May 16, 1999
Web posted at: 11:27 a.m. EDT (1527 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon says it will use its helicopter gunships in Albania "at the appropriate time," despite a published report suggesting military leaders consider them too vulnerable to ground fire.

The New York Times reported Sunday that the Pentagon is blocking NATO Supreme Commander Gen. Wesley Clark's plan to send the AH-64 Apache helicopter into combat against Yugoslav forces in Kosovo. U.S. officials are afraid the mission is too risky for pilots because the helicopters fly slowly and low, the Times reported.

The Pentagon is also concerned that their use could cause the conflict to spread to Albania, the newspaper said, quoting anonymous sources.

Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon would not confirm the report Sunday, saying only, "We've always said we'd use them at the appropriate time."

Although there are two dozen Apaches in the Balkans as part of a U.S. Army ground force in Albania, the Pentagon has yet to formally approve their use in combat. Bacon said Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Hugh Shelton and others at the Pentagon have talked publicly about their concerns recently.

Shelton told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that the introduction of the Apaches would depend on many factors.

"This is a relatively complicated operation, very similar to running any other type of air operation -- same types of resources required in terms of electronic warfare, support aircraft, et cetera, the suppression fire that has to be in place," Shelton said. "And all this has to be rehearsed, and then you weigh the risk versus the gain and you make a decision as to when and where the proper time is -- and place -- to employ them. And that's what's going on at this time."

On Friday, Gen. John Jumper, commander of the U.S. air forces in Europe, also talked about the risks Apaches could face from Serbian shoulder-fired missiles.

The Pentagon said a mechanical malfunction likely caused the deaths of one Apache's two-man crew

"The shoulder-fired weapons, of course, are a significant threat, and there are thousands of them located down there," Jumper said. "I consider the shoulder-fired SAM threat to be one that is significant," he added.

Two Apache helicopters have crashed on training flights since they were deployed in Albania in late April, with one crash killing two U.S. fliers. NATO officials have said those losses have contributed to a delay in using the attack helicopters in battle.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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