Seconds later, the Sea King cleared the battle area to the south and took up position over the port facility. Taking the time to assess the situation and report to "Bandit 11", the American ground force controller, it became obvious that more information was needed and thus the decision was made to attempt one more overflight of the battle. Approaching the battle from the south, the aircraft quickly came under fire from both sides of the city as the suddenly non-partisan gunners took great exception to the second overflight. Forced to take evasive action, the aircraft cleared the area to the north-west having proven the old adage "one pass - haul ass" to still be a viable tenet for crews wishing to experience a long and healthy life.

Once clear of the immediate threat, the Sea King and her crew rapidly set-up shop on the northern edge of the battle area where it was able to monitor the progress of the battle. As the fight raged, the Sea King began to pick-up contacts retreating from the eastern edge of the city. A closer inspection revealed that the persons and vehicles vacating the city were a mixture of combatants and non-combatants fleeing the successful advance of the invading troops.

Throughout the night, the Sea King maintained vigil over the dying battle having left station only once to refuel. The real-time intelligence collected allowed the coalition commanders on the ground to ensure the safety of their own forces while considering options available to stabilize the situation.

Through the next several nights, the Sea Kings again became the eyes of the ground forces as coalition forces moved in and began to enforce a strict curfew designed to reduce the nightly skirmishes. Time and again the Sea Kings proved their mettle as they guided friendly forces through the narrow streets to suppress outbreaks of violence while also providing flank security to ensure that the troops on the ground didn't walk into a trap. To help coordinate efforts inside the aircraft, the major thoroughfares and landmarks in the unfamiliar city were labeled with names from the Sea King's home in Halifax. The intercom in the aircraft was often alive with reports of small arms fire along "Robie Street" or HMG fire "north of Barrington" as the crew de-conflicted the mess below.

The Sea Kings also built on their "Bodysnatcher" reputation when the PRESERVER was asked to take on a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) mission already turned down by the American Blackhawks as "too dangerous". Despite the ongoing battle, one of Preserver's Sea Kings launched into the night to attempt the MEDEVAC from a poorly lit area of the port facility festooned with unlit obstacles. Despite the danger, the crew flew a flawless approach to the confined area and was back onboard minutes later with the casualty and a surgeon. The casualty was a Somali national who had been shot through the abdomen and was in critical condition when airlifted to Preserver. Emergency surgery was performed onboard with the ship's medical team assisting the American surgeon in the life saving operation.

The performance of Preserver's Sea Kings operating over Kismayu earned high praise from coalition allies and served to exemplify the flexibility of the Maritime Helicopter even when operated outside what many consider to be its "normal" environment. The success of Preserver's Sea Kings was largely due to the capabilities of its air and ground crews that were developed and honed while exercising in its more traditional environments. The rigours of operating in the unforgiving North Atlantic had well prepared our crews for operations over the featureless desert. While appearing to be diametrically different environments at first glance, many of the same challenges existed over both. Drawing upon their finely developed crew coordination, the crews were able to quickly adapt to the new environment and become tactically effective in a short time.

Major Sam Michaud was a Sea King pilot operating from HMCS Preserver during the Somalia crisis.