Caribou Airlift in Afghanistan
 

Danger Room: Video: Ancient Airlifter Makes Daredevil Drops Over Afghanistan



The Caribou airlifter flies so low through the mountains and valleys of eastern Afghanistan that it’s invisible from the ground … until it’s right on top of you. The Vietnam-era, twin-engine cargo plane with the cranked wings and bulbous nose appears suddenly, racing just a couple hundred feet over the U.S. Army outpost on the outskirts of Marzak, in remote Paktika province. At a precisely timed moment, the Caribou pitches upward. A dozen black plastic pallets tumble from its cargo hold and, parachutes unfurling, drift down onto a snowy field adjacent to the American base. The Caribou, hundreds of pounds lighter, dives for the safety of a nearby valley.

The dramatic “Low-Cost, Low-Altitude” (LCLA) resupply, which I witnessed numerous times during my week at Marzak in January, represents the latest tactic in the high-stakes logistical campaign that underpins the U.S.-led war effort. Along with robot trucks, robot helicopters, “smart” parachutes, hybrid trucks and even airships, it’s also evidence of the Pentagon’s never-ending quest for .

Mountainous, landlocked, surrounded by hostile neighboring countries and lacking good roads, Afghanistan is a logistician’s nightmare. Isolated outposts such as that in Marzak are the most difficult to keep fed and fueled. There are no roads capable of supporting a heavy truck. At 10,000 feet about sea level, Marzak is too high for many helicopters. The large, powerful copters — American Chinooks, Russian-made Mi-17s — that can climb high enough are especially vulnerable to rockets and gunfire. Airdrops from high-flying C-17 or C-130 cargo planes are often imprecise. If the materials land too far away from the outpost, the resident soldiers must send out a risky combat patrol to retrieve them, a particularly difficult task without trucks and other heavy equipment.

The Army deployed to Marzak in January. Anticipating the need to supply it and other remote locations, in October the Army hired a boutique resupply company built around a single, 50-year-old DeHavilland Caribou and 15 civilian pilots, staff and ground crew. The Caribou and its crews, based at Bagram airfield near Kabul, are asked to do things most military airlifters cannot: Fly low and fast to drop small loads of critical supplies with pinpoint accuracy.

The company, whose name we’ve been asked to keep secret, began flying resupply missions in October. Since then, it has delivered more than a million pounds of cargo, according to a source close to the company. The secret to its success is the skill of the flight crews, the mechanics’ meticulous maintenance of the 1960s-vintage Caribou and upgrades to the rugged plane’s engines that give it extra oomph. “It makes for a perfect LCLA airdrop platform,” the source tells Danger Room.

“Low-Cost, Low-Altitude airdrops by civilians in Afghanistan is an extremely vital asset that’s usually overlooked by most,” the source continues. The lack of publicity could be intended to spare the Air Force any embarrassment. After all, until recently the flying branch did possess one small airlifter in the Caribou’s general category that could possibly have equaled the civilian plane’s low, pinpoint drops. The would be the C-27J, built by Alenia.

The Air Force and Army originally planned to buy the twin-engine C-27J together, but the Air Force fought to take over the program. The C-27s deployed to southern Afghanistan for the first time last year. They’d barely begun when the Air Force decided to scrap the entire 38-plane fleet to save money — a move that Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff, said was “particularly difficult,” as it left the Army in a lurch. Last week the C-27J cancellation was a hot topic debate in Congress.

With no military planes to assume the low-altitude resupply duty, highly skilled civilians and their ancient but upgraded Caribou will likely remain a unique lifeline for isolated troops. The Caribou’s dramatic airdrops should be a regular sight in the war’s waning years.

That's great to see. Although it's the first time I've ever heard the Bou described as 'fast' :ok:

Yeah right.

"...are asked to do things most military airlifters cannot: Fly low and fast to drop small loads of critical supplies with pinpoint accuracy."


Is that an insult to all military tactical air transport crews or just some?

On the final drop the loads all land in a very small area, impressed me anyway.:ok:

Good grouping.

Presume this is a Pen turbo aircraft.

Who cares, go the BOU

Aaaah, de Havilland.....again. :cool:

Nicely done. Soft spot for the old 'bou as my grandfather flew them.

