Thirteenth European Rotorcraft Forum
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THIRTEENTH EUROPEAN ROTORCRAFT FORUM g2 Paper No. 23 EVOLUTION OF THE LAND FORCES AIRMOBILITY CONCEPT EI~IDIO VALENTE Colonel, Italian Army (Ret d) AGUSTA, ITALY September 8-11, 1987 ARLES, FRANCE ASSOCIATION AERONAUTIQUE. ET ASTRONAUTIQUE DE FRANCE EVOLUTION OF THE LAND FORCES AIRMOBILITY CONCEPT Emidio Valente Colonel, Italian Army (Retd) AGUSTA, ITALY A 8 S T R A C T PREMISE This p~per can be considered the continuation of that one presented last year at the 12° Forum on "European helicopters for NATO theater'', where a glint was given to the approach of the convertiplane as a new aerial ve hicle able to meeting new operational requirements. - Deeper considerations are here exposed about the milita ry employments of the convertiplane, mainly within the Land Forces airmobility concept. THE AIRI~OBILITY \'IHA T ? The airmobility is the capability of a modern Army to employ its own aircraft for performing by air essential duties not otherwise performable using other air or ground vehicles, or with new parameters in terms of speed, range, flexibility. The essential functions: transport,information support, protection, fire support. 1'/HY ? Airmobility as force multiplier factor. Very ofte·n, the only possible solution of the logistic problem. The only suitable countermeasure to the enemy airmobi lit y. H0\1 ? The Army Aviation is the appropriate organization for translating into the reality the airmobility concept. The Army Aviation is the complex of personnel, means and logistic structure necessary for performing the as signed duties. MEANS FOR AIRMOBILITY Aeroplanes and helicopters: the use of light fixed wing aircraft was the first approach to the airmobility concept; mainly in terms of artillery service and liai son. But the helicopter soon demonstrated to be the only possible answer to the requirements when the con cept expanded to other possible roles and functions. Joint evolution of helicopter capabilities and users 1 requirements. Helicopter limitations. Present situation and tendencies in NATO and WP environ men t. ANOTHER EVOLUTION OF THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS New strategic situation. New threats. Different operational scenarios. Land Forces need improved operational capability in terms of flexibility, quick reaction and long range in tervention. MEETING THE NEW REQUIREMENTS IN AIRMOBILE TERMS The aircraft should maintain the basic capability of vertically taking-off and landing and of operating in hovering flight but together with more speed, more ra~ ge, more manoeuverability. Possible solutions: .jet lift, combination of fixed-wing and rotary-wing performance. The tilt-rotor convertiplane. Different fields of application. MILITARY EMPLOYMENT OF THE CONVERTIPLANE All Services will receive substantial benefits from the use of convertiplanes. Naval missions, Air Force missions. Army missions. HELICOPTERS AND CONVERTIPLANES IN THE NINETIES The role of the helicopters and the convertiplanes in the Land Forces environment. The current programs and the European perspectives. Coordination between civil and military exigencies. EVOLUTION OF THE LAND FORCES AIRMOBILITY CONCEPT Emidio Valente Co lone 1, Italian Army ( Retd) /----/ PREMISE - At last Rotorcraft Forum in Garmish, I presented a paper on ''European Helicopters for NATO Theater'' where I touched the subiect of the convertiplane as another pos sible field for cooperation in the rotorcraft sector. - Today I wish to enlarge this argument, again from an European point of view and mainly in the optics of the military employment of this aircraft within the land forces environment. However my examination will also include some aspects of the use of the tilt-rotor by other Services and by civil operators. I realize that my paper does not contain new tt]ings ·technically and operationally speaking; never the less I hope that stressing new solutions and possibilities for improving the operational effectiveness of the European NATO forces into the aeronautical field, there could arise new options both from military and industrial si de. Another purpose of this paper is the attempt to put in a real and balanced perspective the alternate aerial means for the land forces airmobility in order to avoid two possible negative consequences from the appearance at the horizon of a new and advanced rotorcraft: - or the underestimation of. the new possibilities offer ed by the new machines; - or the understimation of the present generation rot.or craft, posponing reinfrircement and improvement pr£ grams that are necessary and possible since today. - It is a matter of fact that the time is rapidly approa ching that new configuration rotorcraft will be availa ble for both civil and military uses. After many years of