The impact of wingships on strategic lift

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Author
Olds, Bradley Lohrbauer
Date
1993-09Advisor
Boger, Dan C.
Second Reader
Marsh-Jones, B.Y.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Operation Desert Shield highlighted tremendous problems with our nation's ability to efficiently move our army and equipment to distant theaters. The wingship, a hybrid air/surface craft is a potential solution to our long- standing sealift deficit. The Sealift Parametric Analysis Model, a simulation provided by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, was modified to adapt wingships so that the vessel's impact on force closure could be analyzed. For a notional force requiring 19 million square feet of combat gear and support equipment, wingships augmenting conventional sealift assets can move the needed equipment into the South Korea or Persian Gulf theaters much faster than is currently possible. Even with the large amount of additional square footage of cargo- carrying capability already programmed for further sealift assets, troops can be deployed and supported much more quickly with wingships. Given the diverse global threat in this rapidly changing world, wingships provide a strategic deterrent of tremendous value to our nation and to our allies