combatreform.org/AIR_MECH_STRIKE

1. Air-Land Para-Mech Helo-Mech
Airmechanization Option for U.S. Army’s
Vertical Maneuver Transformation
1 BG-R Grange and the Air-Mech-Strike Study Group

2. Air-Mech-Strike is the Transformation
Passing Game for the U.S. Army!
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3. Who Are We?
The Air-Mech-Strike Study Group is a non-profit, Academic Study
Group dedicated to improving America’s Land Power Force
Projection through the development of Full Dimensional Maneuver
Warfare. The AMS-SG is made up of Active, Reserve, National
Guard, Retired members along with Interested Academics. The
AMS-SG has authored numerous articles in Military Professional
Journals and published the book Air-Mech-Strike: 3-Dimensional
Phlanx, (Sep-00). The AMS-SG receives no funding from any
agency commercial or government.
200 Members at large (The Idea Forum)
50 Contributing Members & 12 Primary Staff
Brigadier General David L. Grange (Retired) Senior Mentor
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4. AMS Promotes Army Chief’s Initiative
“Heavy Forces must be more strategically deployable
“Heavy Forces must be more strategically deployable
and more agile with a smaller logistic footprint. And light
and more agile with a smaller logistic footprint. And light
forces must be more lethal, survivable and tactically
forces must be more lethal, survivable and tactically
mobile. We will change these paradigms.”
mobile. We will change these paradigms.”
“Brigade Deployed World Wide in 96 Hours
and a Division in 120 Hours!”
CSA General Eric K. Shinseki’s Guidance 22 June 1999
AMS Is Not A Competitor For IBCT/IDIV
Air-Mech-Strike is a Vertical Maneuver Option
to Transform the 101st and 82nd Divisions
which are not scheduled for IAV Fielding.
AMS Is a Low-Cost, Fast Fielding Option
Air-Mech-Strike Vehicles cost 1/4 the price of an IAV
4 and are already in production with Allied Armies.
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5. Airmechanization Defined Objective
Foot Maneuver
“Asymmetric Maneuver”
Airmechanization is the use of aircraft to
tactically insert a light armored force to gain Mechanized
Maneuver
positional advantage via displaced LZ/DZs
resulting in reduced risk, protected infantry, Landing/Drop
increased firepower and greater ground Zone
mobility than foot mobile Airborne or Air
Assault operations. NO MORE SOMALIAs!
SOMALIAs Air Maneuver
AMS Is American Version of European Models
Russian British German
Russian, British and German Armies already have Brigade and Division
size Airmechanized forces. Five other countries including China are
fielding such forces as well. Air-Mech-Strike is an Airmechanization
5 option tailored for the American Army.

6. USMC Air-Mech Recon Capability
LAV-I
& CH-53E
U.S. Army LAV-III (IAV) is Too Heavy For Helo Lift
Aircraft: The Most Expensive
Component of AMS Already Fielded!
6 1500 x UH-60s 400 x CH-47s 500 x C-130s

7. SEVEN “GO” COMPONENTS TO AMS
• GO LITE LOG: Replace all trucks, trailers and heavy logistic equipment with 900 HMMWVs and
1. fuel blivits/bladders. Divisional Operations Designed to surge for 10-20 days then Corps level support.
• GO LITE MECH: Replace foot mobility and TOW/Mortar HMMWVs with 900 Air-Mech-Strike
2. Vehicle-Light (Wiesel-2 or armored SUSV M973A2 or BV-206S) at Division level. AMS-Medium,
Heavy M8 AGS & M113A3s for use in Para-Drop Operations.
3.
• GO COMPOUND HELO: Convert UH-60s and AH-64s to VTDP Piasecki Compound Helos,
convert CH-47s to compound (B-347 upgrade). Makes helo fleet 96 hour world wide self-deployers
(1800 mile ferry range @ 180 knots)
4.
• GO HIGH MASS UAV & UGV: Augment armed OH-58D Kiowa Warriors with UAVs, put light
50 pound UAVs down to battalion level and 10 pound toss-UAVs at company level. Combine with
ground UGVs (tracked ATVs) to expand situational awareness out to distances two times current
5.
•
manned recon assets.
GO T-MARS AND Mounted PGMs: Employ single-use trailer mounted MLRS/ATACMS.
Counter-battery irrelevant since enemy shoots empty trailer (un-manned digital link firing). EFOGM,
LOSAT, Javelin (all-terrain cart/sleds and on AMSVs) and Guided 120mm Mortar Round PGMs
6. provide stand-off precision fires.
• GO STREAMLINED EXTERNAL LOADS (SEL): Discard sling-loading and enhance
7. speed, survivability and range through winch-able rigs to bring external loads snug-up under helos.
• GO WINGED APS: Lease/Purchase 50 older B-747s from the civil fleet, modify with load ramps
and pre-load with one brigade set of Air-Mech-Strike Vehicles.
Compound Air-Mech-Strike Streamlined Trailer Mounted
7 Winged APS Helicopters Vehicles External Loads MLRS-ATACMs

