Can RPGs be used against helicopters?

The Tuareg from Mali and Niger have used the cheap RPG,s to destroy the hyper expensive Tiger combat helicopters used by their poor Gov's.

However it takes quite some skill and nerve to face, flying close to you, in the open desert, one of those ugly Tiger killing machines with a rather modest, single shot RPG. Just imagine if the rusty RPG jams with the sand. No place to hide.

Tigers helicopters are loaded with thousands of fast 50,s, 30,s rounds, rockets and missiles. An ugly thing to sell to our southern poor neighbors.

RPG,s are cheap and relatively easy to obtain in Sahel area. No so with the Sam rocket toys.

Europe sells lots of very expensive war toys to Africa. I wonder if such a thing can come back to us one day in some ugly way.

Why in the Sahel is it easier --and cheaper-- to buy a "kalash" with two loaded clips, than a good solar panel ????

When a few months a-go two Tigers were destroyed by Tuareg rebels in Niger the Tuareg simply said: "if our poor Gov expends a fortune in those Tigers at least they should learn how to fly them" "Our Gov's should take care of their people"

I remember with certain nostalgia when in this forum we mostly talked about
"wind sand and stars ..." routes and interesting details of the great books Sahara Overland and Mauritania avec 2cv .

Fair winds and following seas...