Is the U.S. Army Already "Transformed"?
3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division: 2 x M2 BFVs per C-17;
USAEUR IRF: 5 x M113A3 Gavins per C-17 or 1 per C-130
How can 2-3x LAV-IIIs per C-17 be better than this?
"Fort Benning has two units that belong to Forces Command, the 6th Engineer Group and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID (M). Both are fortunate to have a great force projection platform for deployment: the extremely capable Lawson Army Airfield and a brand new railhead with excellent throughput capacity, hardstand, and superb approaches from garrison.
All training efforts in the 3rd BCT are directed to maintain a capability for rapid deployment and warfightng in the medium to high intensity environment. In support of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 3rd BCT must be prepared to deploy force packages from company through brigade combat team by air or sea. These units would augment, reinforce or relieve initial-entry forces or team with light and medium weight forces to form capability-based units specific missions and environments. For the BCT, like the rest of the 3rd ID (M), operating in "heavy-light" or "light-heavy" organizations is a training routine.
This means all members of the Brigade Combat Team must prepare for several types of deployment: Either immediate personnel deployment to "fall-in" on pre-positioned equipment, the air movement of smaller force packages with all of their equipment, or the railing of larger force packages to a port of embarkation and sea deployment. Training events such as rotations to the JRTC at Fort Polk with Airborne, Air Assault and Light Infantry Brigades and frequent exercises that test the capability on-call units help maintain proficiency in air movement of heavy force packages. Riding next to a Bradley Fighting Vehicle or an Abrams tank, tied-down to the deck of an aircraft, shuddering and straining at the chains as it lands can be quite an experience. The Infantrymen and Tankers of the Brigade take great pride in the speed in which they can off-load their vehicles from the aircraft. Fond of making almost everything a competition, bragging rights are now at stake for platoons and companies during these exercises. They practice shaving time off the act of mounting vehicles inside the aircraft, cranking engines, braking chains and racing down the ramp of a C-5A or C-17 as it taxis to a stop....to then assemble or move into a fighting position at a "contested" airfield. And this is an event rarely practiced or expected to be executed in daylight."
----LTC Tony Cucolo, USA, Commander, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
"Kelley Hill: Heavy Infantry and Fort Benning's Combined Arms Team in residence"
Winter 2001 Infantry Bugler magazine; page 14, U.S. Army Infantry Association, Columbus, Georgia
Introduction
Its highly likely given Army leader past, documented LAV-III/IAV sophistry that once the real "IAV" is fielded it will be far in excess of the 16-ton limit of the C-130 turboprop aircraft ("vanilla" LAV-IIIs are 19 tons now) and the Army will try to excuse this away by saying it will use larger USAF C-17 jets. Aside from the obvious dishonesty of using a scarce national airlift asset of which we have only 70 with a mere 120 planned, and the C-17's inability to land in dirt without damaging its engines---the question is if spending BILLIONS on new purchase LAV-III/IAV 20-24 ton armored cars even if transported by C-17s will translate into more combat power delivered by air? The U.S. Army already has a 10.5 ton M113A3 Gavin-based Immediate Ready Force in Europe that can fly by C-130s and 5-at-a-time in C-17s and a M2 BFV Immediate Ready Company in Europe and another one at Fort Benning, Georgia ready to fly 2-at-a-time in C-17s into Afghanistan to conduct mobile combat operations...but the Army leadership refuses to use them to fight the nation's dangerous terrorist enemies.
LAV-1 C-17 load plan
Note that the marines after the Army leadership refused to deploy into Afghanistan using existing Airborne units and tracked vehicles---cross-loaded their LAV-1s from sea landing craft to a nearby friendly Arab country for USAF C-17s to pick them up and fly them in (see photo above). Though U.S. Army Rangers had cleared the airfield of enemy weeks before in a night parachute assault, they did not stay and hold the base due to their light infantry force structure without light tracked Armored Fighting Vehicles like the easily obtainable M113A3 Gavin, which the Army has 17,500, many in war stocks awaiting a user. The need for such light tracked AFVs should have been evident after the firefight in Somalia in 1993 demonstrated the vulnerability of rubber-tired vehicles. The C-17 can deliver 4 x LAV-1s at a time, making for a quick and efficient delivery if the airfield is cleared of enemy for it to land and take off safely. Had the Army flown in M113A3s it could have had 5 x M113A3 Gavins delivered per C-17 from bases as far away as Ramstein AFB in Germany without any of the cross-loading and security risk of using lukewarm Arab bases.
For proof that 5 x M113A3 Gavins can fly at a time read this letter from the aircraft manufacturer to the 1st TSG (A) BEFORE any of the armored car transformation madness came upon the Army like a plague:
McDonnell-Douglas Letter stating 5 x M113A3 Gavin type AFVs can airland from a single C-17 aircraft
Better yet, M113A3s in the hands of 82nd Airborne Paratroopers could parachute heavy-drop in ANYWHERE and avoid having to need runways often held by the enemy. LAVs are not certified for parachute airdrop.
LAV-III Load Plan
Too Wide
Here is the problem: the LAV-III at 102-105 inches wide at its tires depending on type used, 112 inches wide at its upper hull, and 105 inches tall with remote weapon system removed (according to GDLS, MTMC-TEA numbers and our own measurements taken from a LAV-III/Stryker deathtrap at the recent Fort Benning Infantry Conference) is significantly larger than the LAV-1s the marines use. Notice to get 4 x LAV-1s into a C-17, they must be side-by-side at one point. The LAV-III/IAV is essentially as wide as a M2/M3s BFV (126 inches, see above) ---so they cannot fit side-by-side with the C-17's 18 feet of width (210 inches = 17 feet, 6 inches). There must be at least some space separating the vehicles for tie-downs and to drive them into the aircraft without backing into the aircraft fuselage. Two LAV-III/Strykers side-by-side would take up 224 inches of width.
FANTASY:
Too Long
Because the C-17 is significantly longer at 273 inches than the LAV-1's 253.5 inches, 3 x LAV-IIIs cannot be loaded in a row in the center because the third LAV-III would be half on the rear ramp and half on the floor, which is damaging to the aircraft to try if it were possible. This drawing from a GDLS brochure shows the wheeled liars are willing to concoct dishonest artwork to deceive the general public, Congress and America's Soldiers.
REALITY: What a C-17 can actually carry:
Just 2 Stryker trucks!
Summary/Conclusion
If you can only fly 2 x LAV-III/IAVs per C-17 what's the strategic mobility benefit when you can get the same number of MORE CAPABLE, heavily armed and armored BFVs or almost 3 times as many M113A3s? The M113A3 can be fitted with applique' armor far more RPG and autocannon resistant than the mere heavy machine gun armor a LAV-III/IAV would struggle to move, and can have powerful autocannon/anti-tank missile weaponry turrets fitted without losing C-130 transportability. The M113A3 with external fuel tanks still swims while the LAV-III/IAV cannot. M1064A3 120mm mortar variants of the M113A3 already in U.S. Army service can fire from the vehicle---LAV-III/IAV mortars will have to be laboriously ground-mounted exposed to enemy fire. We could have more and higher quality tracked vehicles using the same or less airlift than the rubber-tired LAV-IIIs.
Airborne!
Sam Damon Jr.
LAV-1 Statistics
www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/lav-c2.htm
Length 253.5 in.
Width 98.4 in.
Height 110.0 in.
Curb weight 23,980 lb.
Gross weight (max.) 28,200 lb.
LAV-III statistics
www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/lav-gen3.htm
www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/article.cfm?Id=398
"The latest briefing from the Army showed only two fully combat-loaded LAVs fitting on a C-17."
Notice the Army's lies about LAV-III range as "406 miles"; GDLS says:
www.gd.com/news/press_releases/2000/News%20Release%20-%20Friday,%20November%2017,%202000.htm
"maximum range of 312 miles."
"Army selects wheeled, speedy Lav as interim vehicle"
Defense News, December 4, 2000, page 36 shows illustration of only 2 x LAV-IIIs in a C-17
M2/M3 BFV statistics
www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m2.htm
M113 Gavin statistics
The M113 Gavin's parachute airdrop details:
www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/10-567/default.htm
M113 Gavin web page:
www.combatreform.org/m113combat.htm
M113A3 Gavin UDLP Brochure
Length 207 inches.