studies, experiences and tests on how to improve on the phisical and inherent limitations 6f the conventional helicopter whilst retaining its typi cal and unrenounceable performance for vetical take-off- 9.2-1 and landing and hovering, we have under our eyes the rea lity of the already tested formula of a tilt-rotor con vertiplane. In fact, following the experimental XV-15 BELL aircraft, the on-going program launched by the U .5. Defense for the V-22 convertiplane, demonstrates confidence that such an aircraft will allow a substantial improvement in the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces,whilst the Aeronautical Industries envisage also a practical and convenient employment for civil uses. - Moving from this concrete fact, my exposition will pr:?_ ceed along the following points: the airmobility: its operational meaning, its necessi ty, how it can be implemented; means for airmobility: the present situation and the new perspectives; evolution of the military requirements; how new requirements can be met; the military employment of the convertiplane; how helicopters and convertiplanes will be coexisting in the nineties and beyond. THE-LAND FORCES AIRMOBILITY WHAT ? The airmobility is the capability of a Modern Army to employ its own aircraft for performing by Air essential duties not otherwise performable using conventional sur face and aerial vehicles. Today the Airmobility is no more, as in the past, a complementary capability of Ground Forces, but has the same level of importance of the other capabilities provi ded by traditional vehicles and armament systems. - A modern Army without the direct control - in terms of organization, management and employment of the air craft, would suffer serious limitations in performing its roles. - I want only list the range of the tactical employment of the land forces aircraft: - command, control and liaison; aerial reconnaisance and security; - aerial resupply; 9.2-2 - aeromedical evacuation; - movement of troops and equipment; - fire support against point and area, hard and soft tar gets. - Furthermore, the Airmobility allows the Ground Forces to give an increased contribution on peace time to national problems as natural disasters, integrating the State planning and organization. In this frame, the inevitable high cost for implementing the Airmobile concept, becomes an useful investment that would be easily accepted by the public opinion which is generally against the continuous growth of the military budgets. Tactically the availability of a modern Army Aviation allows Ground Commanders to extend the operational cap~ bility implementing the classic war principles: '' maneuver, mass, surprise''. In fact, thanks to the capability to rapidly deploy troops and supplies, it is possible to move ground units according to the situation (maneuver), to regroupe them, at the right place and on the right time, for obtaining the requested strength level (mass) and to attack the enemy from unespected directions (surprise). WHY ? - Airmobility is a luxury or a high priority exigency~ - I think and hope that it is no more necessary to demo~ strate that a modern Army is incoceivable without ade quate airmobile potential not because it is an attrac ting aspect of the Armed Forces modernization, but for a series of good reasons. First of all, taking into account that the warring su periority of the enemy forces shows now a tremendous airmobile potential in terms of helitransport and heli combat in different forms, anuling the only present superiority of the conventional forces from NATO side. But there are other not negligible aspects of the importance of the Airmobility such as: Airmobility as force multiplier factor Airmobility as the only possible solution of the logistic problems. The continuos growth of the cost for maintaing the Ar med Forces and the General reluctance against the milT tary expenditures, make very difficult, if not impossT ble, to combine the operational effectiveness of the Ground Forces - in quality terms - with the quantity 9.2-3 level necessary for facing the potential threats. The Airmobility can provide a solution. In fact some highly specialized units particularly equipped and trained, provided with aerial vehicles, could repre sent very precious reserves to be employed for perfor ming assault operations or for reestablishing the sT tuation, should the enemy pressure cause breakthroughs in the defensive lines. Furthermore, an airmobile fire support, mainly with antitank capabilities, would integrate or replace the surface armament systems when they are not sufficient or not available in critical situations. Many negative factors could hamper or disturb the more accurate logistic planning. Enemy interventions against supply lines, refugies crowding the roads, units dispersion, increased distan ces due