Due to the U.S. Government's perception that the film's story was anti-government, the U.S. Department of Defense refused to rent the production military-spec Huey or Jet Ranger helicopters. As such, helicopters were bought and repainted for use in the movie.
Gene Hackman asked his good friend and co-star in Cisco Pike (1971), Kris Kristofferson, himself a former Airborne Ranger, if he wanted to do a cameo in this film. Kristofferson had to decline because he was performing on a concert tour.
After First Blood (1982), this was Ted Kotcheff's second consecutive film dealing with Vietnam War veterans.