Width 98.0 inches at the tracks
Height 72.0 inches.
M113A3 Gavin Weights
Empty weight 20,989 lbs.
Official email data from UDLP Engineer Bill Grusonik to Mike Sparks 4/1/00
C-17 statistics
www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-17.htm
Length - 85 feet 2 inches (26 meters); MTMC-TEA Report on C-130 Transportability
www.combatreform.org/c130studynolav3syesm113a3s.htm
Here is the same MTCMC-TEA C-130 report from the TACOM web site:
www.google.com/search?q=cache:818T_UJDoHM:contracting.tacom.army.mil/majorsys/hmee/C-130%2520final%2520paper2.doc+m113a3+98+dimensions&hl=en
Vehicle Design:
From a transportability engineering perspective, the design of future combat vehicles needs to take the operational realities of the C-130 into consideration. Where possible, serious consideration needs to be given to the C-130's peacetime assault landing weight of 130,000 pounds. Because of the stresses experienced by the airframe at weights above 130,000 pounds, counting on the Air Force to grant a waiver to the maximum assault landing weight during wartime could be risky. A maximum vehicle weight of 29,000 pounds would allow an empty aircraft to recover to an airfield about 250 nautical miles away. A vehicle weight of 32,000 pounds would allow an empty aircraft to recover to an airfield about 100 nautical miles away. If one considers maximum transportation flexibility to be of paramount importance, the maximum C-130 air transport weight of future vehicles should be in the 29,000- to 32,000-pound range. These weights ideally would include the crew, 3/4-tank of fuel, and full ammunition, armor, and equipment. The C-130's mission profile requirements would need to be established by the Army, in coordination with the Air Force, before a maximum weight requirement could be determined.
width - 18 feet (5.48 meters);
height - 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 meters) forward of the wing
and 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 meters) aft of the wing
APPLYING WHAT WE KNOW TO THE REAL WORLD
Kandahar, Afghanistan
Kandahar airport's Maximum-On-the-Ground (MOG) rate is the number of aircraft that can be on the ground at the same time unloading...and yes refuelling...per hour. We can work around a lack of refuelling by flying the C-130Hs/C-17s to another airfield to refuel or in the case of the C-17, refuel-in-flight.
Most international airports like Kandahar have a 747 MOG rate of 4. The C-17 people say that the C-17 can back up by reverse thrusters and get 5 in the space of 4. With Kandahar's runways and parking aprons broken up, its reasonable to assume a MOG rate of 3 per hour.
Airland MOG 3
24 hours = 72 x C-17 sorties
48 hours = 144 x C-17 sorties
96 hours = 288 x C-17 sorties
A C-17 can only carry 2 x LAV-III/IAVs or 2 x M2/M3 BFVs or 5 x M113A3s.
In 24 hours, you could have 144 x LAV-III/IAVs or 144 x M2/M3 BFVs or 360 x M113A3s.
Here is the problem, America only has 70 x C-17s!
So you cannot generate 72 x C-17 sorties.
But if you used a smaller, more space/weight efficient M113A3 Gavin light tracked vehicle you could use 20 x C-17s flying from Germany into Afghanistan and in just 3 days (72 hours) generate 60 sorties to get a 300 vehicle IBCT there.
In fact, since the M113A3 is C-130 transportable (under 16 tons to airland into short runways) you could fly 52 x C-130 sorties on the first day to deliver 52 x M113A3/IAVs and infantry squads. 52 x C-130s could in 3 days transport 156 x M113A3/IAVs---reducing the needed C-17 sorties by 1/2 to deliver the other 144 M113A3/IAVs.
Using M113A3/IAVS instead of bloated, inferior LAV-III/IAVs, you can get to the battlefield in just 3 days with less C-17s!
In fact, you could get there completely by C-130s in 6 days!
Airdrop = no MOG rate
On the other hand, if you parachute airdrop--which you can do with the M113A3, but cannot with LAV-III/IAV or M/M3 BFV, you are not restricted by MOG airlanding rates.
You simply keep flying C-17s and/or C-17s over the drop zone and extract the vehicles over the rear ramp. The Army has 17,000 x M113s, it doesn't have to worry about losing any if a chute malfunctions. By airdrop, you could easily have an entire IBCT BRIGADE on the ground within a few hours. The Russian Airborne does this routinely. Its just a matter of getting out of the leg-tanker "comfort zone" and being willing to airdrop the vehicles. You could drop the vehicles somewhere else and airland their crews so they can remain cowardly "legs" if they want to, however I think most mounted warriors want to be Airborne-qualified.
"Camp Rhino" done right the night of the Rangers dropped
Go down to MOG 1 or 2 for Camp Rhino.
We had a M113A3 Immediate Ready Force-Medium ready to fly by C-130s into Camp Rhino after the Rangers jumped in, to hold it. We could have parachuted or airlanded the Ready Brigade of the 82nd to further bolster it, too.
This Forward Operating Base (FOB) would have created a "turning movement".
The enemy would have to "turn out" from Kandahar to attack Camp Rhino, just like Grant did at Vicksburg....or be at risk of being cut off at the border by Army forays from the base...
But that would be MANEUVER that encircles and destroys bad guys not safe "bombard then occupy" (BO) after the enemy has escaped....
Air Transport and IBCT Load Planning Math
It dismaying to me to see people load the IBCT using just short tons, which is an indistinct and "fuzzy math" way of doing things when we need a clear mental grasp of the reality that is happening. Let's not chose generalized numbers over specifics when the issue is not too complex to grasp by direct coping and direct concentration.
Let's begin.
In earlier discussions we just loaded the notional 300 x LAV-III/IAVs in an IBCT compared to 300 x M113A3/IAVs, and versus M113A3/IAVs + M8 AGS/IAVs to show the dramatic difference favoring M113A3/IAVs which are 50% lighter and more compact. A 300 x M113A3/IAV force can get anywhere in the world by C-17 and/or C-130s easily in 72 hours, with much less sorties than the LAV-III/IAV which needs scarce C-17s because its too heavy for C-130s. A distance of 8,000nm aboard 120 x C-17s is within the bounds of the Fleet Capability formula when not exceeding a force weight of 6,250 STONs and providing that a MOG of 5.3 x C-17s is available all along the route. This answer is only theoretical, because it fails to account for the ground times and mission capable rate of the aircraft but it shows why we must use the lighter and yet more protected 10.5 ton M113A3 Gavinand 17-ton M8 Buford AGS tracked armored fighting vehicles (AFV). Clearly, the 20-24 ton LAV-III/IAV-based IBCT is far too heavy to meet these time deadlines.
Now, let's include all the IBCT's vehicles with the exact figures I have for IAVs, which is 333. With this one caveat from an Army transportation expert:
"The only way that I can see to do justice to loading the IBCT is to create the database, carefully documenting secondary loads in TC-AIMS II and then load the vehicles aboard C-17s using AALPS. You then run into the peculiarities of AALPS. For example, the program throws a hissy fit if you try any non-standard loading (e.g., breaking helicopters down further than TEA's recommendations to get more on an aircraft.)"
Automated Air Load Planning System (AALPS): (877) GO-AALPS /877-462-2577 or Commercial 910-864-6744 Overseas units may call DSN 236-0011 to Fort Bragg operator assistance and ask for 864-6744.
www.mtmc.army.mil/CONTENT/1768/maincontacts.doc
According to the latest U.S. Army IBCT TOE power points dated 08 January 2002 (shrug) which can be viewed here:
www.geocities.com/ibctcliffnotes
333 x LAV-III/IAV armored 8x8 cars
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored 6x6 cars
6 x Small Emplacement Excavator (SEE) engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
386 x HMMWV 4x4 trucks
146 x FMTV 6x6 trucks
64 x HEMMT 8x8 trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV 6x6 trucks
3, 498 men
The C-17 is a wide-body turbofan cargo jet that always has 54 side wall interior seats for troops. Two FMTV trucks can load side-by-side inside but when they do this, the troop seats adjacent are lost. Two trucks can be loaded on the rear ramp if their wheels do not extend past the ramp hinge. A "sortie" is an air movement mission flown by an aircraft.
