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57-587: The designation "BLU" stands for Bomb Live Unit, as opposed to "BDU" (Bomb Dummy Units) used for practice. Originally designed to create an instant clearing in the jungles of Vietnam, the BLU-82B/C-130 was test-dropped there from a CH-54 Tarhe "Flying crane" helicopter. Later it was used in Afghanistan as an anti-personnel weapon and as an intimidation weapon because of its very large blast radius (variously reported as 300 to 900 feet/100 to 300 meters) combined with

114-620: A whale in Alaska . Unusual payloads include whole antenna towers and log cabins ; another example was the use of a CH-54 to airlift air conditioners onto the roof of the Pentagon . Furthermore, it was commonly tasked with relocating non-airworthy or retired aircraft. Despite these atypical demands, the CH-54 achieved a strong safety record. The military cutbacks enacted at the end of the Cold War proved to be

171-446: A dispersing mechanism, and take their oxidizers from the oxygen in the air. FAEs generally run between 500 and 2,000 pounds (225 and 900 kg). Making an FAE the size of a Daisy Cutter would be difficult because the correct uniform mixture of the flammable agent with the ambient air would be difficult to maintain if the agent were so widely dispersed. A conventional explosive is much more reliable in that regard, particularly if there

228-437: A fixed ground radar or on-board navigation equipment. The ground radar controller, or aircrew navigator if applicable, is responsible for positioning the aircraft prior to final countdown and release. Primary aircrew considerations include accurate ballistic and wind computations provided by the navigator, and precision instrument flying with strict adherence to controller instructions. Due to its extremely powerful blast effects,

285-569: A hovering position, so the helicopter can deploy loads while hovering. Due to budget cuts, the Heavy Lift Helicopter (HLH) program was canceled and the CH-54 was not upgraded with larger engines. The relatively small fleet proved costly to maintain, thus the tandem-rotor Boeing CH-47 Chinook , a rival heavy lift helicopter, gradually supplemented the CH-54 for most transport duties, eventually replacing it in Regular Army aviation units during

342-456: A single helicopter at that time. The United States Army would ultimately procure 105 examples, which it operated under the designation of CH-54 Tarhe . It was most prolifically used during the Vietnam War , typically to provide logistical support and heavy transport activities in aid of American ground troops. In the theater, CH-54s would routinely be used to reposition artillery pieces such as

399-467: A special military unit in Britain with the soldiers called Cichociemni (silent and unseen) paratroopers to be deployed into Poland to help the resistance. The Cichociemni were trained similar to the early British Special Forces with each soldier receiving specialization training for their specific task of deployment to Poland through a paradrop as a special operation to sustain a Polish state through training

456-548: A total of 11 commando squadrons were raised. They continued to act independently and were often assigned at the brigade level during the later stages of the war, taking part in the fighting in New Guinea, Bougainville and Borneo , where they were employed largely in long-range reconnaissance and flank protection roles. In addition to these units, the Australians also raised the Z Special Unit and M Special Unit . M Special Unit

513-527: A visible flash and audible sound at long distances. It is one of the largest conventional weapons ever used, outweighed only by a few earthquake bombs , thermobaric bombs , and demolition ( bunker buster ) bombs. Some of these include the Grand Slam and T12 earthquake bombs of late World War II, and more currently, the Russian Air Force FOAB and USAF GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb , and

570-942: Is regarded as the "spiritual home" of the United States Special Operations Forces , specifically the United States Army Rangers. These early American light infantry battalions were trained under Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging" , which is considered the first known manual of modern asymmetric warfare tactics used in modern special operations. Army Rangers were essential to several World War II campaigns such as North Africa campaign "Operation Torch" , Tunisian campaign , Sicily campaign "Operation Husky" , and Normandy landings during D-day, Ranger companies landed at Pointe du Hoc . In WWII, more elite units were needed to carry out special operations, raids, and reconnaissance, especially behind enemy lines. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established

627-417: Is significant wind or thermal gradient. The BLU-82 produces an overpressure of 1,000 pounds per square inch (6,900 kPa) near ground zero, tapering off as distance increases. It is detonated just above ground by a 38-inch (970 mm) fuze extender. This results in a maximum destruction at ground level without digging a crater. This system depends upon the accurate positioning of the aircraft by either

