Lőrinczy SzabolcsAbstract / Absztrakt The crisis respond ability of the Hungarian Air Force and the responsiveness of NATO to protect its own units and troops wherever and whenever during airlift operations depends on the capability of air support and the potention of transport aircrafts and their crews. The importance of NATO being able to accomplish a successful war anywhere in the World, raises the significance of this specialized area of the Air Force. In addition, airlift provides the military with a humanitarian capability to aid areas hit by famine or natural disasters or blockaded by war or enemies. A repülőerők három dimenzióban való szabad manőverező képessége lehetővé teszi, hogy kiaknázzák a sebesség, hatótávolság és rugalmasság jellemzőit. Ezek a jellemzők képessé teszik az erőket arra, hogy erőkifejtésüket összpontosítsák az ellenség felépítésének valamennyi elemével szemben: A Magyar Légierő jövőbeli válságreagáló képessége, valamint a NATO azon felelőssége, hogy saját csapatait a levegőből bármikor és bárhol meg tudja oltalmazni, nagyban függ a Légierő logisztikai támogató képességétől, valamint a légiszállító repülő erők technikai és személyzeti potenciáljától. Természetesen, mint minden haditechnika, a légierő szállító gépei is függnek az üzemanyag-ellátástól. Ez pedig feltételezi egyrészt az üzemanyag hadszíntérre történő szállítását, valamint a harctevékenységbe bevont repülő technika levegőben történő üzemanyag ellátását. Az a kritérium, amely szerint a NATO-nak képesnek kell lennie nemcsak klasszikus háborús katonai műveletek, de az aszimmetrikus kihívásoknak megfelelően a nem háborús katonai műveletekben való aktív részvétel a Föld bármely pontján, kiemeli a légi utántöltés és a légiszállítás szakterület jelentőségét. A légi utántöltés és katonai légi szállítás témaköre a NATO tagországok 2006-os Riga-i konferenciáján kiemelkedő helyet foglalt el, mint olyan szakterület, amit a NATO-nak sürgősen fejleszteni kell. Keywords / Kulcsszavak: Airlift, Air refuel, Crisis Respond Operations, NATO/ légi szállítás, légi utántöltés, válságreagáló műveletek
Air Transport Operations
In addition, airlift provides the military with a humanitarian capability to aid areas hit by famine or natural disasters or blockaded by war or enemies. I will write about the characteristics of the Crisis Respond Operations (CRO) in the second part of my article. The importance of NATO being able to accomplish a successful war anywhere in the World, raises the significance of this specialized area of using Air Force. The importance of the Airlift Operations was one of the "hot spot" during the meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Riga Summit in 2006. (27 November - Remarks by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the demonstration of C-17 Strategic Airlift Capability). They agreed that NATO must improve it's Airlift capability package int he near future. "The Alliance recognised this need four years ago at our Summit in Prague, and we committed then to increase our strategic airlift capability. " Historical overview
Airlift was not a mission concentrated on in the early years of flight, primarily because the small size of airplanes did not allow for large cargo or passenger loads. Then in the 1930s, Germany developed the Junkers Ju.52 trimotor as an 18-seat airliner that could double as a transport or bomber for the Luftwaffe. When civil war broke out in Spain in 1936, Germany sent assistance to the Fascist Nationalists. Twenty Ju.52s were sent immediately to Spanish Morocco, where the main part of the Nationalist Army, including leader Francisco Franco, was trapped, unable to sail across the Strait of Gibraltar. Throughout August and September, the German transports airlifted the stranded troops to Seville, Spain. During 677 flights they transported 20,000 soldiers. From Seville, the Nationalist Army was able to expand and eventually defeat the Republicans and win the war. With this first successful airlift, other nations rushed to develop their own transport planes. The British Air Force relied on transport-bombers, such as the Vickers Victoria. The United States developed transports that were modified airliners-the Douglas DC-3 was converted to the C-47 Skytrain by removing the airline interior and adding heavier floors and a large cargo door. The same plane with a smaller door was designated the C-53 Skytrooper and used for dropping paratroopers. By the time World War II began, all the combatant nations were equipped with transport planes which dropped paratroopers, carried troops and supplies, and supported the rapid movements across the European Theater. Airplanes meeting the special demands of transport operations began to be built after the Berlin Airlift. Cargo planes must have:
One of the first planes what built to these specifications was the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, the ultimate giant cargo plane--second in size only to the colossal Russian Antonov An-124, which is used mostly as a commercial plane. The Galaxy has room enough for two lanes of traffic and can carry 16 trucks, more than 24 compact cars, two Abrams tanks, six Apache helicopters, or 10 Pershing missiles. During the Gulf War in 1991, three-quarters of the cargo and a third of the personnel sent to the region were delivered on either C-5s or C-141 Starlifters. In the first 21 days, the C-5s alone carried a tonnage equivalent to what was carried during the entire Berlin Airlift. The effort was so massive one pilot said, "You could have walked across the Mediterranean on the wings of C-5s, C-141s, and the commercial aircraft moving across the region." And within the region, C-131s