SIMPLE LOAD
1. LOAD LAV-III/IAVs
LAV-III/IAVs are too wide to load two-across in a C-17. The LAV-III/IAV is too long to load 3 long without being half-on and half off the rear ramp. Thus, only 2 x LAV-III/IAVs can fly in a C-17---the exact same number as more capable M2/M3 BFVs that can fly in a C-17. Thus, the Army is no more able to rapidly deploy by air with LAV-III/IAVs than by Bradleys. Details:
www.combatreform.org/armytransformedbytracks.htm
333 divided by 2 = 166 sorties with 1 x LAV-III/IAV left over
There is an unused rear ramp in this load which could take two HMMWVs or two 11-ton FMTV trucks. 3-ton HMMWVs are lighter, so we will stuff them in.
386 subtracted by 332 = 54 x HMMWVs left over
166 sorties x 54 Soldiers = 8, 694 men - 3,498 IBCT troops = +5, 196 potential extra troops delivered
Remainder:
1 x LAV-III/IAV armored cars
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
54 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
2. LOAD FMTVs
You can load six FMTVs onto a C-17, using AALPS, but the weight of six M1078s (23,351 lbs. each) busted the ACL (140,106). The CB can be adjusted close to the center of the window by sliding either the port or starboard line of trucks aft and by spreading them out a bit. So in reality, a C-17 can load 5 x FMTVs at a time, no Soldiers seated.
With our left-over LAV-III/IAV, we load 4 x FMTVs and 27 passengers on sortie #167..
Now we have 142 x FMTVs to load.
142 x FMTVs divided by 6 = 23 x C-17 sorties with 4 left-over FMTVs
C-17 sorties so far: 190
4 x FMTVs and 2 x HMMWVs on the rear ramp for sortie #191.
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
52 x HMMWV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
3. LOAD HEMMTs
C-17 can load 4 x HEMMTs, no seats for passengers
64 divided by 4 = 16 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 207
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
52 x HMMWV trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
4. LOAD HMMWVs
C-17 can carry 8 x soft-top HMMWVs @ 6,000 pounds each, two across and four long, but with no troop seats. AALPS shows there is nothing wrong - no flags - with loading M998A's on the ramp of the C-17. The CB was slightly aft of center. Might be able to offset the load to get one row of 27 seats for men.
52 divided by 8 = 6 x C-17 sorties with 4 x HMMWVs left-over
6 x 27 seats = 162 men added to 8, 721 men from before = 8, 883 men total
C-17 sorties so far: 213
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
4 x HMMWV trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
5. LOAD 155mm HOWITZERS AND PRIME MOVER FMTV TRUCKS
The M198 is a 16,500 pound cannon on wheels and must be towed on/off the C-17 by a vehicle. If you load the M198 connected to its FMTV prime mover truck, you can get two pairs in, with the rear ramp free for two ammo FMTV trucks. You might be able to seat troops along the fuselage walls where the M198 howitzers are, maybe not. But be advised 155mm ammo is very heavy and two FMTV trucks with ammo on the rear ramp may be too much even for the C-17's rear ramp. Maybe just for the air movement the ammo trucks in the load might be connected to the M198 howitzers? Or maybe ammo cannot be mobile-loaded in any circumstance---yet another way the IBCT concept is ill conceived.
12 divided by 2 = 6 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 219
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
4 x HMMWV trucks
381 x Trailers
6. LOAD 3 x FOX NBC RECON VEHICLES
You can load 2 x M93 Fox NBC recon vehicles and have space for two HMMWVs on the rear ramp and 54 troops. That's sortie # 220.
8, 883 + 54 = 8, 937 men
You load the last M93 Fox, 2 x SEE engineer trucks and the last two HMMWVs plus 54 troops for sortie #221.
8, 937 men + 54 = 8, 991 men
Remainder:
4 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
381 x Trailers
7. LOAD remaining SEE trucks, MICLIC trailers
Remaining 4 x SEE trucks load side-by-side, with space for 4 x MICLIC tracked trailers, 54 troops for sortie #222.
Remainder:
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
381 x Trailers
8, 991 men + 54 = 9, 045 men
8. LOAD DEUCE TRACKED BULLDOZERS
Three DEUCE tracked bulldozers per C-17 with space for two trailers on the rear ramp, 54 troops for sorties #223 and #224.
Remainder:
381 x Trailers
9, 045 men + 108 = 9, 153 men
9. LOAD TRAILERS
Now for the real mobility killer! 381 trailers! You cannot load heavy trailers without their prime movers, though I have seen a USAF fighter squadron load in the C-17 info that is all-trailer. If we have to complicate loads by insisting that each trailer match up with its prime mover like the 155mm howitzer loads, we will drastically lose airlift efficiency as the trailers will eat up space almost as much as if they were another self-powered vehicle.
For the sake of argument, let's simple load the 381 trailers assuming they are all the large Army-variety. We'll estimate that they are 3/4 the size of a HMMWV, so we could conservatively load 12 trailers in a C-17.
381 divided by 12 = 32 sorties
32 x 54 men = 1, 728
9, 153 men + 1, 728 = 10, 881 men potential (IBCT requires 3, 498)
TOTAL:
256 x C-17 sorties, all IBCT vehicles and 3, 498 men with potential for +7, 383 extra men.
COMPLEX LOAD
The 381 trailers ruin the simple calculations above.
Let's adjust the load to assume every one of the 146 x FMTVs tow a trailer.
This reduces trailers to 235. Hitching them to 235 x HMMWVs makes all trailers mobile. This leaves 151 x HMMWVs without trailers to run around and be staff cars.
This means we have to adjust our FMTV and HMMWV load plans.
1. LOAD LAV-III/IAVs
LAV-III/IAVs are too wide to load two-across in a C-17. The LAV-III/IAV is too long to load 3 long without being half-on and half off the rear ramp. Thus, only 2 x LAV-III/IAVs can fly in a C-17---the exact same number as more capable M2/M3 BFVs can fly in a C-17. Thus, the Army is no more able to rapidly deploy by air with LAV-III/IAVs than by Bradleys.
333 divided by 2 = 166 sorties with 1 x LAV-III/IAV left over
There is an unused rear ramp in this load which could take two HMMWVs or two 11-ton FMTV trucks. Or a truck and a trailer on the rear ramp. 3-ton HMMWVs are lighter, so we will stuff them in.
386 subtracted by 166 = 220 x HMMWVs left over
381 subtracted by 166 = 215 x trailers left over
166 sorties x 54 Soldiers = 8, 964 men
Remainder:
1 x LAV-III/IAV armored cars
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
220 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
215 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
2. LOAD FMTVs
C-17 can load 4 x FMTVs towing trailers at a time, no Soldiers seated.
With our left-over LAV-III/IAV, we load 2 x FMTVs/trailers on sortie #167.
Now we have 144 x FMTV/trailers to load.
144 x FMTVs/trailers divided by 4 = 36 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 203
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
220 x HMMWV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
69 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
3. LOAD HEMMTs
C-17 can load 4 x HEMMTs, no seats for passengers
64 divided by 4 = 16 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 219
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
220 x HMMWV trucks
69 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
4. LOAD HMMWVs
C-17 can carry 8 x HMMWVs, two across and four long, but with no troop seats. It may be possible to load vehicles off to the right or left to free up space for one row of sidewall seats = 27 seats. If HMMWVs tow trailers, 4 x HMMWVs/4 x trailers on the floor and 1 HMMWV/trailer on rear ramp, for a total of 5 x HMMWVs/5 x trailers.
69 divided by 5 = 13 x C-17 sorties with 4 x HMMWVs/4 x trailers left-over
The 4 remaining HMMWVs/trailers and 2 unattached HMMWVs on the rear ramp for sortie #233.
Still have 149 x unattached HMMWVs to load.
