M113 Gavin Low-Velocity AirDrop Part 1: How It's Done

U.S. Army Airdrop Rigging Procedures for the M113 Gavin are detailed here in video and the manual online below:

FM 10-567/TO 13C7-16-171 Rigging Tracked Personnel/Cargo Carriers
http://www.combatreform.org/m113gavinairdrop.htm

Video also shows some M113A2 and A3 Gavin LVAD Rigging Pictures from the U.S. Army AirBorne Special Operations Test Board (ABSOTB) at Fort Bragg, NC supplied to exclusively to the author.

http://www.otc.army.mil/otc/ABNSOTD/ABNSOTDHome.htm

Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate
U.S. Army Operational Test Command
2175 Reilly Road, Stop A, ATTN: TEOT-AB
Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28310-5000
Phone: (910) 396-2800 DSN 236 FAX: 6094 DSN 236 • E-mail ABNSOTD
CSTE-OTC-AB@conus.army.mil

The 5-roadwheel, M113A3 Gavin with T130/T150 steel tracks with rubber pads weighs only 20, 989 pounds empty--its an infantry-carrying LIGHT TANK.

As you can see, with 5 x G-11 cargo parachutes the M113 Gavin's rigged airdrop weight with M2 "Ma Deuce" .50 caliber heavy machine gun ammo and troop gear still leaves payload for armor and more supplies--and is still far less weight than the 42, 000 pound rigged airdrop load of a M551 Sheridan light tank from a C-130. This leaves lots of fuel for the C-130 to travel across oceans. If the C-130 is a fuel miserly propfan, 400 mph "J" model range increases--or it has in-flight refueling, range is limitless. The Gavin and its Paratroopers can jump tail-gate from the same C-130 and land together, quickly de-rig and go into action.

If you want to drop heavier Gavins--even above the 42K limit of the C-130, you add more cargo parachutes; the U.S. Army can LVAD up to 60, 000 pounds (30 tons).

From John Pike's Global Security web site:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/60klvads.htm

Fort Lee Quartermaster Center/School Foundation

http://www.qmfound.com/adequipment.htm

Here's an U.S. Army Command & General Staff College School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) report by Infantry officer, Major William Sutey on the need for cross-country MOBILITY (XCM) from M113 Gavin light tracked tanks to improve LIGHT INFANTRY FORCE mobility, protection and firepower. READ IT.

http://www.combatreform.org/M113GAVINSforLIGHTINFANTRYmajorsutey1993.pdf

"Armor in the future must fly; just as all other means of war must fly. Possessing good cross-country mobility. and gunned to destroy any earthbound vehicle, the tank
will play the decisive role in the coming battles of the airhead. "

--General James M. Gavin

Excellent song "Always" by the Uber Sexy Donna Dee

http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?artist=Donna+Dee
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Donna+Dee

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• M113
• GAVIN
• airdrop
• lvad
• parachute
• heavy
• drop
• airborne
• 82nd
• 173rd
• all
• americans
• sky
• soldiers
• light
• tanks
• tracks
• maneuver
• air-mech-strike
• army
• other
• military
• side
• christina
• financial
• ufo
• money
• aguilera
• lanka
• force
• navy

[BlacktailDefense]

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say, "The M113 can NOT be airdropped", I'd be pretty wealthy now.

The next time I make a reply to such drivel, I'll insert a link to this video.

[dynmicpara]

Exactly. This video is an IN-YOUR-FACE to all those idiots I grew sick of telling them (in private--no face loss) to download the M113 Gavin airdrop PDF manual--but wouldn't because they'd have to admit they were wrong.

[gosciu555]

@dynmicpara

Were M113 airdropped in Panama? Also is there any difference to how an M113 would perform in an airdrop when compared so a BMD1 lets say? As in the percentage of vehicles damaged etc? Has any other force airdropped M113? Usually the naysayers will try to challenge you on these points.

[dynmicpara]

@gosciu555 AFAIK, no, M113 Gavins from the 5th ID were airlanded by C-141Bs to Panama. They could have been LVADed since 3/73rd Armor owned a few; I need the exact drop manifests or to see the detailed AAR. Several Airborne drop Gavins, when I was in Israel I saw the IDF drop one. Sam Katz's book has a pic I'll post on the m113combat web page soon. Gavins airdrop well; simple rigging procedure, doesn't even crunch the honeycomb much; the VDV is now using air bags for their BMDs.

[barccy]

not a surprise package you want to find behind your lines

[dynmicpara]

Light tanks saved Moscow, saved the Russians from near defeat. A Light tank that can get to the fight--beats a heavier one that cannot show up.

[BlacktailDefense]

As it happens, the Soviet Army thought the same thing; thier air-drop of VDV Light Armor behind the Germans, during the Battle of Moscow, turned the tide of the war.

That's also what drove them to later develop the BMD-1 Airborne Fighting Vehicle, which Dynmicpara can probably tell you more about than I could.

[DemonHide]

I'm savin' a PDF of that manual.