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Wildlife Strikes With U.S. Military Rotary-Wing Aircraft Deployed In Foreign Countries, Brian E. Washburn, Paul J. Cisar, Travis L. Devault

Human–Wildlife Interactions

During recent decades, rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters) within the U.S. Department of Defense (e.g., U.S Army and U.S. Air Force) have been deployed overseas to conduct a variety of noncombat and combat missions. Our objective was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of wildlife (birds, bats, insects) strikes with U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force rotarywing aircraft during overseas deployments. We acquired all available wildlife strike information involving U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force military rotary-wing aircraft engaged in flight operations associated with U.S. military bases around the world during 1990 to 2011. Wildlife strikes with military rotary-wing aircraft occurred in >31 …