Re: How much parachute training in U.S. military?


"Airborne!" <reedjudddyer@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1116526182.053652.26050@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Andrew Swallow wrote:
>>> Sounds like sufficient air drop is needed to:
>> a. capture an airfield
>> b. capture a small island
>> c. build an airfield - this requires air drop of machines
>> d. small deployments, behind enemy lines, of special forces.
>
> There is a strong argument for airdrop forces for "forced entry"
> capability, but historically airborne operations do not have a great
> success rate to validate that concept. Sea-based forced entry has a
> better succsses rate, but not every nation has a coastline. Our
> current airborne structure is not validated by any "tactical need" but
> then again, neither are division size elements of foot-mobile infantry.
> The US Army does many things poorly, but we are still one of the best
> trained in the world.
> Reed
>
I think the "poor" success rate of airborne operations has to do with the
tendency to use them too deeply, without an ability to reinforce in a timely
fashion. If you look at the more or less failures, you get
Dien Bien Phu
Market Garden (intelligence failure)
Kanev (disaster)
Crete (arguable)
Vyazma

There have been a slew of successful smaller, and closer in, drops, such as
Pegasus Bridge
Corrigedor
Eban Emael
Corinth Canal
Leros
and a whole bunch of battalion or smaller drops.

I think that the lesson to be learned is
a.) Large drops deep in enemy territory are not so good.
b.) Small, focused drops in support of other ground troops are good.


.

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