The airmobility concept is one of Army Aviation’s most prominent battlefield innovations, almost single handedly shaping the Vietnam War and in many ways, helping to influence how we fight wars today. In its essence, airmobility is a concept that utilizes Army aircraft in order to enhance the ground forces’ ability to perform the five fundamentals of combat: command and control, firepower, intelligence, mobility, and communications (Rottman, 2007). At the zenith of the airmobility concept is the airmobile assault or commonly known today as, the air assault. The airmobile assault was more than just moving troops from point A to point B; it involved intense planning and preparation. When implemented correctly, the airmobile assault provided light infantry greater mobility on the battlefield, along with the ability to seize the initiative and to synchronize attacks. If one had to choose a single event in history that had the greatest impact on airmobile assault, without question it would have to be Operation Chopper. On December 11, 1962, the United States aircraft carrier, USNS Card, docked in Saigon with 32 U.S. Army CH-21 helicopters and 400 men in support of Operation Chopper (Tolson, 1973). Approximately 12 days later, these same CH-21 helicopters airlifted over a 1,000 South Vietnamese paratroopers to a suspected Viet Cong …show more content…
LZs were often limited due to rough terrain such as swamps, dense jungle, and mountains. This gave the enemy an advantage because they could dedicate surveillance teams or set up ambushes in potential LZs. When time permitted, scout helicopters conducted aerial reconnaissance on potential LZs along with alternate LZs if the enemy or terrain made the primary LZ unusable (Tolson, 1973). Different INFIL and EXFIL routes were determined while scouting potential LZs. Scout helicopters were careful not to make too many turns in fear of burning the
For as long as most of the world can remember aviation has played a major factor in how wars are fought. Starting in World War I the worlds fighting forces began using aircraft to conduct surveillance missions over enemy territory. While these aircraft were not the masters of stealth that todays aircraft are there was no technology to take down these planes at the time. Air-to-air combat was an event that rarely happened and was almost never effective.
In 1968, the United States Army activated the 123rd Aviation Battalion, creating a remarkable unit that was comprised of several Army assets. The design of the battalion revolutionized how assets could be combined to complete many missions by mixing infantry, signal, aviation, and support units. The 123rd’s mission ranged from was to collect intelligence, deliver supplies, insert and extract infantrymen, and provide air support. In addition to their primary mission they also participated in medical evacuation, an invaluable asset on the battlefields of Vietnam.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
1. What do you think of when you drive by that big B-52 at the museum? Being the history buff that I am, I think about Vietnam, where that old “Buff” was used the most. “Why should I care about Vietnam?” you ask yourself. Well, last time I checked there’s a history section in the PFE guide, so there might be a test later! The intent of this paper is to inform you about Operation Linebacker II. I’ll explain the events leading up to the operation, discuss the strategy, and finally I’ll sum up the results of a bombing campaign Sir Michael Knight characterized In the book Strategic Offensive Air Operation as “...may have played a role not unlike two B-29s over Japan 27 years earlier”. (Knight: 77) I’ll start by explaining why President Richard Nixon gave the order to begin this new bombing campaign.
The overall execution of this amphibious assault has developed into the modern day air assault. The method of choosing the terrain on which to fight the battle is not new but doing so by rapidly massing on the flanks or rear of the enemy through maneuver was started by this battle. As MacArthur demonstrated, an air assault becomes the most effective method for disrupting and surrounding the enemy and denying terrain. Also, by choosing a tactically advantageous location a much smaller force can subdue an enemy of greater numbers.
Operation Frequent Wind was the largest helicopter evacuation in history. It was a continuous operation from 1400 hours on April 29, 1975 lasting through the night and morning of April 30, 1975 until about 0800 hours. Approximately 7,000 people were rescued and the operation was an overwhelming success (Summers 1995). Operation Frequent Wind was the last mission conducted before the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese.
When World War I and World War II broke out, communication played a vital role in the sequence and timing of everything that occurred on the battlefield. If communication problems arose, the results could be fatal. Front line units needed to know where their neighboring troops were and commanders could only control the troops if they had a reliable source of communication. Due to modern forms of communication being unreliable, the men who served during these wars used a method that dates back to ancient times. They deployed wartime messengers also known as “carrier pigeons”. Today, communications are more reliable and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) provide us with aerial surveillance.1
- - -, dir. “Tactical Air Control Party Specialist (TACP).” U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. .
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.
In 1957, the army began developing a new fighting force based on the helicopter. ...
Johnson, it was time to change the way we were distributing our forces to help aid the Southern Vietnamese military forces (History.com, 2010). The use of aircrafts first started out to transport wounded off the battlefield, but quickly turned into the use of different chemicals such as agent orange, to destroy brush for troops to travel through easier. Operation Rolling Thunder started out as just a discussion among those of higher ranking command, but on March 1965 the talk became action (Pike, 2016).
While the Korean War tends to be “forgotten” in military history, the conflict was rife with battles that changed history and defined future battle strategies. One of these battles, later referred to as the loss of Suwon Airfield, contained some of the first aerial “dogfights” and became an example for future pilots for aerial battle strategy. But the battle was not only fought in the air—upon closer study, it becomes obvious that the ground troops’ behavior is the main reason for the loss of the airfield’s control.
the Black Sheep) flew up from the Russell Islands to strafe the Kahili airfield during American amphibious landings on the
The Vietnam War both demonstrated the excellence of air defenders, and helped America learn lessons in order to evolve into an era with even better air defense than ever thought possible. The American military did not shoot down a single aircraft with air defense weapons during the Vietnam War. There were many operations which air defenders made a difference in Vietnam. Several of these operations occurred on Route 9. The events on Route 9 proved very difficult and brutal, however Sergeant Stout and other air defenders demonstrated the excellence still expected of air defenders today. The success of the North Vietnamese forced the United States (U.S.) to become better equipped as well. During operation
Tice, Brian P. (1991). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – The Force Multiplier of the 1990s. Airpower Journal.