moved cargo and personnel. The airlift operations were essential and repeated when the action was over, in bringing everyone and everything home. Since the Gulf War, Air Mobility Command (result of merge the Military Air Transport Service with Strategic Air Command's refueling operations in 1992 to form Air Mobility Command - AMC) has provided humanitarian aid around the world, including to Bosnia during the Balkan War. AMC C-17 Globemasters carried the first Marines into combat in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom in autumn 2001. The transport planes of AMC give America a global presence, both as a military power and a humanitarian helper. Air Transport Categories a. Strategic Air Transport b. Tactical Air Transport Types of Air Transport Operations Within these categories, air transport aircraft can perform the following types of operations: a. Air Logistic Operations b. Airborne operations c. Aeromedical and Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) d. Special Air Operations (SAO) Air Transport operations during CRO AT operations will always be a fundamental part of CRO. They offer a high profile demonstration of political commitment that attracts significant media attention. Strategic AT can quickly move large numbers of Allied troops and quantities of equipment into a crisis area. AT can also act as a tool for building trust and confidence. It has an important role to play in the movement of the key players in crisis, whether they are belligerents or their representatives, mediators, observers, members of aid agencies or other NGOs, security or inter-positional forces, or the media. It can also be used to bring medical, engineering or other expertise and "enabling elements" to a particular area in need of relief or support. AT assets are particularly vulnerable. Threats may include sabotage, small arms, mortars and artillery to aircraft on the ground, and automatic weapons, Man Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) and SAMs to aircraft in flight. The necessity for self-defense aids will be dependent upon the theatre environment. Minimum time on the ground through the use of integral freight handling systems, short field performance to increase available landing sites and reduce vulnerability during approach and departure, and ability to operate at night and in poor weather, will all help to reduce vulnerability. Overview of CRO CRO focus on deterring war and promoting peace. CRO embrace Peace Support Operations (PSO) which specifically are concerned with the promotion of national reconciliation and the re-establishment of effective government following the collapse of state institutions. It is the impartial nature of PSO that makes them different from other military operations. CRO are more sensitive to political considerations because the operational level military activities often will be directly in support of political objectives. It is essential that NATO personnel involved in CRO should understand the political objectives and the potential impact of inappropriate military actions. The role of Air Transport Operations in the support of Crisis Respond Operations - CRO The Airlift power bears all those capacities which enables the Air Force to gradually spread its operations, considering the situation, with the support of CRO. These days, when there is no major crisis around the World, the tasks of the Air Force has the same importance than in war time. The flexibility of Air Force provides advantages during the time when the political alignment is not reliable enough and its timeframe and popularity is untrustworthy. CRO tasks CRO activities encompass a broad range of military operations and support a variety of purposes including supporting national objectives, deterring war, supporting PSO, maintaining national influence and supporting the civil power. These objectives are achieved by providing military forces to accomplish a wide range of missions, military operations other than warfighting (MOOTW). CRO tasks can take place in peace through conflict to post-conflict. Air operations will sometimes play a key role. NATO forces may undertake the following tasks: Conclusion Air transport aircrafts and crews have achieved such respect and honour with their active participation in several successful warfare and local crisis respond operations, that should be considered by all military planners of present and future operations if they want to carry out successful land and air operations. Finally, let me recall former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who once said that "transport is the stem of the rose." It may not be beautiful, but it supports and provides sustenance to the blossom.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Notes / Jegyzetek: |
Air transport provides a military commander with the capability to deploy, employ and re-deploy forces and equipment quickly and over considerable distances, sustain those forces and support effective application of their military effort. The inherent speed, range and flexibility of air transport make it ideally suitable for operations beyond NATO's area of responsibility including those of a humanitarian nature. Airlift operations are not supposed to be as exciting as to give a great idea for a Hollywood movie director to make a bestseller but airlift operations, and the planes that support them, are essential to the successful outcome of modern war. Without transport planes delivering soldiers, weapons, trucks, food, fuel, communications equipment, and many other things to a war theater, a military's ability to fight anywhere on Earth is compromised.
© ZMNE BJKMK 2007