Airlift (military)
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An airlift is the organized delivery of strategic and military supplies with primarily aircraft.
There are two types of military airlift, strategic and tactical. Strategic airlift involves greater distances than tactical airlift, which often focuses on precision deployment into remote areas.
Depending on the situation, airlifted supplies can be delivered by a variety of means. When the destination and surrounding airspace is considered secure, the aircraft will land at an appropriate airport or airbase to have its cargo unloaded on the ground. When landing the craft, or distributing the supplies to a certain area from an landing zone by surface transportation is not an option, the cargo aircraft can drop them in mid-flight using parachutes attached to the supply containers in question. When there is a broad area available where the intended receivers have control without fear of the enemy interfering with collection and/or stealing the goods, the planes can maintain a normal flight altitude and simply drop the supplies down and let them parachute to the ground. However, when the area is too small than required for this method such as an isolated base and/or is too small or dangerous to land in, a Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System drop is used.
Airlifts became practical during World War II as aircraft became large and sophisticated enough to handle large cargo demands. However, the largest example is the Berlin airlift of the late 1940s which was an American, French and British mission intended to thwart the blockading of the city of Berlin by the Soviet Union.
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[edit] Strategic airlift
Strategic airlift is the use of cargo aircraft to transport materiel, weaponry, or personnel over long distances. Typically, this involves airlifting the required items between two airbases which are not in the same vicinity. This allows commanders to bring items into a combat theater from a point on the other side of the planet, if necessary. Aircraft which perform this role are considered strategic airlifters. This contrasts with tactical airlifters, such as the C-130 Hercules and Airbus A400M, which can normally only move supplies within a given theater of operations.
Examples of strategic airlifters include:
- Lockheed C-141 Starlifter
- Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
- Ilyushin Il-76 'Candid'
- Antonov An-124 'Condor'
- Antonov An-225 'Cossack'
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
The United States has by far the greatest strategic airlift capacity of any nation in the world. Many countries' armed forces possess little or no strategic airlift capacity, preferring to lease from private-sector firms as needed . Alternatively, groups of nations - especially within formal alliances such as NATO - may choose to pool their strategic airlift resources rather than individually duplicating the substantial investment required to purchase and maintain such costly and, in many cases, seldom-used assets.
That being said, with present technology it is impossible even for the United States to shift a substantial mechanised force, particularly tanks, by air. This difficulty has prompted investment from the US military in lighter armoured fighting vehicles (such as the Stryker), as well as some preliminary research into alternative airlift technologies such as ekranoplan-style planes and airships.
[edit] Tactical airlift
Tactical airlift is a military term for the airborne transportation of supplies and equipment within a theatre of operations (in contrast to strategic airlift). Aircraft which perform this role are referred to as tactical airlifters. These are typically turboprop aircraft, and feature short landing and take-off distances and low-pressure tyres allowing operations from small or poorly-prepared airstrips. While they lack the speed and range of strategic airlifters (which are typically jet-powered), these capabilities are invaluable within war zones. Larger helicopters such as the CH-47 Chinook and Mil Mi-26 can also be used to airlift men and equipment. Helicopters have the advantage that they do not require a landing strip and that equipment can often be suspended below the aircraft allowing it to be delivered without landing.
Tactical airlift aircraft are designed to be maneuverable, allowing low-altitude flight to avoid detection by radar and for the airdropping of supplies. Most are fitted with defensive aids systems to protect them from attack by surface-to-air missiles.
Examples of tactical airlifters include:
- Lockheed Martin/Alenia C-27 Spartan
- Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules
- Antonov An-12 'Cub'
- Airbus A400M
- CASA CN-235
Note: The Airbus Military A400M, a tactical airlifter, does however blur the line between tactical and strategic transports. Airbus stresses its tactical performance but also its strategic capabilities; higher payload, higher range and higher speed than the Hercules. The table below demonstrates this status, the A-400 occupying a "middle ground" between the C-130 and the C-17. It is of course inferior to the C-17 Globemaster III in terms of strategic performance, but boasts improved tactical characteristics.
[edit] Performance comparison
| Aircraft | Role | Max. payload | Range (w/max) | Cruise | Ceiling | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An-12 | Tactical | 44,090 lb (20,000 kg) | 1,940 nm (3,600 km) | Mach .55 | 33,000 ft | — |
| C-130J[1] | Tactical | 41,790 lb (18,955 kg) | 2,835 nm (5,254 km) | Mach .58 | 33,000 ft | $ 70m (est.) |
| A400M | Tactical/strategic | 81,500 lb (37,000 kg) | 1,800 nm (3,300 km) | Mach .72 | 37,000 ft | $ 80m (est.) |
| C-17 | Strategic/tactical | 170,900 lb (77,520 kg) | 2,400 nm (4,440 km) | Mach .77 | 45,000 ft | $ 178m |
| C-5 | Strategic | 270,000 lb (122,472 kg) | 3,257 nm (6,033 km) | Mach .77 | 34,000 ft | $ 168m |
| An-124 | Strategic | 330,000 lb (150,000 kg) | 2,900 nm (5,400 km) | Mach .65 | 35,000 ft | $ 200m (est.) |
| An-225 | Strategic | 551,000 lb (250,000 kg) | 2,159 nm (4,000 km) | Mach .61 | 33,000 ft | — |
