Airborne

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Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning. The formations are limited only by the number and size of their aircraft, so given enough capacity a huge force can appear "out of nowhere" in minutes, an action referred to as vertical envelopment.

Conversely, airborne forces typically lack the supplies and equipment for prolonged combat operations, and are therefore more suited for airhead operations than long-term occupation; furthermore, parachute operations are particularly sensitive to adverse weather conditions. Advances in helicopter technology since World War II have brought increased flexibility to the scope of airborne operations, and air assaults have largely replaced large-scale parachute operations, and (almost) completely replaced combat glider operations. However, due to the limited range of helicopters and the limited number of troops that can be transported by them many countries retain Paratroopers as a valuable strategic asset.

The basic premise of the Airborne is that they can arrive with such speed that a coherent defence cannot be mounted against them for some time. It is assumed that this tactical advantage cannot be sustained for very long, so effective Airborne missions require the rapid advance of ground based troops in support. Another problem regularly faced by Airborne troops, is that they are usually defencless in transit and while they descend. However, it is rather difficult to hit a moving target, especially a paratrooper because their movements while descending will be erratic and not in a straight line.

Airborne forces are generally composed of infantry and light, non-armored vehicles and guns. In World War II light motorcycles were used by paratroopers; the American Cushman Model 53 and the British Welbike. After the Korean war, vehicles light enough to be dropped by parachute were developed, such as the M551 Sheridan. The Soviets developed the BMD-1 and BMD-3 fighting vehicles. Helicopters can also transport vehicles such as the German Wiesel AWC, LAV-25 and British CVR(T) series. Large transports can carry only small numbers of main battle tanks or heavier infantry fighting vehicles.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_forces

Airborne School: Parachutes deployed


Caption: Paratroopers from the U.S. Army's ROTC cadets' jump from a C-17 Globemaster at Ft. Bragg, N.C., during Exercise to obtain an airborne parachutist badge. The school consists of two week long class and on hand training exercise. During the second week, they perform the airborne jump from the plane down below using the techniques they've learned.

Conducting jumps using parachute Video



Caption: The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course, which is open to soldiers of both genders from all branches of the US Army, its sister services, and allied military personnel.