Antonov An-124 loading a container for the Dutch military

A large military cargo aircraft: the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III

An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies primarily via aircraft. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1067, 357 KB) Summary Container being lifted into the belly of an Antonov An-124. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1067, 357 KB) Summary Container being lifted into the belly of an Antonov An-124. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2200x1516, 428 KB) Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (code 03-3123) taxying to the take off point at the Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2200x1516, 428 KB) Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (code 03-3123) taxying to the take off point at the Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England. ... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

There are two types of military airlift, strategic and tactical. Strategic airlift involves greater distances than tactical airlift, which often focuses on precision deployment into remote areas.

Depending on the situation, airlifted supplies can be delivered by a variety of means. When the destination and surrounding airspace is considered secure, the aircraft will land at an appropriate airport or airbase to have its cargo unloaded on the ground. When landing the craft, or distributing the supplies to a certain area from a landing zone by surface transportation is not an option, the cargo aircraft can drop them in mid-flight using parachutes attached to the supply containers in question. When there is a broad area available where the intended receivers have control without fear of the enemy interfering with collection and/or stealing the goods, the planes can maintain a normal flight altitude and simply drop the supplies down and let them parachute to the ground. However, when the area is too small for this method, as with an isolated base, and/or is too dangerous to land in, a Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System drop is used. Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a particular country on top of its territory and territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. ... An Airbase, sometimes referred to as a military airport or airfield, provides basing and support of military aircraft. ... Parachutes is the debut album by English rock band Coldplay, released on July 10, 2000 in the UK and on November 7 in the U.S., making it the only Coldplay album to have a delayed release in America. ... Altitude is the elevation of an object from a known level or datum. ... Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES) is a tactical military airlift delivery method where a fixed wing cargo aircraft can deposit supplies when landing is not an option in an area that is too small to accurately parachute supplies from a high altitude, . This method was developed by the US...

The worlds first military airlift took place in July 1936. Luftwaffe Ju 52 were used to transport Spanish Falange troops from Spanish Morocco as the Spanish Civil War begun. Airlifts became practical during World War II as aircraft became large and sophisticated enough to handle large cargo demands. The most famous example is the Berlin airlift of 1948-1951 which was an American, French and British mission intended to thwart the blockading of the city of Berlin by the Soviet Union. The Junkers Ju 52 nicknamed Tante Ju (Auntie Ju) and Iron Annie was a civilian airliner and military transport aircraft and bomber manufactured between 1932 and 1945 by Junkers. ... Yoke and Arrows. ... It has been suggested that Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War be merged into this article or section. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Soviet Union blocked Western rail and road access to West Berlin from June 24, 1948 - May 11, 1949. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

Strategic airlift

Strategic airlift is the use of cargo aircraft to transport materiel, weaponry, or personnel over long distances. Typically, this involves airlifting the required items between two airbases which are not in the same vicinity. This allows commanders to bring items into a combat theater from a point on the other side of the planet, if necessary. Aircraft which perform this role are considered strategic airlifters. This contrasts with tactical airlifters, such as the C-130 Hercules and Airbus A400M, which can normally only move supplies within a given theater of operations. A cargo aircraft is an airplane primarily designed and used for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. ... Materiel (from the French for material) is the equipment and supplies in Military and commercial supply chain management. ... A weapon is a tool used to kill or incapacitate a person or animal, or destroy a military target. ... Human Resources has at least two meanings depending on context. ... Commander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... Airbus S.A.S. is the aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS N.V., a pan-European aerospace concern. ... The Airbus A400M is a four-engine turboprop aircraft, designed by Airbus Military to meet the demand of European nations for military airlift. ... In warfare, a theater or theatre is normally used to define a specific geographic area within which armed conflict occurs. ...

