Many logistics folks (myself included) have
struggled with the challenge of trying to devise an effective palletized system that is
compatible with the HMMWV. Many of these have
included some form of PLS to make loading and unloading easier. Others have proposed going with a 2-ton limit that
could be carried by the Heavy Hummer variant. My
4 years as a full time mechanic on HMMWVs and 4 additional years as a professional
civilian truck mechanic have led me to a different system.
Because the HMMWV body is made of aluminum,
carrying larger weights can be a challenge. The
shape of the rear bed also poses problems, as we either have to remain between the wheel
wells, above the wheel wells, or devise a really odd shape for the pallet. PLS realistically cannot be incorporated into the
HMMWV because of these requirements. We
can’t completely eliminate the need for MHE in the field because of the need to move
and replace engines, transmissions, and power packs.
Because of these realities, I propose a 1-ton pallet.
This pallet could be carried between the wheel wells of any HMMWV so we maximize on the existing investment in trucks. The bottom of the pallet will feature raised nubs that lift the pallet high enough for the forks of a forklift to fit underneath. The nubs will also be rounded allowing for the pallet to be slid on smooth, even surfaces (like the floor of a helicopter). The pallet should also be made of a high-strength, lightweight composite material but it needs to remain very cheap, as we will be using these for purposes other than material transport.
Most HMMWV cargo can still be carried more
efficiently in a non-palletized arrangement. Where
this system would be effective is in offering a method for rapid and efficient delivery of
critical supplies to forward units. These
pallets would be deliverable by HMMWV or M113 (carried internally). They could also be direct delivered via the Fast
Rope Delivery System.
Currently, to efficiently transport large amounts of supplies by
helicopter requires the use of the sling loading method.
But many situations exist that prevent this method from being practical. Sling loading greatly limits the speed and
maneuverability of the helicopter and it also introduces a highly dangerous static
electricity problem. Current practices for
carrying supplies internally require the helicopter to land or nearly land in order to off
load the supplies, again putting the helicopter into a highly dangerous position. But we don’t have these limitations for off
loading personnel!
What if we were to take a simple, spring loaded tension block and
put it on the end of a cargo sling that attaches to a 1-ton pallet that just so happens to
be designed to slide on a helicopter floor? Hook
it up, throw the rope out the side, shove the pallet out the door, and the tension block
slows the speed of the pallet down enough so it doesn’t destroy the load on impact. The block releases automatically when the pallet
hits the ground and the weight is relieved from the block.
I call this the Fast Rope Delivery System.
FRDS could vastly improve on our ability to direct deliver supplies
to forward troops. It would greatly reduce
the amount of time that the helicopter and ground personnel would have to remain in a
vulnerable position. It allows the helicopter
to fly at higher speeds, greater ranges, and NOE profiles to further improve
survivability. And by using the cheap and
versatile 1-ton pallet, we don’t need to worry about retrieving the pallets until
after actions are over as they can be used elsewhere.
This system would be a great step forward to the objective goal of having the ability to fully support combat forces through the air under most all conditions. Smaller loads of rations, ammo, water, and other needed items could be direct delivered under most all conditions to forward units for situations where traditional logistics systems are unable to deliver the supplies. And this capability comes from cheap technology that can easily be adapted to our current transport helicopters.
The pallets themselves would be of an ideal dimension to fill some additional roles. For example, troop-carrying HMMWVs can hang two pallets from each side for basic fragmentation protection. The pallets could be used on other platforms as spaced armor for improved protection against shaped charges. The dimensions of this pallet would be ideal as overhead cover for fighting positions. You could also link them together to form a floor in larger tents that require one to prevent items from being exposed to water intrusion (med tents, command tents with commo and computer gear, etc.). While the nubs on the bottom will tend to cause the platform to dig in when airdropped, this is nothing that a capable forklift operator cannot account for.
This system would offer the flexibility of having a smaller package for time-critical supplies available for air transport or they could be carried on 7.5-ton or 15-ton PLS pallets. It should be very cheap to develop and field and can fill a variety of badly needed roles within the current force.