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684-626: Is the main Sayeret unit in the IDF . Its primary missions include obtaining strategic intelligence behind enemy lines and conducting hostage-rescue missions on foreign soil. The naval commando unit known as 13th Flotilla, or Shayetet 13 , is comparable to the British Special Boat Service and the United States SEALs . It is assigned to maritime hostage-rescue missions and is a component of

741-655: The Allies and other Axis powers , the Japanese paratroops suffered from a disproportionately high casualty rate, and the loss of men who required such extensive and expensive training limited their operations to only the most critical ones. Two regiments of Teishin Shudan were formed into the 1st Raiding Group, commanded by Major General Rikichi Tsukada under the control of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group , during

798-559: The Battle of Palembang , on Sumatra in the Netherlands East Indies , on 14 February 1942. The 425 men of the 1st Parachute Raiding Regiment seized Palembang airfield, while the paratroopers of the 2nd Parachute Raiding Regiment seized the town and its important oil refinery. Paratroops were subsequently deployed in the Burma campaign . However, as with similar airborne units created by

855-513: The Battle of Xuân Lộc in the last days of the Vietnam War. During the Mayaguez incident , a Lockheed MC-130 dropped one BLU-82 to assist U.S. Marine forces attempting to extract themselves from Koh Tang island. Eleven BLU-82Bs were palletized and dropped in five night missions during the 1991 Gulf War , all from Special Operations MC-130 Combat Talons . The initial drop tested the ability of

912-667: The Brigade Patrol Troop and commando unit recce troops. The Army Special Operations Brigade was formed in 2021 and consists of four battalions of the Ranger Regiment . The formation is described as being "akin to that of the Special Forces Groups of the US Army Special Forces." The intention is that the brigade will be widely and actively deployable, including with the ability to train, advise and accompany

969-652: The Israeli Navy . King Abdullah II Special Forces Group ( Arabic : العمليات الخاصة ورد الفعل السريع ), commonly known as the JORSOF are strategic-level special forces of the Royal Jordanian Army under the Jordanian Armed Forces . Founded on April 15, 1963 on the orders of King Hussein , its primary roles include reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, search and evacuation, intelligence gathering combat, and

1026-535: The M101 howitzer , and even airlift bulky payloads such as bulldozers and patrol boats . In terms of retrieved aircraft alone, in excess of 380 were reportedly recovered via CH-54, resulting in the saving of several hundred million dollars. In particular, those forces operating in and around the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North Vietnam and South Vietnam were unable to rely on ground supply routes due to

1083-735: The Marine Raiders in February 1942 after Admiral Chester Nimitz requested commando units to raid Japanese-held islands. Major General Thomas Holcomb, the Marine Commandant, chose the name "Raiders" and created two battalions. Other specialized units such as Naval Combat Demolition Units and Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) , the predecessors of the Navy's current SEALs , were formed in 1943. Many more US special operation units had developed after and had fought in every major 20th-century conflict. In

1140-470: The Massive Ordnance Penetrator . The BLU-82 uses ammonium nitrate and aluminum (cf. ammonal ). The warhead contains 12,600 pounds (5,700 kg) of low-cost GSX slurry ( ammonium nitrate , aluminum powder and polystyrene ). The Daisy Cutter has sometimes been incorrectly reported as a fuel-air explosive device (FAE). FAE devices consist of a flammable liquid, gas, or powder and

1197-537: The Philippines campaign . Although structured as a division, its capabilities were much lower, as its six regiments had manpower equivalent to a standard infantry battalion , and it lacked any form of artillery , and had to rely on other units for logistical support. Its men were no longer parachute-trained, but relied on aircraft for transport. Some 750 men from the 2nd Raiding Brigade , of this group were assigned to attack American air bases on Luzon and Leyte on

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1254-576: The South West Pacific Area during 1942–43, most notably fighting a guerrilla campaign in Timor , as well as actions in New Guinea . In all, a total of eight independent companies were raised before they were reorganized in mid-1943 into commando squadrons and placed under the command of the divisional cavalry regiments that were re-designated as cavalry commando regiments. As a part of this structure,

