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The Engineer Regiment and the airborne community at large need to recognize the infeasibility of roughterrain airborne operations and remove that niche capability from the Army arsenal. Although the capability appears realistic at first glance, detailed planning reveals a myriad of problems. Weight limitations restrict paratroopers from carrying the required loads to clear wooded areas to receive aerial deliveries of equipment, supplies, and personnel and to construct helicopter landing and pickup zones. This article constructs a reasonable scenario to illustrate the impracticality of rough-terrain airborne operations.
An operation order for a theoretical operation directs an engineer company to create a helicopter landing zone capable of receiving at least one CH-47 Chinook helicopter in a hostile environment. Possible enemy operations in the area require paratroopers to carry weapons and a basic load of ammunition. The terrain and climate are similar to the coastal region of the Pacific Northwest. The wooded area is void of usable landing zones. The full-strength company is inserted via an airborne operation supported by U.S. Air Force fixed-wing aircraft. During troop leading procedures, the company commander decides that external demolition charges are the most effective and efficient means to reduce the standing trees. Chainsaws are available to the company, but the paratroopers cannot carry additional fuel due to safety concerns. The commander chooses to use C4 blocks as the base charge to construct the external charges. Each charge will use 10 feet of detonation cord and M11 blasting caps.
The mission is to construct a fully capable landing zone. When helicopter landing zones are bordered by tall obstacles such as trees, power lines, or steep mountains, the approach and departure ends need an obstacle ratio of 10-to-L1 This means that for every foot in height of an obstacle, a helicopter requires a horizontal clearance of 10 feet for safe operation. The trees in the area have an average height of 55 feet. Helicopter operations...