...but let's see it at night...and IMC...with the same grouping and results as one unit are doing.

ORAC,

Bit of a difference in the drop profiles for the two types in the videos.

Will the C-27J really be employed at low altitude, or is it too expensive to risk?

The way the Ohio ANG are using it, it is just a little C-130. What does it add?

prOOne

Yep, when the mark one eyeball and muscle do the job you bet. Maybe they have upgraded to computers and electronic release now?

Shy talk.

I believe that they whacked a turbo prop on one (and on one side only) in the mid 60's. Exceeded VNE on the one engine S/L.

US Herc

Yep at night with no NVG's in those days and if you wish to work out your own circling area and fly that in IMC without radar, GPS your more than welcome

I must be getting old fashioned and out of touch as I find it disconcerting that civilian contractors are asked [and paid ]to do the job at the sharp end. What back up do those guys have if the s**t hits the fan.

Too expensive to risk?
 

BB, don't really think the value of the aircraft is the issue. Also, the C27J would be just as capable of low level dropping as the turbo-Caribou shown. Drop altitude depends on what is being dropped and the method used, or at least it used to be.

It's being done currently. And nobody said anything about no radar or GPS...

...and no, they're not being asked to do things no other military airlifter can do - low & fast? Please. Ever heard of HSLLADS? Employed by US SOF aircraft since Viet Nam...with pinpoint accuracy as well...at night, in IMC and terrain like this - TFR lets it be done at 250' MSD too. But visual LCADS/LCDS is also being done when requested/required by the user...

Next up, high-speed CDS. ;)

The civvy Caribou fills a particular niche in terms of aircraft and payload size but they aren't doing anything particularly out of the ordinary, certainly for US aircraft anyway. The US C130 fleet provide huge amounts of theatre airdrop at low level, including the LCLA shown here, as well as CDS and Heavy Drop. The smaller Caribou can however get into those small DZs requiring lower, slower and tighter flying. The drops shown in these particular videos could've been carried out quite comfortably by a C130 though.

It is very probably far cheaper to get a crazy civvy and his Caribou in to do your extra airdrop than it is to run your own fleet of similar sized, niche transport aircraft. You also offload all the risk which, whilst not a consideration for a military outfit like the USAF, is certainly the main driver in everything the RAF do. Given the stated aims of the RAF to run down the C130 fleet in favour of the A400 you'll find this sort of drop will become a thing of the past anyway. Small patrol resupply will either be done by GPS guided parachutes or by rotary. Getting an A400 into those DZs in those wx conditions would be a borderline event and anyway it would be like using an empty articulated lorry to deliver a box of matches.

If there were a few more years left in the Afghan adventure I'd go and buy myself one of the C27Js the US are offloading and set myself as a civilian airdrop contractor for the RAF offering cheapo theatre LCLA.......

Orac,

That's brilliant stuff. Sadly the RAAF just retired the Caribou (about 50 years of service). Just goes to show there is still a role for old workhorses.
Perhaps they should bring back C-47, C-46 and maybe the Skyraider? Imagine the cost saving despite the round engine maintenance costs...

As you know, the "LC" in LCLA or LCADS means "low cost" - unless the guidance systems get simpler and cheaper, and, quite frankly, more accurate, you're never going to do this sort of thing with GPS-guided parachutes...or rotary. A lot of these drops are being done by Hercules (and apparently 'crazy' civvy 'bou drivers! Great Job! :ok: ) because rotary can't get into some of these places due either weather, density altitude issues, risk, or lack of assets.

You're quite correct however I don't think the RAF would ever consider the use of LCLA despite it being an enormous no-brainer. The all pervasive risk-aversion of today means they'd rather not use a tactical aircraft tactically and would prefer to spend $30k+ on a GPS steerer to deliver a ton of water from 25000ft :hmm:

They have none Leckie, but you would be surprised how common it is. Russian aircraft are constantly running operations under contract (to western military forces) in country. They will also often take extreme risks. Many of the western 'combatants' are also non-military, if you get my drift. No back up, all at great personal risk, but very high salary.

de Havilland of Canada :ok: