The Caribou airlifter flies so low through the mountains and valleys of eastern Afghanistan that it’s invisible from the ground … until it’s right on top of you. The Vietnam-era, twin-engine cargo plane with the cranked wings and bulbous nose appears suddenly, racing just a couple hundred feet over the U.S. Army outpost on the outskirts of Marzak, in remote Paktika province. At a precisely timed moment, the Caribou pitches upward. A dozen black plastic pallets tumble from its cargo hold and, parachutes unfurling, drift down onto a snowy field adjacent to the American base. The Caribou, hundreds of pounds lighter, dives for the safety of a nearby valley.
The dramatic “Low-Cost, Low-Altitude” (LCLA) resupply, which I witnessed numerous times during my week at Marzak in January, represents the latest tactic in the high-stakes logistical campaign that underpins the U.S.-led war effort. Along with robot trucks, robot helicopters, “smart” parachutes, hybrid trucks and even airships, it’s also evidence of the Pentagon’s never-ending quest for better resupply methods.
Related posts:
- Video: Robot Copter in Afghanistan
- Danger Room: Marines’ Robot Cargo-Chopper Takes Flight in Afghanistan
- Danger Room: Marines Want iPads to Control Robo-Copter Brains
- The Diplomat: Afghanistan’s Supply Problem
- Danger Room: U.S.-Backed Militia Fortifies Afghanistan’s ‘Heart of Darkness’
- Danger Room: Video: Copter Crash Near Afghan Outpost Narrowly Misses Bystanders
- Requiem for the Afghanistan War
you know, Viking Air in Victoria, BC owns the rights on all ex DeHavilland airframes.
It is possible that the airframe is in fact new (though I doubt it).
I have no doubt however that it has been retrofitted up to todays standards, or at least could be through Viking Air.
Don’t know the background but just wanted to say that because saying that it is a “Vietnam era airframe” is a little misleading.