Re: Dropships vs. Dropcaps

--- Robert Minadeo <raminad@earthlink.net> wrote:

> When exactly was the last major parachute operation?
> and why?

1989, because the operation was launched from the US
which is WAY the hell out of the operation reach of
any VTOL aircraft that I am aware of, in addition to
the minor factor of the speed of those helicoptors
being such that it would take way the hell to long to
get to Panama.	You can only stuff troops into a
chopper for so long.

> The advent of VTOL aircraft pretty much nailed the
> coffin shut on major para
> drops. Special operations is another matter.

1956 by French and Brits, one or two in Vietnam by the
173rd Abn BDE, some batallion-sized drops by the
French during their interventions in West Africa,
Grenada (about a brigade's worth of troops total),
Panama.  Oh, and the Sovs dropped some guys all over
Afghanistan, including a regiment on the Presidential
Palace (which was the worst-run decapitation operation
in the history of the universe.  Could have been
handled by a platoon of _good_ operators).
 
> It's easy enough to envision our descendents
> forgetting the lessons of the
> past and thinking,"gee it would be really neat to
> find a cheap way to drop
> lots of troops. We can always pick them up after the
> battle is over..." But
> that still differs from the WWII era when there was
> no practical way to pick
> them up until the battle was over.

If you would like to exfiltrate under fire on a
chopper, please go ahead.  I won't stand in your way.

I just don't plan on volunteering to go.

John

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