149 divided by 8 = 19 x C-17 sorties with one sortie will be with just 5 x HMMWVs
19 x 27 = 513 men
8, 964 + 513 = 9, 477 total
C-17 sorties so far: 252
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
5. LOAD 155mm HOWITZERS AND PRIME MOVER FMTV TRUCKS
The M198 is a 16,500 pound cannon on wheels and must be towed on/off the C-17 by a vehicle. If you load the M198 connected to its FMTV prime mover truck, you can get two pairs in, with the rear ramp free for two ammo FMTV trucks. You might be able to seat troops along the fuselage walls where the M198 howitzers are, maybe not. But be advised 155mm ammo is very heavy and two FMTV trucks with ammo on the rear ramp may be too much even for the C-17's rear ramp. Maybe just for the air movement the ammo trucks in the load might be connected to the M198 howitzers? Or maybe ammo cannot be mobile-loaded in any circumstance---yet another way the IBCT concept is ill-conceived.
12 divided by 2 = 6 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 258 sorties
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
6. LOAD 3 x FOX NBC RECON VEHICLES
You can load 2 x M93 Fox NBC recon vehicles and have space for two MICLIC trailers on the rear ramp and 54 troops. That's sortie # 259.
9, 477 + 54 = 9, 531 men
You load the last M93 Fox, 2 x SEE engineer trucks and two MICLICs plus 54 troops for sortie #260.
Remainder:
4 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
2 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
9, 531 men + 54 = 9, 585 men
7. LOAD remaining SEE trucks, MICLIC trailers
Remaining 4 x SEE trucks load side-by-side, with space for 2 x MICLIC tracked trailers, 54 troops for sortie #261.
Remainder:
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
9, 585 men + 54 = 9, 639 men
8. LOAD DEUCE TRACKED BULLDOZERS
Three DEUCE tracked bulldozers per C-17 with 54 troops for sorties #262 and #263.
9, 639 men + 108 = 9, 747 men potential (IBCT requires 3, 498)
TOTAL:
263 x C-17 sorties, all IBCT vehicles and 3, 498 men with potential for +6, 249 extra men.
IBCT using M113A3/IAV and M8 AGS/IAV Vehicles
306 x M113A3/IAV tracked AFVs
27 x M8 AGS/IAV light tracked tanks
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
54 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
SIMPLE LOAD
1. LOAD M113A3/IAVs
5 x M113A3/IAV tracked AFVs can fly in a C-17; more than double the number of LAV-III/IAVs.
306 divided by 5 = 61 sorties, 1 x M113A3/IAV left-over
61 sorties x 54 Soldiers = 3, 294 men
Remainder:
1x M113A3/IAV
27 x M8 AGS/IAV light tanks
306 x M113A3/IAV tracked AFVs
27 x M8 AGS/IAV light tracked tanks
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
54 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
2. LOAD M8 AGS/IAV light tanks
C-17 can load 4 x M8 AGS/IAV light tanks.
27 divided by 4 = 7 x C-17 sorties with an extra 7th sortie with 3 x M8 AGS, 2 x HMMWVs and the left-over M113A3/IAV on the rear ramp and no troops.
6 x 54 = 324 + 3, 294 = 3, 618 men
C-17 sorties so far: 68
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
384 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
3. LOAD FMTVs
C-17 can load 5 x FMTVs at a time, no Soldiers seated.
146 x FMTVs divided by 5 = 29 x C-17 sorties, 1 left-over FMTV
1 x FMTV, 6 x HMMWVs for sortie #98.
C-17 sorties so far: 98
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
378 x HMMWV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
4. LOAD HEMMTs
C-17 can load 4 x HEMMTs, no seats for passengers
64 divided by 4 = 16 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 114
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
378 x HMMWV trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
5. LOAD HMMWVs
C-17 can carry 8 x HMMWVs, two across and four long, but with no troop seats. It may be possible to load vehicles off to the right or left to free up space for one row of sidewall seats = 27 seats.
378 divided by 8 = 47 x C-17 sorties, 2 x HMMWVs left over
47 x 27 seats = 1, 269 men added to 3,618 men from before = 4, 887 men total
C-17 sorties so far: 161
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
2 x HMMWVs
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
6. LOAD 155mm HOWITZERS AND PRIME MOVER FMTV TRUCKS
The M198 is a 16,500 pound cannon on wheels and must be towed on/off the C-17 by a vehicle. If you load the M198 connected to its FMTV prime mover truck, you can get two pairs in, with the rear ramp free for two ammo FMTV trucks. You might be able to seat troops along the fuselage walls where the M198 howitzers are, maybe not. But be advised 155mm ammo is very heavy and two FMTV trucks with ammo on the rear ramp may be too much even for the C-17's rear ramp. Maybe just for the air movement the ammo trucks in the load might be connected to the M198 howitzers? Or maybe ammo cannot be mobile-loaded in any circumstance---yet another way the IBCT concept is ill conceived.
12 divided by 2 = 6 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 167
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
2 x HMMWVs
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
381 x Trailers
7. LOAD 3 x FOX NBC RECON and SEE VEHICLES
You can load 2 x M93 Fox NBC recon vehicles and have space for two HMMWVs on their side and two SEE trucks on the rear ramp and no troops. That's sortie # 168.
You load the last M93 Fox, 4 SEE engineer trucks plus 27 troops for sortie #169.
Remainder:
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
381 x Trailers
4, 887 men + 27 = 4, 914 men
8. LOAD MICLIC trailers
Load 6 x MICLIC tracked trailers, 2 DEUCE bulldozers, 54 troops for sortie #170.
Remainder:
4 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
381 x Trailers
4, 914 men + 54 = 4, 968 men
9. LOAD DEUCE TRACKED BULLDOZERS
Four DEUCE tracked bulldozers on C-17, 54 troops for sorties #171.
Remainder:
381 x Trailers
4, 968 men + 54 = 5, 022 men
10. LOAD TRAILERS
Now for the real mobility killer! 381 trailers! You cannot load heavy trailers without their prime movers, though I see a USAF fighter squadron load in the C-17 info I have that is all-trailer. If we have to complicate loads by insisting that each trailer match up with its prime mover like the 155mm howitzer loads, we will drastically lose airlift efficiency as the trailers will eat up space almost as much as if they were another self-powered vehicle.
For the sake of argument, let's simple load the 381 trailers assuming they are all the large Army-variety. We'll estimate that they are 3/4 the size of a HMMWV, so we could conservatively load 12 trailers in a C-17.
381 divided by 12 = 32 sorties
32 x 54= 1, 728
5, 022 men + 1, 728 = 6, 750 men potential (IBCT requires 3, 498)
TOTAL:
203 x C-17 sorties, all IBCT vehicles and 3, 498 men with potential for +3, 252 extra men.
COMPLEX LOAD
The 381 trailers ruin the simple calculations above.
Let's adjust the load to assume every one of the 146 x FMTVs tow a trailer.
This reduces trailers to 235. Hitching them to 235 x HMMWVs makes all trailers mobile. This leaves 151 x HMMWVs without trailers to run around and be staff cars.
This means we have to adjust our FMTV and HMMWV load plans.
1. LOAD M113A3/IAVs
5 x M113A3/IAV tracked AFVs can fly in a C-17; more than double the number of LAV-III/IAVs.
306 divided by 5 = 61 sorties, 1 x M113A3/IAV left-over
61 sorties x 54 Soldiers = 3, 294 men
Remainder:
1x M113A3/IAV
27 x M8 AGS/IAV light tanks
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
386 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
2. LOAD M8 AGS/IAV light tanks
C-17 can load 4 x M8 AGS/IAV light tanks.
27 divided by 4 = 7 x C-17 sorties with last sortie with 3 x M8 AGS, 2 x HMMWVs and the left-over M113A3/IAV on the rear ramp and no troops.
6 x 54 = 324 + 3, 294 = 3, 618 men
C-17 sorties so far: 68
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
384 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
3. LOAD FMTVs
C-17 can load 4 x FMTVs towing trailers at a time, no Soldiers seated.
