New challenges for paratroopers

Airborne operations in high intensity warfare: A necessary revolution.

Historical example: Operation Overlord

History has bequeathed us some striking examples of high-intensity airborne operations, including Operation Overlord during the Second World War. The objective was clear: deploy as many soldiers as possible in record time to achieve crucial strategic objectives. However, in the current era, the idea of dropping a mass of paratroopers from large aircraft into airspace saturated with radars detecting aircraft at 500 km and anti-aircraft systems represents a major technological challenge.

The Limits of Large Aircraft in Low-Tech, Low-Intensity Warfare

The use of wide-body aircraft can be effective against an enemy with limited technology in low-intensity warfare, whatever the method employed (HAHO, HALO, SL ). However, the real question arises when it comes to carrying out a high-intensity airborne operation, i.e. in hostile, non-permissive airspace.

High-Intensity airborne operations: technology, technicity and mass

When considering high-intensity airborne operations, three key factors emerge: technology, technicality and mass.

Mass: 10 Twin Engines are better than one Big Carrier

In a hostile environment, it's better to deploy a fleet of ten twin-engined aircraft equipped with their own defense systems than a single jumbo jet. A single missile can disable a Hercules, resulting in the loss of 60 soldiers. On the other hand, with ten twin-engined aircraft, you would lose only ten men, thus preserving your precious budgetary resources, your wide-body aircraft and, above all, your pilots. The use of numerous small aircraft also reduces overall costs, while overwhelming enemy air defences.

To carry out a successful high-intensity airborne operation, it's essential to adopt diversionary tactics and use your entire arsenal, including armor and artillery. In large-scale airborne operations, fighter support can also be essential.

Low footprint high intensity airborne operations

High-intensity, low-footprint airborne operations are based on a fundamental principle: the smaller you are, the less detectable you are. In this approach, the use of several small aircraft becomes essential. Each of these aircraft carries a team of paratroopers trained to perform HAHO jumps, enabling silent infiltration over several kilometers, while minimizing the probability of detection.

This tactic gains in discretion by hovering over the last few kilometers before dropping, thus avoiding sound detection. In addition, flying at low altitude can also be considered to avoid radar detection or antiaircraft systems, and thus carry out automatic parachute drops. To complete this approach, strategic diversions can be set up to divert the enemy's attention.

The use of cutting-edge technologies and precise training of soldiers are key to the success of this operation. The combination of these factors - discretion, cutting-edge technology and the know-how of our men in the field - will make all the difference in carrying out complex, high-risk missions.

To put your hypotheses into practice, it's essential to test them in real-life situations, by gathering feedback or practicing intensively using all available resources, as if you were facing a high-level opponent. This provides useful conclusions and lessons learned. No army trains its paratroopers by exposing them directly to large-scale airborne operations, with enemy anti-aircraft systems, fighter aircraft and real constraints, in order to develop procedures and skills suited to high-intensity warfare. Bold innovation is encouraged here.

Conclusion

it is essential to maintain basic airborne skills even when facing a technologically inferior enemy. What's more, maintaining these skills is crucial to the rapid deployment of large numbers of troops to an already occupied area. It is equally important to promote innovation, impose constraints and test new procedures. These efforts could eventually lead to a successful airborne operation in a high-intensity context in the future.