Are Helicopters Vulnerable?

At distances of tens to hundreds of yards an RPG-7 ca be a much more dangerous threat than a MANPADS worth a hundred times the value of the grenade launcher round – although at hundreds of yards the accuracy of the RPG will decline considerably. This is the reality of helicopters being exposed in urban combat, combat SAR, special operations and other situations where the rotary wing aircraft must operate in close proximity to an opponent. At close quarters a sword is just as lethal as an assault rifle, and this argument remains as true as ever - low tech weapons can kill just as effectively as high tech weapons.