Quote Originally Posted by Distiller View Post
All these large airborne formations are of no use in a real war.
How do you deploy them? Parachuting into a SAM infested red zone? Got some airlifters too many?
That would be sort of dumb. Why would one do that? Why not go where the SAMs are not?

Once they jumped they are just light infantry, since no U.S. airborne unit has BMD style vehicles to make the final dash to the objective.[
One presumes you've never fought good light infantry. They can really ruin your day and contrary to many myths, they do not end up being speed bumps for tanks. As for BMDs, a really poor little vehicle that offers great mobility and little else. I suppose what and where the objective was might determine ones need to dash...

And I don't even start talking about supplying a brigade from the air ...
Why not; with air superiority, it can be done easily today and has been done with difficulty in the past with smaller birds. Though I don't think anyone really contemplates that at this time.

Air-transportable yes (as much as possible).
Bad idea -- then you have the minuses of 'light infantry' and none of the pluses of Armor nor the flexibility of parachutes. Plus, how are you going to initially seize that airfield for your air trans troops to land?

Airborne only up to battalion level (mechanized airborne = cavalry, if possible).
That's the doctrine; higher formations exist for training control, a godfather role (to protect little battalions from those in the system who would hurt them -- or don't know what they can do... ) and limited tactical employment when feasible.

Airmobile - fancy word. Every light infantry unit should be capable of that...
Agreed.

Own dedicated formations? No. And why? Airbornes don't have C-17 attached to them, either.
I have no idea what you meant there.

@ all this "Special" forces thing: What about getting regular infantry units into shape, instead of creating the fifth or six service branch?
That's happening here; how about yours?

But isn't it, that everybody tries to get away from dirty and dangerous and into more technicalized units, and those who can't make it end up in infantry? Negative selection...
Once upon a time; pretty much passe now. We finally realized that Infantry takes as much skill as most; more than many. Your info seems dated in this as well as the foregoing.

...And then if you need infantry units that really do the job you have to start anew (and pin SOCOM on them)?
SOCOM should be really limited to politically/diplomatically/militarily "toxic" missions.
That effectively is the case with only slight exceptions. Most of those exceptions are due to interservice / intraservice turf and political battles more than operational concerns or TODAYS infantry capability. I don't know any Armed forces that escape that foolishness...