146 x FMTVs/trailers divided by 4 = 36 x C-17 sorties with 2 left-over FMTVs/trailers
C-17 sorties so far: 104
2 x FMTV/ 2 x trailers and 2 x HMMWV/ 2 x trailers on the rear ramp for sortie #105.
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
382 x HMMWV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
233 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
4. LOAD HEMMTs
C-17 can load 4 x HEMMTs, no seats for passengers
64 divided by 4 = 16 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 121
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
382 x HMMWV trucks
233 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
5. LOAD HMMWVs
C-17 can carry 8 x HMMWVs, two across and four long, but with no troop seats. It may be possible to load vehicles off to the right or left to free up space for one row of sidewall seats = 27 seats. If HMMWVs tow trailers, 4 x HMMWVs/4 x trailers on the floor and 1 HMMWV/trailer on rear ramp, for a total of 5 x HMMWVs/5 x trailers.
233 divided by 5 = 46 x C-17 sorties, left-over 3 x HMMWVs/ 3 x trailers
Load 3 x HMMWV/ 3 x trailers, 2 x SEE trucks, 1 unattached HMMWV/MICLIC trailer on rear ramp and 54 men on sortie #168.
Plus 149 x unattached HMMWVs to load.
149 divided by 8 = 18 x C-17 sorties with 5 x HMMWVs left over
18 x 27 men = 486
5 x HMMWVs, 2 x SEE trucks, 2 x MICLICs, 54 troops on sortie #187
3, 618 + 486 = 4, 104 men
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
2 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
2 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
C-17 sorties so far: 187
6. LOAD 155mm HOWITZERS AND PRIME MOVER FMTV TRUCKS
The M198 is a 16,500 pound cannon on wheels and must be towed on/off the C-17 by a vehicle. If you load the M198 connected to its FMTV prime mover truck, you can get two pairs in, with the rear ramp free for two ammo FMTV trucks. You might be able to seat troops along the fuselage walls where the M198 howitzers are, maybe not. But be advised 155mm ammo is very heavy and two FMTV trucks with ammo on the rear ramp may be too much even for the C-17's rear ramp. Maybe just for the air movement the ammo trucks in the load might be connected to the M198 howitzers? Or maybe ammo cannot be mobile-loaded in any circumstance---yet another way the IBCT concept is ill conceived.
12 divided by 2 = 6 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 193 sorties
4, 104 men delivered
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
2 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
2 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
7. LOAD 3 x FOX NBC RECON and last SEE VEHICLES, MICLICs
You can load 2 x M93 Fox NBC recon vehicles and have space for two SEE trucks/ 2 x MICLICs on their sides and two DEUCE bulldozers the rear ramp and no troops. That's sortie # 194.
You load the last M93 Fox, 4 DEUCE bulldozers plus 27 troops for sortie #195.
4, 104 + 27 = 4, 131 men
TOTAL:
195 x C-17 sorties, all IBCT vehicles and 4,131 men with potential for +633 extra men.
COMPARISON
The M113A3/IAV and M8 AGS/IAV IBCT can fly anywhere in the world in 195 x C-17 sorties with 4, 131 men delivered and all its support vehicles.
The LAV-III/IAV IBCT can be flown in 263 x C-17 sorties with 9, 747 men delivered and all its support vehicles.
The M113A3/M8 IBCT can get fly to the fight by 68 x less C-17 sorties than the bloated LAV-III/IAV-based IBCT! At an airport with a MOG rate of 4, the M113A3/M8 IBCT arrives hours before the LAV-III/IAV IBCT can get there!
In modern combat, every second counts!
The LAV-III/IAV IBCT only has greater men because the seats come automatically with the greater aircraft sorties required. The IBCT only needs 3, 498 men.
At a MOG 4 airfield @ 100% efficiency
DAY 1 24 hours = 96 x C-17s
DAY 2 48 hours = 192 x C-17s
48.75 hours = 195 x C-17s--M113A3/M8 AGS IBCT already delivered!
62.08 hours = 263 x C-17s--LAV-III/IAV IBCT finally arrives!
DAY 3 72 hours = 288 x C-17s
At a MOG 4 airfield with 46% efficiency (realistic best-case)
A U.S. Army Transportation expert writes:
"Mike, one point caught my eye. You assigned an arbitrary MOG of 4 and, assuming 24 hour operations, assigned 96 x C-17 sorties per day.
T'aint so!!
Our Air Force brethren use a 2-1/4 normal turnaround time for the C-17 which means that, at 100% efficiency, you will get a throughput of 42.67 x C-17s.
They then apply a queuing factor of 85%, dropping the number to 36.27 x C-17s.
This assumes that their are no HAZMAT problems with the four slots.
On the bright side, the USAF also has an expedited (no refueling / servicing) ground time of 1-3/4 hours.
This increases throughput to 54.85 x C-17s at 100% efficiency, or 46.63
after applying the queuing factor.
I normally use the normal ground time (2-1/4 hours), because the USAF is willing to admit that even this number may be optimistic by a factor of 20%. Fort Monroe is even more optimistic than the USAF when they play future war games. They take the throughput numbers that the USAF publishes in their new TACC reports and double them --MOG on steroids!!
Most of the stuff that I see in the TACC reports indicate that a MOG of two is realistic and a MOG of four stretches the high end of the envelope.
I think in terms of 408 STONs/day for a MOG of one C-17 with 24-hour operations. The MOG equation is linear, so a MOG of 4 gives a maximum of 1,632 STON per day. Lets us say that we are moving 14,000 STON a one-way distance of 5,000nm. Based on MOG constraints, the [LAV-III/IAV IBCT] force closes between 9 and 17 days.
Then there is the hairy notion that war costs money.
Our 14,000 STONs require a minimum of 311 sorties (14,000 / 45 = 311).
Cycle time is (10,000/418 = 23.92 hrs + 9 hours ground time = 33 hours x 311 x $7,500 = $76,972,500 - - positioning and repositioning legs not included. So we pay the USAF $77 million just to get to the war. I don't mind paying any amount of money to save American lives when national interests are at stake, but it becomes fairly obvious that the Army needs to recapture it's own destiny by
acquiring an internal lift capability.
One final note. Your thesis that loads, not STONs, is accepted in the military community. In fact, both USTRANSCOM and the Deployment Process Modernization Office have been wrestling with the issue of how to combat load the IBCT".
Adjusted for USAF inefficiency MOG less than 4 rate = 36 x C-17s per day
Day 1 24 hours = 36 x C-17s
Day 2 48 hours = 72 x C-17s
Day 3 72 hours = 108 x C-17s
Day 4 96 hours = 144 x C-17s
Day 5 120 hours = 180 x C-17s
135 hours = 195 x C-17s---M113A3/M8 AGS IBCT already delivered!
Day 6 144 hours = 216 x C-17s
Day 7 168 hours = 252 x C-17s
176 hours = 263 x C-17s--LAV-III/IAV IBCT finally arrives!
M113A3/M8 IAV IBCT ARRIVES 2 DAYS BEFORE LAV-III/IAV IBCT!
At a MOG 1 airfield with 46% efficiency (worse-case)
Day 1 24 hours = 11 x C-17s
Day 2 48 hours = 22 x C-17s
Day 3 72 hours = 33 x C-17s
Day 4 96 hours = 44 x C-17s
Day 5 120 hours = 55 x C-17s
Day 6 144 hours = 66 x C-17s
Day 7 168 hours = 77 x C-17s
Day 8 192 hours = 88 x C-17s
Day 9 216 hours = 99 x C-17s
Day 10 240 hours = 110 x C-17s
Day 11 264 hours = 121 x C-17s
Day 12 288 hours = 132 x C-17s
Day 13 312 hours = 143 x C-17s
Day 14 336 hours = 154 x C-17s
Day 15 360 hours = 165 x C-17s
Day 16 384 hours = 176 x C-17s
Day 17 408 hours = 193 x C-17s
414 hours = 195 x C-17s = M113A3/M8 AGS IBCT delivered!
