Feral Jundi

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Paracargo: Afghanistan Airdrops Surpass Record Levels In 2011

Filed under: Logistics,Paracargo — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 10:33 PM

“We’re surrounded by mountains — the snow sets in. The helicopter passes are impassible by helicopter and the roads could be clogged up,” Poe said in the report. “Utilizing airdrops with the GPS-guided parachutes allows us that avenue to use in case we can’t get resupplied by helicopters or vehicles by the road, which is a typical case come winter here.”

This is very cool. Logistics is so important to the war effort, and it looks like paracargo is really shining in Afghanistan. I like it because it reduces the amount of convoy operations needed, which then equates to less targets for the enemy on the ground. Attacking logistics is definitely a goal of the enemy, and paracargo is a great way to get around that. Especially when we are using precision guided paracargo systems like the JPADS. –Matt

 

Afghanistan airdrops surpass record levels in 2011
Posted 1/9/2012
by Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
In 2011, mobility Airmen delivering airdrops reached a new annual record with 75,956,235 pounds of cargo delivered. That’s nearly 16 million more pounds delivered than the previous record set in 2010 of 60,400,000.
At more than 75.9 million pounds – that’s the equivalent of standing on a mountain top and watching 553 Army M1 Abrams tanks — or even 11,868 Chevrolet Silverado trucks — floating down from the sky with parachutes to a landing zone.
The record number, as recorded by Air Forces Central’s Combined Air Operations Center at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia, is also larger than the total number of pounds delivered in Afghanistan by airdrop from 2006 to 2009 which combined is 60,525,969 pounds.
On average mobility Airmen airdropped 6,329,686 pounds of cargo each month in 2011. Mobility Airmen completing the airdrops flew C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from various deployed bases. They also completed the airdrops in various forms – from the the use of the traditional Container Delivery System, or CDS, bundles to the Joint Precision Airdrop System, or JPADS.

(more…)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Paracargo: New Uses For UAV’s–The K-MAX Dropping LCLA Or JPADS Paracargo

Filed under: Aviation,Paracargo,PMC 2.0 — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 3:12 AM

     This is cool.  To be able to drop paracargo like this, would be a very interesting capability, and especially dropping JPADS.  The K-MAX is such a work horse as well, and can totally handle high elevations a lot better than others in it’s class.  So for unmanned cargo missions, this might be the helicopter/UAV we will see more of in the near future.

     Some other interesting uses for this helicopter, would be SPIE operations or moving around people with a long line. Although that would probably be for only special incidents where survival would depend on having a means of getting out of a spot quickly (medevacs, attacks, etc.), and manned helicopters are not available.  Weaponizing it would be cool too, and to have a dual use helicopter UAV for anything that pops up would be a nice little tool to have in the battlefield tool kit for a commander.

     Having a robotic cargo hauler like this, will probably inspire many innovative uses for the thing as troops utilize it on the battlefield.  Especially if they could harden up this bird a little to give it some more combat survivability. Kind of like the A 10 Warthog of UAV helicopters.  Interesting stuff. –Matt

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K-Max Drops ‘Em in Cargo Demo

by Graham Warwick

5/5/2010

No sign yet of an RFP from the US Navy for umanned cargo resupply of Marine Corps units in Afghanistan, but team-mates Lockheed Martin and Kaman continue to develop the capability of their unmanned version of the K-Max external-lift helicopter. In late April, they demonstrated the ability to airdrop supplies, which would improve the helicopter’s survivability in combat zones.

The 11 drop tests from 300-400ft altitude used the US Army’s LCLA low-cost low-altitude parachute, a one-time-use aerodynamic decelerator that costs just $375 and can be used with loads up to 600lb, the team says. Loads were dropped from the K-Max’s four-hook carousel. Kaman says future tests could include the JPADS precision airdrop system, a GPS-guided steerable parachute that would allow loads to be dropped from higher altitudes and take advantage of the K-Max’s ability to lift 4,300lb to 15,000ft.

The airdrop tests were conducted with a safety pilot on board, but the K-Max operated unmanned during a cargo resupply demonstration for the Marine Corps earlier this year. Boeing’s A160T Hummingbird unmanned helicopter participated. Both teams are now waiting for an RFP from the Navy. Inside Defense, meanwhile, is reporting the Army is pushing for an unmanned cargo demonstration.

Story here.

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