Top Helicopter Pilots

[Anchor Lead]

A competition to determine the best attack helicopter pilots in Korea kicked off on Tuesday. In our next report: the enormous power of Cobra helicopters, which can even take on tanks.

[Pkg]

The Cobra helicopter, known as "tank killers," appears in the skies over the enemy's camp. The 20mm machine guns, which can fire 700 shots per minute, attack their target two kilometers away. The 2.75-inch rockets that are fired almost simultaneously also destroy the target. The large advanced attack Apache helicopters join in, flying in formation. They show off their power by firing machine guns and rockets while hovering in the same area. Some 220 pilots participated in this year's Army Aviation Shooting Championship to choose the best pilots of attack helicopters.

[Soundbite] Mjr. Kim Tae-wan(Leader of Cobra Helicopter Squadron) : "This competition has a long tradition. I participated in it with a sense of pride as an attack helicopter pilot."

The Army will present presidential awards to the so-called "top heliguns" and the best attack helicopter divisions next month.