Examples of strategic airlifters include:

• / Antonov An-124 'Condor'

• Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
• Ilyushin Il-76 'Candid'
• Lockheed C-141 Starlifter
• Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

The United States has by far the greatest strategic airlift capacity of any nation in the world. Many countries' armed forces possess little or no strategic airlift capacity, preferring to lease from private-sector firms as needed . Alternatively, groups of nations - especially within formal alliances such as NATO - may choose to pool their strategic airlift resources rather than individually duplicating the substantial investment required to purchase and maintain such costly and, in many cases, seldom-used assets. Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ukraine. ... Private Antonov AN-2 in the UK Antonov, aka Antonov Aeronautical Scientific/Technical Complex (Antonov ASTC) (Ukrainian: ) is a Ukraine-based (since 1952) aircraft manufacturing and services company (design office prefix An) with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. ... The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (NATO reporting name: Condor) was the largest aircraft ever mass produced (until production of the Airbus A380), and was, until the advent of the An-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in production. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (Boeing IDS), based in St. ... The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) C-17 Globemaster III is an American strategic airlifter manufactured by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, and operated by the United States Air Force, the British Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Ilyushin (Russian: Илью́шин) is a Russian (formerly Soviet) aircraft manufacturer (design office prefix Il), founded by Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin. ... The Ilyushin Il-76 (NATO reporting name: Candid) is a 4-engined strategic airlifter designed in the Soviet Union and in widespread use in eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ... C-141 Starlifter A C-141 Starlifter leaves a vapor trail over Antarctica // The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a military strategic airlifter in service with the United States Air Force. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ... The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ...

That being said, with present technology it is impossible even for the United States to shift a substantial mechanised force, particularly tanks, by air. This difficulty has prompted investment from the US military in lighter armoured fighting vehicles (such as the Stryker), as well as some preliminary research into alternative airlift technologies such as ekranoplan-style planes and airships. The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled all wheel drive (AWD) armored combat vehicles (ACVs) produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in current use by the US Army. ... An ekranoplan (Russian: , literally screen plane) is a vehicle resembling an aircraft but that operates solely on the principle of ground effect (in Russian эффект экрана effekt ekrana - from which the name derived). ... USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...

Tactical airlift

CH-47 Chinook demonstrating airlift capabilities

Tactical airlift is a military term for the airborne transportation of supplies and equipment within a theatre of operations (in contrast to strategic airlift). Aircraft which perform this role are referred to as tactical airlifters. These are typically turboprop aircraft, and feature short landing and take-off distances and low-pressure tyres allowing operations from small or poorly-prepared airstrips. While they lack the speed and range of strategic airlifters (which are typically jet-powered), these capabilities are invaluable within war zones. Larger helicopters such as the CH-47 Chinook and Mil Mi-26 can also be used to airlift men and equipment. Helicopters have the advantage that they do not require a landing strip and that equipment can often be suspended below the aircraft allowing it to be delivered without landing. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1067, 355 KB) Summary A Chinook demonstrating airlift capabilities, photo taken by me in 2005 Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1067, 355 KB) Summary A Chinook demonstrating airlift capabilities, photo taken by me in 2005 Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... In warfare, a theater or theatre is normally used to define a specific geographic area within which armed conflict occurs. ... A schematic diagram showing the operation of a turboprop engine. ... A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. ... The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a versatile, twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. ... The Mil Mi-26 (NATO reporting name Halo) is a Russian/Soviet heavy transport helicopter in service in civilian and military roles. ...

Tactical airlift aircraft are designed to be maneuverable, allowing low-altitude flight to avoid detection by radar and for the airdropping of supplies. Most are fitted with defensive aids systems to protect them from attack by surface-to-air missiles. A C-130 Hercules airdropping a light tank. ... Defensive Aids System (DAS) is a military aircraft system which defends an aeroplane from attack by surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. ... A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ...

The earliest tactical airlift occurred in 1929, in which forty men of the Red Army were airlifted to the town of Garm, Tajikistan (then the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic) to repel an attacking force of basmachi rebels under Fuzail Maksum. Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... In Norse mythology, Garm was a huge dog that guarded Helheim, the land of the dead, living in a cave called Gnipa (Gnipahellir). ... The Basmachi Revolt, or Basmachestvo as it is called in the Russian language, was an uprising against Soviet rule in Central Asia. ...