8. # 1 GO LIGHT LOGISTICS
1. Air-Mech-Strike units Rapidly
Deploy by aircraft which requires a very
small organizational logistics structure.
2. Units deploy with 72 hour supply
of critical fuel, ammo and food/water.
3. Blivets, fuel bladders and wet wing
techniques provide bulk POL with CH-47
and C-130 aerial resupply 24/7.
# 2 GO LIGHT AIR-MECH-STRIKE VEHICLES
Air-Mech-Strike leverages existing air transportable armored vehicles.
Various combinations of M113A3 (Air-Drop via C-130), Wiesel & Armored
SUSVs (UH-60 and CH-47 Transportable) equip the ground Brigades.
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9. # 3 GO COMPOUND HELICOPTERS
Day-4
Day-3
Day-2 Day-5 Day-6
Day-1 Day-7
Fort Campbell KY
Current Seven Day
Deployability
Day-2
Day-3
Day-1
1. Self Deployability within CSA
120hr World Wide Timeline
2. Twice Current Combat Radius
400 versus 200 Kilometers Fort Campbell KY
3. 50% Faster Speeds
4. Low-Cost, Fast Fielding Time Three Day Deployability
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10. # 4 GO HIGH MASS UAV & UGV
Division Battalion
Air-Mech-Strike forces use light
armored vehicles and aerial resupply
that requires great situational
awareness. Undetected meeting
engagements with heavy forces Company
would are avoided. UAVs and UGVs
must be widespread in AMS units and
organic down to company level. Brigade
# 5 GO T-MARS & Mounted Mobile PGMs
The Air-Transportability of High-Tech, Light Weight, Precision Guided Munitions
can be fully exploited to it’s maxim potential in an Airmechanized Division.
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11. # 6 GO STREAMLINED EXTERNAL LOADS
Firehawk
Type Gear
Better Maneuverability, low ADA Vulnerability,
Less Drag, Longer Range, Higher Payloads.
# 7 GO WINGED APS
AMS capitalizes on large numbers of older Boeing
747s and DC-10s maintained in flyable storage in
the Southwestern U.S. No longer efficient for daily
route service, these older but fully capable aircraft
are held for peak seasonal travel, charter or awaiting
sales to other countries. Light Air-Mech-Strike
Vehicles are ideal for transport on these former
passenger liners. Preloaded Air-Mech-Strike Brigade
equipment sets would be ready to deploy via reserve
aircrews, moving an entire Division in 120 hours Army Preloaded Stocks = APS
world-wide using NO USAF C-17s/C-5s.
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12. AMS = GREATER STRATEGIC DEPLOYABILITY
Day 3 SE Poland
Day 4 Volga Delta
Day 5 Uzbekistan
ISB Former Soviet AFB
1. Boeing 747 Winged APS Deploys Combat Vehicles & Troops
2. Compound Helicopters Self-Deploy within CSA 120 hr Timeline
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13. AMS = GREATER COMBAT RADIUS
101st Air-Mech-Strike Division XX 12,000 Troops
900 Air-Mech-Strike Vehicles
Leads Counter-Attack 101st 150 T-MARS
275 Compound Helos
OBJ
Bastogne
Compound Airmechanized T-MARS
Helos Maneuver Heavy Fires
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14. Airmechanization Option for U.S. Army’s
Vertical Maneuver Transformation
Summary
Summary
• Asymmetric Maneuver: Rapid Positional Advantage,
Vertical 3D Envelopment & Enabler for 2D Forces
• 120 Hour Strategic Deployability
• Double Current Air Assault Strike Radius
• Increased Air-Inserted Ground Force Mobility, Protection
and Firepower
• Low Cost & Rapid Fielding 101st & 82nd Transformation
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