Air Mobility

by Cheng, Christopher C. S.; Parker, Ellis D.

• ISBN13: 9780275947217
• ISBN10: 0275947211
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1994-04-30
• Publisher: Praeger Pub Text

Summary

In the immediate post-World War II period, Army aviation began to evolve from an observatory role to a mobility role. Helicopter air mobility began to develop in the Army from 1949 onwards. The outbreak of the Korean war assisted and accelerated the acceptance of greater helicopter air mobility within the Army. The Eisenhower period was a golden age for Army aviation, with rapid and extensive developments in air mobility doctrine and tactics. There was also a strong research and development effort to overcome the initial technological lag. These developments allowed the formation of the first air mobile division in 1965 to meet the growing demands of the Vietnam war. This work gives a new understanding of the process of military innovation. Moreover, this case study has important general implications for future military policy-making.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Ellis D. Parker, Lt. Gen., U.S. Army (Ret.)

Preface

Acronyms and Abbreviations

The Early Years

Precursor: The Creation of Organic Army Aviation

Expansion: Postwar Modernization and the Korean War

The Eisenhower Period

Air Mobility Rationales Under the "New Look" Policy

High-Level Support for Air Mobility

Putting Theory into Practice

Structural Handicap of Army Aviation

The Sixties

Intervention Contingencies and Counterinsurgency

Epilogue

Appendix

Bibliographic Note

Index