• Dutch: luchtbrug
• Finnish: ilmasilta
• French: pont aérien
• Swedish: luftbro

• Dutch: luchtbrug
• Finnish: ilmasilta
• French: pont aérien
• Swedish: luftbro

• flagicon United States Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
• flagicon Russia Ilyushin Il-76
• flagicon United States Lockheed C-141 Starlifter
• flagicon United States 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.

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.

Tactical airlift

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.

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.

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.

Examples of tactical airlifters include:

• flagicon European Union/flagicon Turkey Airbus A400M
• flagicon Soviet Union/flagicon Ukraine Antonov An-12 'Cub'
• flagicon Soviet Union/flagicon Ukraine Antonov Antonov An-70
• flagicon Spain/flagicon Indonesia CASA CN-235
• flagicon United States/flagicon Italy Lockheed Martin/Alenia C-27 Spartan
• flagicon United States Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules
• flagicon Germany/flagicon France Transall C-160

Note: The Airbus Military A400M, a tactical airlifter, blurs 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.

Performance comparison

See also

• Airbridge
• Air cargo
• Distance in military affairs
• Power projection
• Sealift

References

aeroplane, air express, airfreight, airplane, asportation, balloon, be airborne, bearing, carriage, carry, carrying, cartage, conveyance, cruise, drayage, drift, expressage, ferriage, ferry, flight, flit, fly, freight, freightage, glide, haulage, hauling, hop, hover, hydroplane, jet, jump, lighterage, lugging, navigate, packing, portage, porterage, railway express, run, sail, sailplane, seaplane, shipment, shipping, soar, solo, take the air, take wing, telpherage, test flight, toting, transport, transportation, transshipment, trip, truckage, volplane, waft, waftage, wagonage, wing