Another CH-47 gets shot down; AFSOC still trying to gobble them up.

Another CH-47 gets shot down today in Afghanistan. The slow, unmaneuverable aircraft is a huge aircraft with a basically a target painted on the side begging insurgents to shoot. USAF's AFSOC is trying to replace the "old" HH-60Gs (which happens to be one of the youngest aircraft in USAF inventory) with the Chinook and I feel there could not be a worse choice. C'mon fellers, these things are dropping like flies. How many lives are we willing to loose over an obviously bad decision. These things are great for one thing and one thing only, heavy lift. They suck at infiltration/exfiltration, and CSAR. Think about the down wash!!








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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan —

Five U.S. soldiers were among seven people killed when a Chinook helicopter was apparently shot down Wednesday evening in Afghanistan's most volatile province, a U.S. military official said. The Taliban claimed responsibility.

Initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, the U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity because the crash was being investigated.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said seven ISAF soldiers were killed after the CH-47 Chinook went down in Helmand province near Kajaki, the site of a major hydroelectric damn and scene of fierce battles in recent months.

The crew of five and two military passengers died, NATO said. It did not release nationalities, but a U.S. official said the two passengers were not American. There were no survivors.

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