It is the transport aircraft which supports ground forces in all facets of their operations as a wonder workhorse. These aircraft turn into aerial angels when used for speedy casualty evacuation, act as airborne command posts when required, and even take on the role of mean makeshift bombers for pulverising enemy positions—preparing the ground and making it easier for final assault by ground troops.

In the dead of night none of the Al-Qaeda belligerents would have known in their dying moments as to what tore through the clear night sky smashing into their vehicle with the force of a powerful bomb, rending men and machine to smithereens. But was the weapon fired from a high-speed fighter jet as would be generally believed? No, as it stands, there were no “glamour boys” in their mean fighting machines in the vicinity but a lumbering US military C-130 air transporter, performing the role of an airborne howitzer.

The Mach-2, afterburning, super-cruising, variable-thrust, with stealth and ultimate manoeuerability fighter may be the everlasting toast of the military aviation fraternity, but it is the transport aircraft which really support the ground forces in all facets of their operations as a wonder workhorse. From the word go, the very design of the military transport aircraft has lent itself to multi-role capability. The cavernous hold of the aircraft is easily modifiable to undertake multifarious air transportation tasks; be it carrying men and material into combat zone or air dropping troops and all kinds of cargo into the battle area. These aircraft turn into aerial angels when used for speedy casualty evacuation, act as airborne command posts when required, and even take on the role of mean makeshift bombers for pulverising enemy positions–preparing the ground and making it easier for final assault by ground troops.

Clubbed into three main categories, military aircraft come in different sizes and shapes to perform their basic roles as strategic, tactical, and strategic/tactical roles. Strategic airlift involves transportation of material, weaponry or personnel over long inter-theatre or inter-continental distances and is performed by aircraft such as the US Lockheed Martin C-141 or C-5 Galaxy and, the Russian Antonov An-124 Ruslan or An-225 Mriya behemoths. On the other hand, tactical airlifters–like the C-130 Hercules and Transall C-160 and their lighter siblings, the C-27 Spartan and An-32–move supplies within a given theatre of operations. Yet, another breed of aircraft perform a mix of strategic and tactical roles with the latest US marvel Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and the much older Russian IL-76 falling in this category.