Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military From: jpulliam@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jacqueline Pulliam) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Airborne operations Message-ID: <1990Jul9.023743.9581@cbnews.att.com> Date: 9 Jul 90 02:37:43 GMT References: <1990Jul3.031911.6890@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul5.020538.14365@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul6.032802.27798@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul8.053437.7936@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington IN. Lines: 72 Approved: military@att.att.com From: jpulliam@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jacqueline Pulliam) >From: nulspace@eng.umd.edu (Michael Chang) >>By the way (you may already know this), there is no problem "these >>days" with strapping parachutes on 105mm's; it is done all the time. >[...] >>and tanks (Shermans). >I know that it can be done, but I don't understand how it is done... >Such as having something fly around with a tank in it/underneath it. >Unless they are light models (BMPs come to mind) The tank rides inside the bird (C-130, C-141). Your intuition is correct; the Sherman is a light tank (because it was designed and built before the modern 60- and 70-ton monsters were conceived). [mod.note: Granted the Sherman is relatively light when compared to the Abrams and other modern MBT's, but it's still not a Light Tank by any standards. It weighs about twice what an M-551 Sheridan does, and even by modern standards qualifies as a Medium Tank. - Bill ] There have been several recent postings in this newsgroup about the Sherman, so I won't get into that any more. I will give a brief description of aerial equipment delivery techniques. Barring the return of gliders :-), paratroopers have five means of getting their equipment to the battlefield: 1. Strapping it to themselves. This works for the soldier's personal combat equipment (weapon, basic load of ammo, food and water, personal gear, etc), as well as some larger hand-held weapon systems, including machine guns and dragon missle launchers. As an engineer, I've seen some pretty heavily-laden jumpers; but I've never seen anyone carry more than his own weight in equipment on a jump. 2. Bundles. Used to parachute-drop heavier, but still relatively light, loads (200-500 pounds). The bundles, usually about the size of a coffin (although they can be smaller), are tossed out the door or (using a metal contraption called a wedge) off the tailgate of an aircraft. This is how we get mortars, recoilless rifles, extra ammo and water, etc. to the ground. 3. LAPES (Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System). Used when an open area has been secured, but is unfit for the landing of aircraft. The bird makes a low (10-30 feet AGL) pass over the field, and parachutes are used to "tug" the load out of the aircraft in flight. The load never rides under a chute, the drop being of such short distance. As with other equipment drops, special energy-absorping materials are used to prevent damage from impact with the ground. This method is used for the large loads (tanks, scrapers, vehicles, etc). 4. Heavy Drop. Parachute drop of heavy equipment (tanks, etc). The equipment comes off the tailgate similar to a LAPES; but, once the load is free of the bird, some number of cargo (huge) parachutes are deployed to bring the load safely to earth. The heavier the load, the more parachutes are attached to it. This is the primary means of getting vehicles and larger weapon systems (tanks, howitzers, etc.) to the ground during an airborne insertion, at least during the initial hours of the mission (before the airhead is secured). 5. Helicopter Delivery. This is a limited, but very useful option. Although the limitations are several (limited range of helicopters means a relatively close intermediate staging base is required, etc.), the utility of helicopters for resupply is great. These aren't all the methods of getting equipment and supplies into the area of operations (logistics over the shores and host nation support being two other prime methods), but they are all the airborne delivery methods. Hope this clears it up a bit!