Aerial Delivery June 2014 - BITS

1 ATP 4-48 Aerial Delivery june 2014 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Headquarters, Department of the Army This publication is available at Army Knowledge Online ( ). To receive publishing updates, please subscribe at *ATP 4-48(FM )Distribution Restriction: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. *This publication supersedes FM , dated 29 August Army Techniques Publication No. 4-48 Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC, 23 june 2014 Aerial Delivery Contents Page INTRODUCTION ..iv Chapter 1 Aerial Delivery .. 1-1 Aerial Delivery Support to Sustainment Operations .. 1-1 Theater Distribution .. 1-2 Chapter 2 2-1 Airland Techniques .. 2-1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Airland.

2 2-3 Airland Safety .. 2-3 Airland Equipment Retrograde .. 2-6 Chapter 3 AIRDROP .. 3-1 Airdrop Techniques .. 3-1 Types and Methods of Airdrop .. 3-4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Airdrop .. 3-9 Airdrop Safety .. 3-10 Airdrop Equipment Recovery and Retrograde .. 3-10 Chapter 4 SLING-LOAD .. 4-1 Sling-Load Techniques .. 4-1 Classifications of Loads and Methods of Sling-loading .. 4-3 Advantages and Disadvantages of Sling-Load .. 4-5 Sling-Load Safety .. 4-6 Sling-Load Equipment Retrograde .. 4-6 Chapter 5 Aerial Delivery ORGANIZATIONS .. 5-1 Army Specific Aerial Delivery Organizations .. 5-1 Special Operations Force Support .. 5-3 Joint, Multiservice, and Multinational Support .. 5-4 Security .. 5-6 Contents ii ATP 4-48 23 june 2014 GLOSSARY .. Glossary-1 REFERENCES.

3 References-1 INDEX .. Index-1 Figures Figure 2-1. Fixed-wing aircraft circle of safety .. 2-4 Figure 2-2. UH-60 rotary-wing aircraft circle of safety .. 2-5 Figure 2-3. CH-47 rotary-wing aircraft circle of safety .. 2-5 Figure 3-1. Free drop from a rotary-wing aircraft .. 3-4 Figure 3-2. Bundle at the door of aircraft.. 3-5 Figure 3-3. Parachute extraction .. 3-6 Figure 3-4. C-17 airdrop using the gravity airdrop method .. 3-6 Figure 3-5. Joint precision airdrop system (JPADS) .. 3-8 Figure 3-6. Low cost low altitude airdrop .. 3-9 Figure 4-1. A CH-47 prepares to lift a dual point load .. 4-5 Figure 5-1. Aerial Delivery support company table of organization and equipment (TOE) 10380R000 .. 5-2 Figure 5-2. Theater Aerial Delivery company TOE 10649R000.

4 5-3 Figure 5-3. Contract rotary-wing aircraft conducting a sling-load operation .. 5-5 23 june 2014 ATP 4-48 iii Preface Army techniques publication (ATP) 4-48, Aerial Delivery , provides documentation of current Aerial Delivery doctrine and addresses Aerial Delivery distribution as it applies to the overall Army distribution system. Aerial Delivery amplifies the flexibility, agility, and force multiplier potential within the Army distribution system. The principal audience for ATP 4-48 is all members of the profession of arms. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this publication.

5 Commanders, staffs, and subordinates ensure that their decisions and actions comply with applicable United States, international, and in some cases, host-nation laws and regulations. Commanders at all levels ensure that their Soldiers operate in accordance with the law of war and the rules of engagement. (See field manual [FM] 27-10). ATP 4-48 uses joint terms where applicable. Selected joint and Army terms and definitions appear in both the glossary and the text. Terms for which ATP 4-48 is the proponent publication (the authority) are italicized in the text and marked with an asterisk (*) in the glossary. Terms and definitions for which ATP 4-48 is the proponent publication are boldfaced in the text. For other definitions shown in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent publication follows the definition.

6 ATP 4-48 applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated. Unless this ATP states otherwise, masculine nouns and pronouns do not refer exclusively to men. The proponent of ATP 4-48 is the United States Army Quartermaster School. The preparing agency is the United States Army CASCOM G-3 Training and Doctrine Development Directorate. Send comments and recommendations on Department of the Army (DA) Form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) to Commander, United States Army Combined Arms Support Command, ATTN: ATCL-TS, Fort Lee, Virginia 23801 or submit an electronic DA Form 2028 by e-mail to: iv ATP 4-48 23 june 2014 Introduction Army techniques publication (ATP) 4-48, Aerial Delivery , is the Army s manual for Aerial Delivery .

7 Its purpose is to provide guidance on Aerial Delivery . It defines Aerial Delivery ; describes the planning, preparation, execution process; and identifies responsibilities in the conduct of Aerial Delivery . The intent is to provide commanders and staffs with a common understanding of the abilities and limitations of Aerial Delivery . ATP 4-48 remains generally consistent with FM , Aerial Delivery Distribution in the Theater of Operations, however, significant changes were made to the organization of the information. Change 1 adds key personnel and their responsibilities. Change 2, all data related to each method of Aerial Delivery is grouped together with the exception of physical security and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosives (CBRNE).

8 Change 3, all Aerial Delivery formations were updated. Finally, Change 4, the work excludes all experimental and proposed equipment. ATP 4-48 contains five chapters: Chapter 1 includes the role of Aerial Delivery support to sustainment operations and theater distribution. The chapter examines the advantages that Aerial Delivery offers in sustainment and distribution operations. It provides an overview of Aerial Delivery support specific to Special Forces and defense support to civil authorities. It discusses Aerial Delivery in theater opening and ongoing theater distribution operations. Chapter 2 discusses air landing as an Aerial Delivery method. The chapter identifies airland techniques to include planning factors, aircraft considerations and responsibilities. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this method of Aerial Delivery .

9 Lastly it examines safety factors and equipment retrograde. Chapter 3 discusses airdrop as an Aerial Delivery method. The chapter identifies air drop techniques to include planning and responsibilities. It discusses the types and methods of air drop. The chapter also identifies the advantages and disadvantages of air drop. Lastly, it examines safety factors and equipment retrograde. Chapter 4 discusses sling-loading as an Aerial Delivery method. The chapter identifies sling-load techniques to include planning, responsibilities and rotary-wing aircraft considerations. It also examines the classification of loads and the methods of sling-loading. The chapter identifies advantages and disadvantages of sling-loading. Finally, it examines safety factors and equipment retrograde.

10 Chapter 5 provides an overview of Army Aerial Delivery units. It also identifies Aerial Delivery capabilities in the United States ( ) Navy, Marine and Air Force (USAF). In addition the chapter discusses multinational and contract Aerial Delivery support. 23 june 2014 ATP 4-48 1-1 Chapter 1 Aerial Delivery This chapter examines Aerial Delivery as an aspect of sustainment operation and theater distribution. Aerial Delivery distribution provides an efficient and effective means of conducting distribution operations. In order for Aerial Delivery to be effective, friendly forces must control the airspace in the area of operations and enemy ground-based air defenses must be neutralized. Aerial Delivery includes airland, airdrop, and sling-load operations.