1311-805: The Turkish invasion of Cyprus . The United Kingdom Special Forces ( UKSF ) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service , the Special Boat Service , the Special Reconnaissance Regiment , the Special Forces Support Group , 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing , as well as the supporting No. 47 Squadron . In UK law, "special forces" means those units of

1368-541: The 1980s. Another heavy lift helicopter, the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion , had also been developed using many of the proven systems of the CH-54, including its engine, fuselage, and dynamic systems. The CH-54 was also operated by the Army National Guard , where it performed a variety of military and civilian missions. It participated in various humanitarian relief operations, including the rescuing of

1425-527: The 21st century, 2003–2012 saw U.S. national security strategy rely on special operations to an unprecedented degree. Identifying, hunting, and killing terrorists became a central task in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Linda Robinson, Adjunct Senior Fellow for U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations , argued that the organizational structure became flatter and cooperation with

1482-486: The American engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney to modify their JT12 turbojet to produce one. One innovative feature for any helicopter of the era was the incorporation of an automatic flight control system , effectively a fly-by-wire arrangement. This feature enabled the aft-facing crew member to control the rotorcraft's pitch , roll , and yaw with 10% control authority, along with an altitude-hold function; it

1539-550: The Army's special forces under the command of Special Operations Command . Canadian Special Operations Forces Command ( CANSOFCOM ) is a command of the Canadian Armed Forces . It is responsible for all special forces operations responding to terrorism and threats to Canadians and Canadian interests around the world. Canada's tier one unit is Joint Task Force 2 ( JTF 2 ), an elite special operations force , serving under

1596-506: The British, Australia began raising special forces. The first units to be formed were independent companies , which began training at Wilson's Promontory in Victoria in early 1941 under the tutelage of British instructors. With an establishment of 17 officers and 256 men, the independent companies were trained as "stay behind" forces, a role that they were later employed in against the Japanese in

1653-684: The CANSOFCOM. JTF 2 works alongside many other special operations forces, such as Delta Force , SEAL Team Six , and the British SAS and has distinguished itself as a highly secretive, world-class special operations unit. There are numerous special operation units in India, each branch of the Indian Armed Forces having its own unique SOF unit. The Indian Air Force has the Garud Commando Force ,

1710-583: The CH-54 can be traced back to Sikorsky's earlier activities with "sky-crane" helicopters , particularly the piston-engined Sikorsky S-60 of the late 1950s. Following the end of the Korean War , the United States Army sought to procure a successor to the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave , an early piston-engined heavy lift helicopter; being aware of this need, Sikorsky were keen to fulfill it. The company

1767-957: The Indian Navy has the MARCOS , and the Indian Army has the Para SF . Other special forces, like the National Security Guard under the Home Ministry, are not under military command but rather function as paramilitary organisations. The Army Ranger Wing is the special operations unit of the Defence Forces (Ireland) . Like the British Special Air Service and the US Army's Delta Force , General Staff Reconnaissance Unit 269 - Sayeret Matkal

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1824-731: The Rangers helped carry out offensive strikes "frontier combat" against hostile Natives. Thus Ranger companies were formed to provide reconnaissance, intelligence, light infantry, and scouting. Colonel Benjamin Church (c. 1639–1718) was the captain of the first Ranger force in America (1676). Several Ranger companies were established in the American colonies, including Knowlton's Rangers , an elite corps of Rangers who supplied reconnaissance and espionage for George Washington 's Continental Army. Rogers' Rangers on Roger's Island, in modern-day Fort Edward, New York,

1881-612: The United States. Although raids and drone strikes are necessary to disrupt dire and imminent threats... special operations leaders readily admit that they should not be the central pillar of U.S. military strategy." Instead, special operations advocates stated that grand strategy should include their "indirect approach", suggesting that "the ability to operate with a small footprint and low-visibility, invest time and resources to foster interagency and foreign partnerships, develop deep cultural expertise, and rapidly adapt emerging technologies"

1938-710: The armed forces of the Crown and the maintenance of whose capabilities is the responsibility of the director of special forces or which are for the time being subject to the operational command of that director. The British Army and the Royal Marines also have special operations-capable forces that do not form part of the UKSF, such as the Pathfinder Platoon , 148 Meiktila Battery , 4/73 Sphinx Battery , and Mountain Leaders of