Day 18 432 hours = 198 x C-17s
Day 19 456 hours = 209 x C-17s
Day 20 480 hours = 220 x C-17s
Day 21 504 hours = 231 x C-17s
Day 22 528 hours = 242 x C-17s
Day 23 552 hours = 253 x C-17s
563.5 hours = 263 x C-17s = LAV-III/IAV IBCT finally arrives!
DEPLOYMENT SPEED BY AIRDROP
The M113A3 is certified for parachute airdrop.
The M8 AGS light tank is certified for parachute airdrop.
The LAV-III/IAV is NOT certified for parachute airdrop.
C-130s can parachute airdrop both M113A3 and M8 AGS light tracked AFVs.
The LAV-III/IAV is too heavy to be flown significant distances and too high for C-130 parachute airdrop.
If we were to instead of being cowardly "legs" and trying to airland IAVs by USAF aircraft which gets slowed by the funnel of MOG rates and possible enemy interference (Crete, 1941, Dien Bien Phu, 1954, Khe Sanh, 1968), PARACHUTE AIRDROP an M113A3/M8 AGS IAV-based IBCT created using the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Polk, Louisiana as a forced-entry covering force for the XVIII Airborne Corps, we could get to the fight in less than a day.
Without MOG rates to worry about, the M113A3/M8 AGS IAV IBCT 2nd ACR can be parachute airdropped at maximum USAF airlift efficiency possible--to include using some of the 510 x C-130s they have.
Airdrop the M113A3/M8 AGS IAV IBCT
The C-17 from 600-900 feet AGL can slide out its rear ramp Type V airdrop platforms with M113A3/M8 AGS IAVs strapped on top of shock-absorbing honeycomb, using extraction parachutes which then deploy main cargo parachute clusters which then gently deliver the load to the ground. Upon landing, the cargo parachutes disconnect to avoid wind-dragging. 2 x M8 AGS light tanks or 3 x M113A3 IAVs per C-17 for Low-Velocity AirDrop (LVAD).
When Type V airdrop platforms are in the C-17, there are still 54 seats available for Paratroopers. However, the 82nd Airborne Division doesn't like to mix personnel drop (men) and heavy drop (vehicles) like the Russian Airborne does. This paradigm should be changed to maximize C-17 airlift. The heavy drop loads could easily slide out the rear ramp over the heavy drop zone. The rear ramp closes. Then the aircraft proceeds to the personnel drop zone, the two side jump doors are opened and the 54 x Paratroopers jump to land as close as possible to their vehicles to run to them, de-rig them and recover them.
In the case of the C-130, it can carry just one M113A3 or M8 AGS light tank on Type V airdrop platform. However, its a short platform leaving space towards the front of the C-130 for Paratrooper seats. Its reasonable to assume that at least the 9-man Infantry Squad + 2 man vehicle crew or the 3-man M8 AGS light tank crew could be seated in front of their vehicle and jump immediately after it clears the rear ramp to land in the heavy drop zone or jump a few seconds later in the personnel drop zone, over the ramp or if you want to keep jump procedures simplified and inline with the rest of the personnel birds, close the rear ramp, and open the side jump doors and jump that way.
C-17s for Airdrop only
LOAD M113A3/IAVs rigged for airdrop
3 x M113A3/IAV tracked AFVs rigged for LVAD can fly in a C-17
306 divided by 3 = 102 sorties
102 sorties x 54 Soldiers = 5, 508 Infantry Paratroopers on the ground, combat-ready
Remainder:
27 x M8 AGS/IAV light tracked tanks
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
6 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
386 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
2. LOAD M8 AGS/IAV light tanks rigged for airdrop
C-17 can load 2 x M8 AGS/IAV light tanks and 6 tanker paratroops.
27 divided by 2 = 13 x C-17 sorties, 1 M8 AGS left-over
13 x 6 = 78 Paratrooper Tankers + 5, 508 Paratrooper Infantrymen = 5,586 men
1 x M8 AGS, 1 x DEUCE bulldozer, 54 Paras on sortie #116.
5, 586 + 54 = 5, 640 men
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
5 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
386 x HMMWV trucks
146 x FMTV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
3. LOAD FMTVs
C-17 can load 2 x FMTVs towing trailers rigged for LVAD at a time, 54 Soldiers seated.
146 x FMTVs/trailers divided by 2 = 73 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 189
73 x 54 = 3, 942 Paratrooper Truck Drivers/Passengers + 5, 640 Paratrooper Infantrymen = 9, 582 men (my, goodness, almost the entire 82nd Airborne Division at this point)
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
5 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
386 x HMMWV trucks
64 x HEMMT trucks
235 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
3. LOAD HEMMTs
I am not sure the HEMMT can be parachute-airdropped. Assuming that it can.
C-17 can load 2 x HEMMTs rigged for airdrop, 54 seats for Paratroopers.
64 divided by 2 = 32 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 221 x C-17 sorties
32 x 54 Paratroopers = 1, 728 HEMMT drivers/passengers + 9, 582 Paratroopers = 11, 310 Paratroopers
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
5 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
386 x HMMWV trucks
381 x Trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
4. LOAD HMMWVs
C-17 can carry 6 x HMMWVs, two across and three long using the Dual-Row Airdrop System (DRAS) which uses narrower Type V airdrop platforms, but with no space for troop seats to be used.
I'm not sure longer DRAS airdrop platforms exist yet to drop HMMWVs and trailers at the same time---if so, we must drop HMMWVs/trailers on regular Type V airdrop platforms, which means only a single-row of 2 in a C-17.
235 divided by 2 = 117 x C-17 sorties, one HMMWV/trailer left-over
Still have 1 x HMMWV/trailer to load.
1 HMMWV/trailer, one HMMWV rigged for airdrop plus 54 troops on sorties #338
117 x 54 = 6, 318 + 11, 310 = 17, 628 men possible on the ground, ready-for-combat
150 x HMMWVs w/o trailers left over.
150 x HMMWVs divided by 6 using DRAS = 25 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 363
Total men on the ground: 17, 628 men
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
5 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
12 x 155mm towed Howitzers (M198)
24 x Prime mover, ammo FMTV trucks
5. LOAD 155mm HOWITZERS AND PRIME MOVER FMTV TRUCKS
The M198 is a 16,500 pound cannon on wheels and must be towed on/off the C-17 by a vehicle, but is parachute airdropped separately. Two M198 howitzers or two FMTV trucks can be aidropped from a C-17.
54 x M198 howitzers and FMTVs divided by 2 = 27 x C-17 sorties
C-17 sorties so far: 390 sorties
27 x 54 = 1, 458 "Red Leg" Artillery Cannon-cocker Airborne Soldiers + 17, 628 =
19, 086 men delivered
Remainder:
3 x M93 Fox NBC recon wheeled armored cars
6 x SEE engineer trucks
5 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
6. LOAD FOX NBC RECON VEHICLES
3 x Fox recon vehicles and 54 Paratroopers in load #391.
54 = 19, 086 men = 19, 140
7. LOAD ENGINEER VEHICLES
Remainder:
6 x SEE engineer trucks
5 x DEUCE tracked bulldozers
6 x MICLIC rocket line charge tracked trailers
2 x SEE/2 x MICLIC trailers on a C-17 with 54 Paras for sorties #392, 393, 394.
162 + 19, 140 = 19, 302 men
2 x DEUCE bulldozers, 54 x Paratroopers on a C-17 for sorties #395 and #396
TOTAL
108 + 19, 302 = 19, 410 total men
396 sorties
NO RUNWAYS REQUIRED!!! Entire Brigade on the ground in large drop zones in under 24 hours.
OPTION NOT AVAILABLE TO THE LAV-III/IAV armored car.
ONLY FEASIBLE WITH M113A3 and M8 AGS light tracked AFVs.
COSTS REDUCED BY CARGO 747s
Illustrations:
www.geocities.com/strategicmaneuver
www.geocities.com/cargo747airlift
An Army transportation expert writes:
"Then there is the hairy notion that war costs money.
Our 14,000 STONs require a minimum of 311 sorties (14,000 / 45 = 311).
Cycle time is (10,000/418 = 23.92 hrs + 9 hours ground time = 33 hours x 311 x $7,500 = $76,972,500 - - positioning and repositioning legs not included. So we pay the USAF $77 million just to get to the war".
