What Aircraft Does the Army Fly?
The United States Army uses a variety of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft to carry out its various mission sets. From transports to helicopters, the Army relies on its fleet of aircraft to move troops, cargo, and equipment both in combat and in non-combat situations. Here we will explore the types of aircraft used by the US Army and their different capabilities.
Fixed-Wing Aircraft
The Army has several fixed-wing aircraft that it uses for different purposes.
- T-38 Talon: Fighter Trainer, a twin-engine jet designed for basic flight training
- T-6 Texan II: Turbo-Propeller-Engine Trainer, an upgraded version of the famous Texan trainer
- HC-27J Chinook: Medical Transport and Reconnaissance Aircraft, equipped with medical beds, stretcher, and surveillance capabilities
- L-39 Albatross: Counterpart Instructor Pilot Training, uses laser navigation and GPS-based inertial navigation
- G-8-A : Utility transport Plane, a small airplane, used for towing training and other auxiliary uses.
Rotary-Wing Aircraft
Helicopters are an integral part of the Army’s operations and are used in numerous ways.
- AH-64 Apache Helicopters: Combat Support, attack helicopters for both anti-tank and low-to-the-ground reconnaissance
Some helicopters are used purely as cargo transport, whereas others can be used both to carry troops and other logistics functions (load, unload of troop/cargo, medical evacuation, and also cargo) and other such functionalities as transport are covered.
- OH-58 Kiowa Warfighters: Scout, equipped with sensors for real-time reconnaissance and targeted for artillery fire
- TH-57 Sea Ranger and CH-47 Chinook, Transport/Taxi, Climatic and Terrain Tests of Rotor Blades Design & Load and etc are.
- OH-9A Arua Medical and Cargo Helicopters: Medical Rescue/Evacuation equipped to support medical emergencies Basic Evacuation Standards 18 and has many such functionalities.
These lists cover the majority but a minority of aircraft being utilised by the usarmy.
Why Fixed-Wing and Rotary-Wing Aircraft?
Using a combination of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft is a deliberate choice of the Army. Here’s why:
- Competition-based capabilities: These categories (fixed-wing) support missions that are high-repetition, low-cost flights of troops, fuel or goods, such as "taxi" planes are generally used for reconnaissance work to support Long distance Surveillance, using sensor (radar-, or other means sensors used. These sensors often scan ground, sea- area & air. Examples.
- OH-9A Arua: a medical helicopter like with medevac of one soldier, one aircraft, so it can mediate multiple patients with another unit/aircraft help while others are transported) has
- OH-9A Arua uses both medical evacuation or resuce and transport mission set
- medical medical aid and evacuation.
and another example, this may indicate that both categories may be needed ,
for example: AH-64 Apache, Combat helicopters.
- Practitioners and Trainning and Support For Pilots and Maintnenance Engineers, Army Engineers use Fixed-Wing Flight Test School, Fort Hood
There are several uses (situations to identify which aircraft are applicable here):
- If mission to be flown require frequent visits to multiple cities & ground, and needs only relatively short flight missions
fixed-wing aircraft to operate better. Examples can: a) a few aircraft, or transport military transport aircraft.
if military planes are needed
they were used to go quickly around the world but we still need the capabilities here fixed-wing aircraft: there you have
If needed transport of a troop,
- transport for crew, passenger- load (carry some people, no weight but not more cargo can do), fixed- aircraft
Another possible function: reconnaissance flights- – fixed wings fly
- Example U.S. Army transport in helicopters:
(Examples OH-57 helicopter with 5-man personnel cargo capacity, carrying (not carrying a big passenger load
A mix of fixed-rotary-wing aircraft provide solutions with different strengths is available
Summary In this article, the diversity of aircraft used by the United States Army have been illustrated. The distinction of different aircraft capabilities helps maintain situational awareness throughout specific missions using of course, different parts within, and other information with all the special forces (SF) which operate worldwide.