1995-562: The blokes have just nuked Kuwait!". The U.S. Air Force dropped several BLU-82s during the campaign to destroy Taliban and al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan to attack and demoralize personnel and to destroy cave complexes. American forces began using the bomb in November 2001 and again a month later during the Battle of Tora Bora . On 15 July 2008, airmen from the Duke Field 711th Special Operations Squadron, 919th Special Operations Wing dropped

2052-437: The bomb to clear or breach mine fields ; however, no reliable assessments of mine clearing effectiveness are publicly available. Later, bombs were dropped as much for their psychological effect as for their anti-personnel effects. Due to the size of the conventional blast, a British SAS unit that witnessed the explosion mistakenly assumed the U.S. had used a nuclear weapon and radioed back to their headquarters exclaiming, "Sir,

2109-605: The conflict in Lebanon. The conflict in Lebanon was the first official battlefield experience in post-communist times. The Special Forces Command (Tur.: Özel Kuvvetler Komutanlığı – ÖKK) is the main special forces unit of the Turkish Armed Forces , under the direct command of Turkish General Staff . Unit is particularly active in battle against PKK. Turkish Navy also have a special operations unit, Underwater Offence (Tur.: Sualtı Taaruz – SAT ). They have participated in

2166-570: The death knell for the CH-54's military service; the final National Guard flight was conducted on 10 January 1993. Following their withdrawal from military use, many CH-54s were acquired by civilian operators and thus continued to be used in this new capacity. Of these, Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon , operates the largest fleet of S-64 helicopters in the world under the name Erickson S-64 Aircrane . These can be equipped with water-dropping equipment (some also have foam/gel capability) for firefighting duties worldwide. After obtaining

2223-570: The forces of partner countries, potentially in high-threat environments. The United States Special Operations Command ( USSOCOM or SOCOM ) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army , Marine Corps , Navy , and Air Force of the United States Armed Forces . The command is part of the Department of Defense and

2280-401: The helicopter record for highest altitude in level flight at 11,000 m (36,000 ft), which it set in 1971, as well at the fastest climb to 3,000, 6,000, and 9,000 m (10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 ft). On 20 April 1965, a CH-54A equipped with a people pod lifted 90 people, comprising its crew of three and 87 combat-equipped troops; this was the largest number of people to be lifted by

2337-568: The incorporation of fitting for the carriage of barges and of a specially-designed multipurpose "people pod" that was suited for use for personnel transport, paratroop operations, and even as a mobile hospital or mobile command post. On 9 May 1962, the first of three prototypes performed its maiden flight . It was subsequently tested by the US Army at Fort Benning while the other two underwent an evaluation in West Germany . During June 1963, it

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2394-581: The intelligence community was stronger, allowing special operations to move at the "speed of war". Special operations appropriations are costly: Its budget went from $ 2.3 billion in 2001 to $ 10.5 billion in 2012. Some experts argued the investment was worthwhile, pointing to the raid in May 2011 that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad , Pakistan. That raid was organized and overseen by Admiral William H. McRaven , who

2451-427: The last operational BLU-82 at the Utah Test and Training Range . CH-54 Tarhe The Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army . It is named after Tarhe , an 18th-century chief of the Wyandot Indian tribe whose nickname was "The Crane". The civilian version is the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane . Work on what would become

2508-412: The members of the resistance in fighting the German occupants. This included Operation Tempest and uprisings in Wilno , Lwów and 91 operators taking part in the Warsaw Uprising . Previous to the formation of the GROM unit Polish special operations rescued six CIA, DIA and NSA officers from Iraq on 25 October 1990. The Imperial Japanese Army first deployed army paratroops in combat during

2565-760: The minimum safe altitude for releasing this weapon is 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above ground level (AGL). The BLU-82 was originally designed to clear helicopter landing zones and artillery emplacements in Vietnam. The first use of a BLU-82 occurred on 22 March 1970, when one was dropped north of Long Tieng , Laos during Campaign 139 . During Operation Lam Son 719 in 1971 25 BLU-82 bombs were dropped on NVA and Pathet Lao forces in Laos . They were dropped by U.S. C-130 aircraft not only to clear landing zones, but also to strike against specific targets such as warehouses, vehicle parks, and enemy troop concentrations. South Vietnamese VNAF aircraft dropped BLU-82 bombs on NVA positions in desperation to support ARVN troops in

