| Airlift (military) |
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STRATEGIC AIRLIFT Strategic airlift is the use of Cargo Aircraft to transport Matériel , Weaponry , or Personnel over long distances. Typically, this involves Airlift ing the required items between two airbases which are not in the same vicinity. This allows Commander s 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:
The United States has by far the greatest strategic airlift capacity of any nation in the world. Many countries' armed forces posess 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 Tank s, 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 Airship s. 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 Helicopter s 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 Airdrop ping of supplies. Most are fitted with Defensive Aids Systems to protect them from attack by Surface-to-air Missiles . Examples of tactical airlifters include:
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. PERFORMANCE COMPARISON |
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