United States Army Power Projection in the 21st Century: The ConventionalAirborne Forces must be Modernized to Meet the Army's Strategic Force Requirements and the Nation's Future Threats

摘要

The modernization of the United States airborne forces is long overdue. As theArmy transitions from a European-based forward deployed force to a 'versatile, deployable and lethal' Army, the role of the airborne forces must increase. Unfortunately, the focus of the military has been on the defense of Europe. Consequently, the airborne forces have not received the resources necessary to be able to deal with a modern mechanized threat or a 21st Century Third World threat. The author contends that without the immediate modernization of these forces, there is the increasing risk that the Army will be unable to rapidly respond as a strategic force in the very near future. This study critically analyzes the evolution of the airborne forces with a special emphasis on the divergent paths taken by the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is used for comparison, not as an adversary but as a nation whose military leadership has embraced the airborne concept for over 60 years. They have committed years of study, extensive testing and substantial amounts of resources to the modernization of their airborne forces. The result is a modern, light mechanized, strategic force of over six airborne divisions that is versatile, deployable and lethal. (SDW)