2622-483: The night of 6 December 1944. They were flown in Ki-57 transports , but most of the aircraft were shot down. Some 300 commandos managed to land in the Burauen area on Leyte. The force destroyed some planes and inflicted casualties before they were destroyed. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, there were wars between American colonists and Native American tribes. The United States established specialized Rangers . Learning frontier skills from friendly Native Americans

2679-439: The protection of key sites. The special forces group is also charged with carrying out precision strikes against critical enemy targets. Special Troops Command (Pol.: Wojska Specjalne ) is the fourth military branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland which includes the unit Grom and was officially formed in early 1990 after the fall of communism in 1989, in which the Polish Special Forces were first deployed into

2736-400: The special operation in question via characteristics such as simplicity, security, rehearsals, surprise, speed, and clearly but narrowly defined purpose. Others claimed that special operations' emphasis precipitated a misconception that it was a substitute for prolonged conflict. "Raids and drone strikes are rarely decisive tactics and often incur significant political and diplomatic costs for

2793-925: The type certificate and manufacturing rights in 1992, Erickson remains the manufacturer. A large number of surviving airframes exist in flyable condition as well as in museum collections worldwide. General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Special operations Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO , by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations may include reconnaissance , unconventional warfare , and counterterrorism , and are typically conducted by small groups of highly trained personnel, emphasizing sufficiency, stealth, speed, and tactical coordination, commonly known as special forces . In World War II , following advice from

2850-474: The unavoidable challenges posed by the local geography; instead, they were almost entirely dependent on air support provided by rotorcraft such as the CH-54. The type would operate so close to the frontlines that several would come under fire from the North Vietnamese. One unusual use of the type came under the Combat Trap programme, which saw it drop 10,000 lb bombs, intended for clearing landing zones. One danger that its crews had to maintain awareness of

2907-444: Was already working on the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane , a civil-orientated heavy lift rotorcraft that was designed specifically for the purpose of carrying large payloads externally; the development of a military-configured derivative was viewed as a natural option. While Sikorsky were quick to recognise the advantages of adopting turboshaft propulsion, there were no suitable engines of that type initially available, thus it had to work with

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2964-441: Was also praised for being relatively easy to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR). Considerable attention was paid to the fuselage's design, particularly to minimising weight and maintenance requirements. The landing gear was designed to kneel to make loading easier as well as to ease operations from sloped surfaces. From on onset, Sikorsky sought to enable the type to carry as diverse a range of cargoes as possible, leading to

3021-423: Was announced that the US Army had placed an order for an initial six helicopters, designating it as the CH-54A ; the first of these was officially accepted on 30 June 1963. Following a relatively brief period of testing and evaluation, the CH-54 was quickly put into active use in Vietnam. Early on, the type had demonstrated itself to possess unrivalled performance in some aspects. As of 2014 , it continues to hold

3078-476: Was both a student and practitioner of special operations, having published a thesis on them in the 1990s. McRaven's theory of special operations was that they had the potential to achieve significant operational, political, or strategic effects. This potential required such units to be organized and commanded by special operations professionals rather than being subsumed into larger military units or operations, and required that "relative superiority" be gained during

3135-408: Was largely employed in an intelligence-gathering role, while Z Special Force undertook direct action missions. One of its most notable actions came as part of Operation Jaywick , in which several Japanese ships were sunk in Singapore Harbour in 1943. A second raid on Singapore in 1944, known as Operation Rimau , was unsuccessful. On 20 September 1940 the Polish government in exile in London formed

3192-416: Was the strong downwash generated by the rotors; nearby tents were particularly at risk of being blown away. As a heavy transport helicopter, capable of retrieving numerous types of downed aircraft, it proved to be highly successful. The Tarhe can hold its cargo up and tight against its center spine to lessen drag and eliminate the pendulum effect when flying forward, as well as winch vehicles up and down from

3249-411: Was vital for maintaining deterrence and countering aggression. "Special operations forces forge relationships that can last for decades with a diverse collection of groups: training, advising, and operating alongside other countries' militaries, police forces, tribes, militias or other information groups." The Special Air Service Regiment , 1st Commando Regiment , and 2nd Commando Regiment are among

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