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Enhanced Army Airborne Forces

A New Joint Operational Capability

John Gordon IV, Agnes Gereben Schaefer, David A. Shlapak, Caroline Baxter, Scott Boston, Michael McGee, Todd Nichols, Elizabeth Tencza

COR PORAT ION

ARROYO CENTER

Enhanced Army Airborne Forces

A New Joint Operational Capability

John Gordon IV, Agnes Gereben Schaefer, David A. Shlapak, Caroline Baxter, Scott Boston, Michael McGee, Todd Nichols, Elizabeth Tencza

Prepared for the United States Army

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data-2004012115 ISBN: 978-0-8330-8216-9

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Preface

This report was written as part of a project entitled "Joint Operational Concepts for an Uncertain Future." The focus of the research became an effort to assess the challenges that U.S. Army airborne forces may face in the future and identify capabilities airborne forces will need to effectively address those challenges. This report summarizes threats to the current U.S. airborne force and explores the concept of an airborne light armored infantry force as a possible means to mitigate those threats. Additionally, the report examines possible vehicle options for such a concept, as well as joint requirements that the concept might generate, particularly in terms of the amount of airlift that an Army airborne unit with an increased number of vehicles could require. The research also examines potential uses for such an airborne light armored infantry force, advantages and disadvantages of the new concept, and issues related to implementation. Importantly, the research focused on near-term options (the next three to five years) to improve the capabilities of today's airborne forces.

This research was sponsored by the U.S. Army's Director of Concepts and Learning, Army Capabilities Integration Center, Training and Doctrine Command Headquarters, and was conducted in the RAND Arroyo Center's Strategy and Resources Program. RAND Arroyo Center, part of the RAND Corporation, is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the United States Army.

The Project Unique Identification Code (PUIC) for the project that produced this document is RAN126151.

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Contents

Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii Abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxv

Chapter One

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter Two

Overview of the Current Airborne Force.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Historical Utilization of the Airborne Force.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Operation Just Cause. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Operation Desert Shield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Operation Uphold Democracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Operation Iraqi Freedom.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Recent Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Review of Current Airborne Force Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Strengths and Weaknesses of Today's Airborne Force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Chapter Three

Threats to Today's Airborne Forces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Improved Air Defenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Medium-/High-Altitude Defenses.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Low-Altitude Defenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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