SAMs, helos and SEADS

[loktarr]

Playing a large scale game France vs Germany, I was surprised by the fact that my helos were pinned and destroyed very easily by enemy AA wheeled systems:
I had bought 2 tigre UHT (I was playing german) and tree transport helos (carrying "commandos" with ATGM and snipers). My opponent had bought tree "Roland" french systems. As the map was max size, I first thought that i could move my helos without problem on "my side" of the map. It resulted that after a 2 hex move, my first Tigre was attacked by two of the Roland and destroyed. So, I tried to follow "lines" of the map that could protect me: all my helos were destroyed on their first move.
Annoyed with this problem, I tried to play against computer the same type of engagement: the conclusion was that the SEAD aircraft were totally unable to destroy AA vehicles: their missiles are too weak... Only some LGB or PGM could do the job...
In conclusion, I have two questions:
- Why, when in flight at low altitude, protected by woods and hills, can an helo be detected and destroyed by a SAM?
- How to deal with SAMs when SEADs aircraft are so ineffective? Am I doing something wrong?

[MarkSheppard]

This is actually somewhat realistic; and is why the RAH-66 was cancelled; Helos are a low altitude, low speed system, and are becoming increasingly vunerable to low altitude AAA systems and various types of SAMs, ranging from more and more sophisticated MANPADs to SHORAD systems like Roland.