Examples of tactical airlifters include:

• Airbus A400M
• / Antonov An-12 'Cub'
• / CASA CN-235
• / Lockheed Martin/Alenia C-27 Spartan
• Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules
• / Transall C-160

Note: The Airbus Military A400M, a tactical airlifter, does however blur the line between tactical and strategic transports. Airbus stresses its tactical performance but also its strategic capabilities; higher payload, higher range and higher speed than the Hercules, although not as high as the C-17. The table below demonstrates this status, the A-400 occupying a "middle ground" between the C-130 and the C-17. Image File history File links European_flag. ... Airbus Military SL (Sociedad Limitada) is a subsidiary of Airbus S.A.S. created for the management of the A400M project, taking over from Euroflag. ... The Airbus A400M is a four-engine turboprop aircraft, designed by Airbus Military to meet the demand of European nations for military airlift. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ukraine. ... Private Antonov AN-2 in the UK Antonov, aka Antonov Aeronautical Scientific/Technical Complex (Antonov ASTC) (Ukrainian: ) is a Ukraine-based (since 1952) aircraft manufacturing and services company (design office prefix An) with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. ... The Antonov An-12 (NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Indonesia. ... CASA CN-235M-100 of the Spanish Air Force The CN-235 is a medium-range twin-turbo-prop aircraft developed jointly between CASA in Spain and IPTN in Indonesia as a regional airliner and military transport. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas. ... Alenia Aeronautica Italian aeronautic company Alenia Difesa Italian defense products company Alenia Spazio Italian aerospace company [now called Alcatel Alenia Space] Alenia Marconi Systems or AMS Anglo-Italian electronic company Categories: Disambiguation ... The Alenia G.222 (Alenia originally Aeritalia) is a medium_sized STOL military transport aircraft. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft developed by a consortium of French and German aircraft manufacturers for the air forces of those two nations and that of South Africa. ...

Performance comparison

Aircraft	Role	Max. payload	Range (w/max)	Cruise	Ceiling	Price
/ An-12	Tactical	44,090 lb (20,000 kg)	1,940 nm (3,600 km)	Mach .55	33,000 ft	—
C-130J[1]	Tactical	41,790 lb (18,955 kg)	2,380 nm (4,400 km)	Mach .58	33,000 ft	$ 70m (est.)
A400M	Tactical/strategic	81,500 lb (37,000 kg)	1,800 nm (3,300 km)	Mach .72	37,000 ft	$ 100m (est.)
/ IL-76MF	Strategic/tactical	132,300 lb (60,000 kg)	2,159 nm (4,000 km)	Mach .70	42,700 ft	$ 50m (est.)
C-17	Strategic/tactical	170,900 lb (77,520 kg)	2,400 nm (4,440 km)	Mach .77	45,000 ft	$ 178m
C-5 Galaxy	Strategic	270,000 lb (122,472 kg)	3,257 nm (6,033 km)	Mach .77	34,000 ft	$ 168m
/ An-124	Strategic	330,000 lb (150,000 kg)	2,900 nm (5,400 km)	Mach .65	35,000 ft	$ 150-200m
/ An-225	Strategic	551,000 lb (250,000 kg)	2,159 nm (4,000 km)	Mach .61	33,000 ft	—

In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ukraine. ... The Antonov An-12 (NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft. ... An F/A-18 Hornet breaking the sound barrier. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... Image File history File links European_flag. ... The Airbus A400M is a four-engine turboprop aircraft, designed by Airbus Military to meet the demand of European nations for military airlift. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... The Ilyushin Il-76 (NATO reporting name: Candid) is a 4-engined strategic airlifter designed in the Soviet Union and in widespread use in eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) C-17 Globemaster III is an American strategic airlifter manufactured by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, and operated by the United States Air Force, the British Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ukraine. ... The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (NATO reporting name: Condor) was the largest aircraft ever mass produced (until production of the Airbus A380), and was, until the advent of the An-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in production. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ukraine. ... The An-225 Mriya (Ukrainian: , NATO reporting name: Cossack) is a strategic airlift transport aircraft which was built by Antonov, and is the worlds largest flying airplane ever built by the most commonly accepted measure [1], maximum gross takeoff weight. ...

See also

• Airbridge
• Air cargo
• Power projection
• Sealift

An airbridge is the route and means of delivering material from one place to another by an airlift. ... FedEx DC-10 Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. ... USS , and HMS Illustrious, two aircraft carriers on a joint patrol. ... The USNS Bob Hope, a non-combatant vessel crewed by civilian mariners under the United States Navys Military Sealift Command, is used to preposition tanks, trucks and other wheeled vehicles and supplies needed to support an Army heavy brigade. ...

References