Defense Express reported the information.The debate over whether helicopters still have a place on the modern battlefield has intensified following Russia's disastrous use of rotorcraft in its war against Ukraine. However, according to Jeffrey Schloesser, Bell's vice president and former commanding general of the U.S. Army's storied 101st Airborne Division, the massive Russian losses don't signal the end of helicopter warfare—they reveal fundamental tactical failures.Speaking with Flight Global, Schloesser pointed to Russia's opening moves in the Ukraine invasion as a textbook case of how not to employ rotorcraft. "Their helicopters were flying in formation in broad daylight at altitudes that were perfect for both surface-to-air missiles and small arms fire," he explained. "The Ukrainians immediately destroyed the bulk of Russian capability because of the mistakes they made. They tried to conduct an air assault without suppressing the Ukrainian air defense system."The former division commander emphasized that Russian forces employed obsolete doctrines from the war's first days, leading to what he termed a "bloody fiasco." After suffering devastating losses in multiple helicopter operations—including the failed Hostomel airfield assault—Moscow essentially abandoned complex rotorcraft missions altogether.Schloesser contrasted Russia's approach with how the United States would conduct similar operations in contested airspace. American forces would first deploy fighters, bombers, attack aircraft, and electronic warfare assets to create a safe corridor before committing helicopters to an assault mission. "In many cases, the defeat of Russian forces happened very quickly, and in many instances they were completely destroyed. The Russians learned nothing while trying to operate," he noted.Russia's current reluctance to risk complex multi-layered helicopter operations, according to Schloesser, stems either from the loss of experienced personnel capable of planning such missions or from a strategic shift toward distant bombardment and infantry attrition tactics.Despite the Ukrainian experience, Schloesser maintains that helicopters remain viable on the modern battlefield, including for assault operations during large-scale ground offensives. The key lies in integrating all capabilities into a unified concept and adopting what he calls "dispersed forces"—spreading aircraft across numerous small locations rather than concentrating dozens or hundreds at single bases.Success also requires "tightly coordinated operations alongside aircraft, electronic warfare systems, ground-based air defense, and other combat forces," he added. The U.S. Army continues expanding helicopter capabilities through integration with unmanned systems that can assume some evacuation, supply, and strike missions—though not entirely replace crewed aircraft. It's simply a matter of determining the right balance between manned and unmanned platforms.