Airborne - In what Wolf

Airborne - In what Wolf Blitzer called the largest combat airdrop since World War II, a battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade (an independent unit based in Foggia, Italy, not actually part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division) apparently has taken an airfield in Northern Iraq, opening the lately-lamented Northern Front against Hussein.

The troops jumped in after delays caused by weather and complications with Turkey over using its airspace for attacks against Iraq. Another 1,000 paratroopers are expected to come from 173rd U.S. Airborne Brigade, which is based in Italy.

Let me indulge in some facile guessing here: there's been no evidence of the 101st Air Assault division in action yet. This division - completely heliborne, and with attached light armor and attack helicopter units - is designed to fly deep into enemy territory to establish an "airhead" (analogous to "beachhead", not dizzy person) far behind their lines.

Now, remember - on the opening day of the campaign, US and Australian special forces seized a couple of airfields in western Iraq (H2 and H3). These airfields would be very useful as intermediate staging points for the 101st (and a British air assault brigade that is also in country right now).

Well, that's what jumps out at me, anyway...

Posted by Mitch at March 26, 2003 05:15 PM