This is a real delivery: airdropping Humvees from transport aircraft

If you have ever worked as a courier, you will know that some deliveries are easier to make than others. It depends on traffic, on designated parking zones, on opening hours… And if you have never done it, you will have seen how these urban heroes move around, so you can imagine the difficulties their job involves. But what if the delivery is several Humvees in enemy territory, and they have to reach their destination no matter what, under enemy fire and with no possibility of a loading and unloading area?

Armed forces in many countries deployed overseas face this challenge, and they have to put their ingenuity to work to get vehicles to their destination and, on top of that, in perfect condition. Since driving them there is ruled out from the start, the cars have to be taken by air, using transport aircraft that fly into these hostile territories and leave them on the spot.

A complicated delivery with complex preparation

As the aircraft cannot land, carry out the unloading manoeuvre and climb back into the air, the vehicles have to be dropped onto the terrain with several parachutes. These will allow these armored vehicles, which have a total weight of 2,500 kilos, to reach the ground gently, so they can be recovered by the soldiers waiting for them and taken to the base camp.

It is an extremely complex manoeuvre and requires very demanding preparation. The Humvees are housed in a steel cage that protects them from impacts, and the parachutes are attached to it. The US Army uses C-17 aircraft for transport, which can carry 8 of these vehicles. Once the aircraft flies over the selected terrain, the hold opens and a launch system allows four of them to be in the air within seconds.

Just two seconds after release, the parachutes open and allow the vehicle to reach the ground without problems and completely safely. This process could be seen in one of the Fast & Furious films, in which Toretto and company’s cars were dropped with a similar system. A truly spectacular operation that puts the cars where they need to be, no matter what. Would you like to watch the video? It is truly impressive…

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