So from 2013-2015, Russia will provide 10 second-hand IL-76MD's to China while also providing maintenance to some IL-76MD's already in PLAAF service.
China's transport, tanker & heavy lift aircraft
- Thread starter Totoro
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So from 2013-2015, Russia will provide 10 second-hand IL-76MD's to China while also providing maintenance to some IL-76MD's already in PLAAF service.
I really don't know how often MBTs are transported by aircraft, but the 747 we recently lost in Afghanistan illustrates that flying heavy equipment/cargo is risky, and not really something you want to have to do, but it is sometimes the only way.
vesicles
Colonel
Where does it say "second-hand"? I don't see it in the Chinese version provided by Deino above...
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that's the point - may be I'm exaggerating, but every flight of C-17 with Abrams is dealt with like another space flight
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Firstly Afghanistan has seen little use of tanks due to the terrain but in 2011 for the first time US sent in a company of 14 M1 Abrams all air lifted using C-17 Globemaster, for Iraq they shifted a lot of tanks by sea
C-17 was deigned to take such a vehicle so it is not a issue, but the load masters and the planning that goes onto lifting a M1 is a lot
China will know soon enough how difficult it is when they start shifting tanks by air during excercises
I'd say you are correct, but the USAF flies the wings off the C-130,(literally), the C-17, and to lesser extent the C-5, Airlift is job one, and they are good at it. brat
kwaigonegin
Colonel
Asif is right.. to answer you question the percentage is very small especially if you count the percentage based on MBTs being move or deployed. I think the MBT thing is more of a benchmark then anything else. In an actual war tanks would obviously be going by ships. Even in rapid deployment force usually it would be wheeled APCs like Strykers that would go airborne not MBT's.
not to mention very expensive. a Y-20 type transport can carry only one MBT. only the US army can use this method in a large scale.
Rowing_Ming
New Member
Actually, airlifting a capable fighting force also depend largely on the organisational structure of such force. Airlifting an entire armored division with a structure similar that what we would see in the Cold War will be extremely difficult. But on the other, some countries started to develop new organisational structure to meet new need.
The US Army current structure of Brigade Combat Team could be a good exemple. The BCT are designed to be easily deployable yet autonomous and powerful enough to be a good fighting force. Of course, the main reason for the BCT Program was to reform combat unit to tailor a more network and information-based warfare, but it was also enhanced transportability. I forgot the numbers, but I think that the target was for an Infantry BCT to be deployed anywhere in the world in less than 48 hours, 96 for the Stryker BCT and 120 hours for the Armoured BCT
The US Army current structure of Brigade Combat Team could be a good exemple. The BCT are designed to be easily deployable yet autonomous and powerful enough to be a good fighting force. Of course, the main reason for the BCT Program was to reform combat unit to tailor a more network and information-based warfare, but it was also enhanced transportability. I forgot the numbers, but I think that the target was for an Infantry BCT to be deployed anywhere in the world in less than 48 hours, 96 for the Stryker BCT and 120 hours for the Armoured BCT