Is the concept of mass vertical envelopment dead ?

I mean regiments and divisions parachuting into a battlefield. The last time the US Army awarded jump stars was in the 1960's if my history is correct.

I am not talking about small inserts of special ops troops but mass airborne drops.

Thoughts ?

Dave

Every battlefield has it's own requirements. If you make the assumption that the only wars will be in the desert, then there may not be a need for a mass jump.

But, I dounbt if future conflicts will all be in the desert. So I certainly see a need for the Airborne units.

If nothing else, they give the Rangers someone to pick on.

At least two more jumps of the 173rd Airborne Brigade - 22 Feb 1967 Operation Junction City - 319th Artillery and 26 Mar 2003 - Task Force Viking - Northern Iraq -