Let's accept our airland USAF sorties upward to our transportation expert's 311 to get the LAV-III/IAV IBCT. If we use M113A3/M8 AGS IAVs in the IBCT instead, we would save $28, 710,000 million in just one IBCT one-way deployment.
33 hours x 193 x $7, 500 = $ 47, 767, 500
Not only does using lighter, more mobile, protected and armed M113A3/M8 AGS IAVs for the IBCTs make more tactical sense, it saves the Army $57,420,000 million for just one Kosovo-type two-way deployment.
With $58.410 million dollars saved, the Army could convert 6 x passenger 747 airliners to nose-loading cargo types. By not buying 1,500+ LAV-III/IAVs at $3 million each ($4.5 BILLION) and instead upgrading M113A3s to M113A3 standard and buying some M8 AGS light tanks, the Army saves 1/2 the money ($2.25 BILLION) which can go to convert more 747s to cargo.
$2,225 million divided by $10 million to convert a 747 to cargo = 222 x cargo 747s created
To be conservative, let's set aside $20 million to convert unused passenger 747s to cargo and maintain them in fly-away condition with M113A3/M8 AGS IAVs pre-loaded by lease, with civilian contract crews to fly them. This means 111 x cargo 747s that could be converted.
We only need 50 x cargo 747s due to airlanding MOG rates, so at $20 million each = $500 million.
$500,000,000 million for 50 x cargo 747 winged APS-6
- 57,420,000 million saved using lighter M113A3/M8 AGS IAVs, two 66-hour deployments
________________________________________________________________
$442,580,000 million to pay for cargo 747s to guarantee U.S. Army strategic mobility
Cargo 747 winged "APS-6" costs subtracted from $2.25 BILLION, this leaves $1.834 BILLION to provide 30mm/Javelin autocannon turrets, band tracks, thellie camouflage, ERA armor to the 5 designated IBCT's M113A3/M8 AGS IAVs.
In fact, in just 5 Kosovo-type brigade-sized air deployments, the Army will save enough money if it uses M113A3/M8 AGS IAVs to pay for 50 x cargo 747s!
Negatively considered, if the Army insists on using LAV-III/IAVs, it will have no money for autocannon turrets, infared camouflage, ERA (can't use it on LAV-IIIs, anyway), or cargo 747s as the USAF drains its budget wallet dry at $7500/hour or $154 million every time C-17s fly an IBCT to and from a global mission!
The U.S. Army will waste in USAF aircraft costs enough money during one LAV-III/IAV IBCT 2-way deployment ($57.420 million) to have bought the 82nd Airborne 17 x M8 AGS light tanks.
So, if the Army got smart, it would cancel the LAV-III/IAV purchases and upgrade M113A3/IAVs to much greater combat capabilities than a box on rubber tires with a grenade machine gun with a measley 48 rounds, buy some M8 AGS light tanks and convert and leas a 50 x cargo 747 "APS-6".
The USAF could strategic brigade airdrop (SBA) the 82nd Airborne Division and a armored vehicle-equipped force package from the 2nd ACR by C-17s to force-an-entry into the combat zone.
The rest of the 2nd ACR's M113A3/M8 AGS vehicles could fly to an Intermediate Staging Base (ISB) by winged APS-6 cargo 747s. As the C-17s return from the SBA mission, they can land to shuttle the vehicles and men forward into the drop zone now transitioned into an assault landing zone. If the situation is urgent, the entire 2nd ACR can airdrop itself if time is critical and/or airlanding is not possible or the MOG rate insufficient. Even more importantly, some of the USAF's x 510 C-130s could self-deploy to the ISB and shuttle the 2nd ACR into the airhead by airland or airdrop.
NOTES
www.almc.army.mil/ALOG/issues/SepOct01/MS679.htm
"Mojave Desert last stop for many unneeded jetliners"
www.msnbc.com/news/643320.asp
There has been a ten-fold increase in the number of jetliners mothballed at Mojave Airport in California since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Mojave Desert last stop for many unneeded jetliners
Some will return to service; others will be sold for parts
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOJAVE, Calif., Oct. 15 - Parking spaces are quickly filling up at an airfield in the Mojave Desert that is the last stop for many out-of-service jetliners. More than 200 airliners are being stored there, surpassing the number at the peak of the airline industry slump during the recession in the early 1990s. More jets arrive practically every day, evidence of how the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have thrown the business into a tailspin.
"I HAD 17 come in last Monday, and then the next day I had six come in," said Dan Sabovich, general manager of the Mojave Airport.
The jets sit out in the open, on the desert floor. Some will stay for a few months, until they are pressed back into service. Others will remain until they are sold or disassembled for scrap or parts.
Some are kept in flyable condition by mechanics; others are left untouched.
Mojave, 100 miles north of Los Angeles, is one of only a few sites around the nation with the space to store giant jetliners. Others include a nearby former Air Force base and an airfield near Phoenix.
Most are in desert regions because, without the harsh winters or humid air of other climes, a properly sealed plane can be stored there for years. The cost is almost negligible: $250 to $500 a month.
On a recent day at Mojave, more than $1 billion worth of behemoths - DC-10s, L1011s, 727s, 737s and giant 747s and 757s - stood in ranks on the desert floor, their windows and engine openings sealed with tape and foil in a process known as "pickling."
Sun glittered on their aluminum skins or picked out the bright red, white and blue paint jobs of Continental and other airlines.
OLDER PLANES BEING RETIRED
Many airlines are using the downturn to accelerate the retirement of older planes, according to Michael Boyd, president of the Boyd Group, an Evergreen, Colo., aviation consulting firm.
United, Delta and other major U.S. airlines have retired or are planning to retire more than 400 jets in the next six months, according to the Boyd Group. That is about 6 percent of the estimated 6,800 planes owned by domestic airlines.
"They go out there, they pickle them, and the people who own them hope for a miracle and pray they won't be taking a bath," Boyd said.
On Thursday, President Bush said in a speech that "people are getting back on airplanes." But some who run jetliner storage yards were skeptical.
"This is going to be 18 months to two years, in our assessment, to get back to normality," said Trevor Van Horn, president of Evergreen Air Center in Marana, Ariz., outside Tucson.
About 50 jetliners were parked at the center, and Van Horn predicted as many as 150 more will arrive from all over the world in the next three months.
http://205.139.43.89/airport.htm
Welcome to the world-famous Mojave Airport and the Civilian Flight Test Center!
The Mojave Airport is an international destination. Students from countries around the globe come to study at the prestigious
Several companies, including
Because its facilities and aircraft-friendly environmental conditions, Mojave Airport's
With so many airliners stored at Mojave, it has become a favorite destination for aircraft spotters, with many traveling from overseas just to see and photograph the aircraft. Because security measures make direct access to the aircraft is not possible, the Airport Management offers guided tours of many of the areas on the field. For more information, contact the Airport Administration Office, or stop by in the main terminal building under the old control tower.
In addition to the information presented here, the Airport Management maintains its own Obstructions: None. No noise abatement problems
Telephone: 661.824.2433
www.af.mil/news/factsheets/C_130_Hercules.html
USAF Fact Sheet
C-130 Hercules
C-130H
Mission
The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. The C-130 operates throughout the U.S. Air Force, serving with Air Mobility Command (stateside based), Air Force Special Operations Command, theater commands, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command, fulfilling a wide range of operational missions in both peace and war situations. Basic and specialized versions of the aircraft airframe perform a diverse number of roles, including airlift support, Antarctic ice resupply, aeromedical missions, weather reconnaissance, aerial spray missions, fire-fighting duties for the U.S. Forest Service and natural disaster relief missions.
Features
Using its aft loading ramp and door the C-130 can accommodate a wide variety of oversized cargo, including everything from utility helicopters and six wheeled armored vehicles to standard palletized cargo and military personnel. In an aerial delivery role, it can air drop loads up to 42,000 pounds or use its high-floatation landing gear to land and deliver cargo on rough, dirt strips.
The flexible design of the Hercules enables it to be configured for many different missions, allowing for one aircraft to perform the role of many. Much of the special mission equipment added to the Hercules is removable allowing the aircraft to revert back to its cargo delivery role if desired. Additionally, the C-130 can be rapidly reconfigured for the various types of cargo such as palletized equipment, floor loaded material, air drop platforms, container delivery system bundles, vehicles and personnel or aeromedical evacuation.
The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet and will replace aging C-130E's. The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology to reduce manpower requirements, lower operating and support costs, and provide life cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models. Compared to older C-130s, the J model climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance. The C-130J-30 is a stretch version, adding 15 feet to fuselage, increasing usable space in the cargo compartment.
C-130J/J-30 major system improvements include: advanced two-pilot flight station with fully integrated digital avionics; color multifunctional liquid crystal displays and head-up displays; state-of-the-art navigation systems with dual inertial navigation system and global positioning system; fully integrated defensive systems; low-power color radar; digital moving map display; new turboprop engines with six bladed, all composite propellers; digital auto pilot; improved fuel, environmental and ice protection systems; and an enhanced cargo handling system.
Background
Four decades have elapsed since the Air Force issued its original design specification, yet the remarkable C-130 remains in production. The initial production model was the C-130A, with four Allison T56-A-11 or -9 turboprops. A total of 219 were ordered and deliveries began in December 1956. The C-130B introduced Allison T56-A-7 turboprops and the first of 134 entered Air Force service in May 1959.
Introduced in August of 1962, the 389 C-130E's that were ordered used the same Allison T56-A-7 engine, but added two 1,290 gallon external fuel tanks and an increased maximum takeoff weight capability. June 1974 introduced the first of 308 C-130H's with the more powerful Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engine. Nearly identical to the C-130E externally, the new engine brought major performance improvements to the aircraft.
The latest C-130 to be produced, the C-130J entered the inventory in February 1999. With the noticeable difference of a six bladed composite propeller coupled to a Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 turboprop engine, the C-130J brings substantial performance improvements over all previous models, and has allowed the introduction of the C-130J-30, a stretch version with a 15-foot fuselage extension. Air Force has selected the C-130J-30 to replace retiring C-130E's. Approximately 168 C-130J/J-30s are planned for the inventory. To date, the Air Force has purchased 29 C-130J aircraft from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.
General Characteristics
Primary Function: Tactical and intratheater airlift
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Power Plant: C-130E: Four Allison T56-A-7 turboprops; 4,200 prop shaft horsepower
C-130H: Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops; 4,591prop shaft horsepower
C-130J: Four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprops; 4,591 horsepower
Length: C-130E/H/J: 97 feet, 9 inches (29.3 meters)
C-130J-30: 112 feet, 9 inches (34.69 meters)
Height: 38 feet, 3 inches (11.4 meters)
Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (39.7 meters)
Cargo Compartment: C-130E/H/J: length, 40 feet (12.31 meters); width, 119 inches (3.12 meters); height, 9 feet (2.74 meters). Rear ramp: length, 123 inches (3.12 meters); width, 119 inches (3.02 meters)
C-130J-30: length, 55 feet (16.9 meters); width, 119 inches (3.12 meters); height, 9 feet (2.74 meters). Rear ramp: length, 123 inches (3.12 meters); width, 119 inches (3.02 meters)
Speed: C-130E: 345 mph/300 ktas (Mach 0.49) at 20,000 feet (6,060 meters)
C-130H: 366 mph/318 ktas (Mach 0.52) at 20,000 feet (6,060 meters)
C-130J: 417 mph/362 ktas (Mach 0.59) at 22,000 feet (6,706 meters)
C-130J-30: 410 mph/356 ktas (Mach 0.58) at 22,000 feet (6,706 meters)
Ceiling: 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) with 45,000 pounds (17,716 kilograms) payload
Maximum Takeoff Weight: C-130E/H/J: 155,000 pounds (69,750 kilograms)
C-130J-30: 164,000 pounds (74,393 kilograms)
Maximum Allowable Payload: C-130E, 45,050 pounds (20,434 kilograms); C-130H, 43,550 pounds (19,754 kilograms); C-130J, 46,631 pounds (21,151 kilograms); C-130J-30, 46,812 pounds (21,234 kilograms)
Maximum Normal Payload: C-130E, 36,720 pounds (16,656 kilograms); C-130H, 35,220 pounds (15,976 kilograms); C-130J, 38,301 pounds (17,373 kilograms); C-130J-30, 38,812 pounds (17,605 kilograms)
Range at Maximum Normal Payload: C-130E, 1,838 miles (1,597 nautical miles); C-130H, 2,006 miles (1,743 nautical miles); C-130J, 2,729 miles (2,371 nautical miles); C-130J-30, 2,897 miles (2,517 nautical miles)
Range with 35,000 pounds of Payload: C-130E, 1,968 miles (1,710 nautical miles); C-130H, 2,023 miles (1,758 nautical miles); C-130J, 3,062 miles (2,660 nautical miles); C-130J-30, 3,269 miles (2,830 nautical miles)
Maximum Load: C-130E/H/J: 6 pallets or 74 litters or 16 CDS bundles or 92 combat troops or 64 paratroopers, or a combination of any of these up to the cargo compartment capacity or maximum allowable weight.
C-130J-30: 8 pallets or 97 litters or 24 CDS bundles or 128 combat troops or 92 paratroopers, or a combination of any of these up to the cargo compartment capacity or maximum allowable weight.
Crew: C-130E/H: Five (two pilots, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster)
C-130J/J-30: Three (two pilots and loadmaster)
Aeromedical Evacuation Role: Minimum medical crew of three is added (one flight nurse and two medical technicians). Medical crew may be increased to two flight nurses and four medical technicians as required by the needs of the patients.
Unit Cost: C-130E, $11.9, C-130H, $30.1, C-130J, $48.5 (FY 1998 constant dollars in millions)
Date Deployed: C-130A, Dec 1956; C-130B, May 1959; C-130E, Aug 1962; C-130H, Jun 1974; C-130J, Feb 1999
Inventory: Active force, 186; Air National Guard, 217; Air Force Reserve, 107
Point of Contact
Air Mobility Command, Public Affairs Office, 503 Ward Drive Ste 214, Scott AFB, IL 62225-5335, DSN 779-7821 or (618) 229-7821.
July 2001
Army Logistician magazine, "Configuring Airdrop Packages for the IBCT" by Major John V. McCoy
Mojave Airport Facilities:
Weather: Over 360 days of 30 mile visibility
Elevation: 2,787 MSL
Runways: 12-30, 9,600 X 200 ft - 07-25, 7,000 X 75 ft - 04-22, 4,100 X 50 ft
Facilities: 1 mile concrete tie down area, tie-down every 12 feet in concrete - Control tower operated Monday through Friday 0700-1700 hours on 127.6, ground 123.9 - CTAF 127.6 operated Monday through Friday 1700-0700 hours - 12 motels within one mile of airport - 14 restaurants within one mile of the airport.
U.S. Army Armor magazine acceptance of this article for publication
Corrupt Army Wheeled Truckmonger Political Pressure Censors the Article from Being Published
FEEDBACK!!
A noted defense analyst writes about the LAV fiasco:
"Heebner was at Rand the same time as Shinseki. They did not make a spot for him after retirement, but before retirement, and embarrassed all Soldiers by announcing they purchased the whore before he left active duty.
The marines have over 300 x M1A1 tanks, but refuse to fly any into Afghanistan. They got their unarmored combat HMMWVs over there, without even gun shields. Now they're moving into Beruit, oops Kandahar. I suspect Franks doesn't want C-17s to fly in tanks because then Congress would ask why the need for Army LAVs. Now the Army can say we couldn't go to Afghanistan because we need LAVs like the marines have."
What is HQDA doing about this?
A TRANSCOM officer writes:
"I'm not sure, it really ought to be tested combat loaded. Incidentially I hope we learn one of the lessons of Afghanistan, it is much easier (and of course quicker) to move something by C-130 (roughly 457 in inventory) than to have to use a C-17 (50) in inventory."
