The "Hunters" and the "Killers", Known as "Black Death"       To the Cav Troopers of the New 2nd US Cavalry Advanced Armored Cavalry Regiment, I Salute You! There are Hundreds of Pages and Opinions on How the Rapid Assult Force works. The response time, from articles read has been cut from 96 hours to 18 hours, which does not allow enough time for consultation between the Different Branches of Service. Based on some of the  principals of the Air Cav of the Vietnam Era, the Rapid Assult Force Troopers are Trained as Paratroopers, Helicopter Pilots, Armor and Mobil Air Defense Artillery. Further, the Troopers of this Elite Group will be trained in the latest Stealth Technology and Eye in the Sky. These Troopers are to have at their disposal  the Latest Equipment from ALL Branches, to provide Massive Firepower with Quick Strike Capabilities, known as the "Hunters" and "Killers". Below is a list of the Proposed Command Structure, Armaments and Air Transport/Support, along with descriptions of What is to Be Accomplished. Further Pages add Detail to the Armaments, Transports, etc. There is also a Photo Abum. Here is a description of what Q troup does: Rapidly deploy to a designated area of operations and occupy a tactical assembly area; conduct reconnaissance, security, and attack helicopter operations anywhere in the world; prepared to fight on arrival and win. The Outlaws provide reconnaissance, target acquisition, and attack helicopter capability to the world renowned 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light). Their weapon of choice is the armed OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. The Air Cavalry Troop in a Light Regimental Aviation Squadron consists of three platoons. They are named 1st, 2nd, and HQ. The 1st and 2nd platoon have 8 x OH-58D Kiowa Warriors each and are responsible for maintaining them and conducting missions in support of the Squadron and Regiment. The HQ platoon supports the line platoons with food, water, mail and anything else the members of the unit might need to perform their mission. The Outlaws have operated throughout the United States as well as in the Middle East, the Caribbean and Europe. While patrolling the waters of the Persian Gulf the Outlaw attacks on Iranian boats were swift and lethal. In response, the Iranians labeled these skilled Aviators "Black Death."  Command The 2nd AACR (LR-AMSG) would be commanded by a Brigadier General. His staff would include his Deputy Commander who would be from the U.S. Air Force to injure joint inter-operability. The 2nd AACR would be configured to plug into the Regional warfighting CINC’s Joint Land Force Component commander (JLFCC) or Task Force (TF) command structure as-is. Joint Regimental Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence (C4I) Regimental StaffDigital Geospatial Information Platoon Joint Airborne Air Assault Pathfinder Platoon (JAAPP)Military Intelligence "reach-back" Company Joint-operable Signal CompanyCombat Ground Mobility Battalion Pioneer Assault Company Expeditionary airfield construction company Sustainment Battalion Heavy Drop Parachute Rigger Detachment Nuclear, Biological, Chemical/smokescreen Warfare Company (M93 Fox, M58 Wolfs) Aeromedical Flight Company 3D "Blue Zone" Forces 1st, 2nd and 3rd Armored Cavalry Squadrons Gavin Cavalry Scout Troops: "The hunters" Replacing the current ineffective HMMWV trucks would be upgraded M113A3 Gavin Cavalry Scout Vehicles (G-CSVs) with "Leap Ahead" technologies: PHASE I Band tracks for no-maintenance/stealth RPG/autocannon resistant modular, situation-dependant applique armor Infared camouflage coverings to be invisible to thermal observation ASP-30mm autocannon for greater firepower than a .50 cal HMG FBCB2 C4I digital comms Lightweight hatches A crack, 4-man Scout Team on parachute jump status, also Air Assault helicopter qualified PHASE II Hybrid-Electric Drive for 600 mile range and silent operation Unlimited sensor use without having to give position away cranking engines to recharge LRAS sensor system or elevated mast sensor to see over the horizon in defilade Small 2-man All-Terrain Vehicle and folding All-Terrain Bikes for scouts to foray out from their Gavin which hold vital supplies for extended operations. The ATV could also be sent forward remotely to send back real-time information stream without compromising exact team locations. Selected Teams with a scout-tracker dog to provide elevated sensory awareness of signs of enemy and mines/explosives 30mm 1-man autocannon/Javelin ATGM turret Body narrowing to roll-on/roll-off from CH-47D/F helicopters The Gavin Cavalry Scout Troops would be on parachute jump status to deploy within 18 hours with the 82nd Airborne to provide a Battalion-sized covering force from Fort Polk, Louisiana. The Gavin CavScout Troop would continually train at the co-located Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) to hone complex terrain covering force skills to a high level, encapsulating lessons learned to drive the S&T program for the Tracer FSCS program and other AACRs to be stood up for the Army until the objective force is fielded. Once in the Drop Zone, the Gavin CavScout Troop could be maneuvered boldly by its own 2D propulsion with great degrees of stealth to catch the enemy by surprise or remain undetected as we shape the battlefield to our designs. Once organic 4th Air Cavalry Squadron CH-47D/F Chinook/SpeedHook helicopters are in the area of operation, they can be used to transport Gavin Scout Teams and their G-CSVs in short extended or projected FLOT movements to bypass problem areas and get into named areas of interest for intelligence gathering and positional security. We name the "leap ahead" M113A3/4 after Army Airborne General James M. Gavin who lead the way in creation of Army 3D Airborne and Air Assault forces by his forceful advocacy in writing, leadership-by-example in combat actions and tenure as Army’s Chief of Research and development in the 1950s. His famous quote is at the top of this document. Buford Cavalry Assault Vehicle Weapons Company: "the killers" The U.S. Army has learned the hard way in combat, that CavScouts must be protected by armored firepower when, not if stealth is lost. In WWII, the most effective combination was the armored scout carrier/light tank and we are replicating the wisdom of this robust, able-to-break enemy contact force structure by a scout APC/tank combination using "leap ahead" stealth technologies. Most of these are add-ons that can be done by the troops themselves. PHASE I Band tracks for no-maintenance/stealth RPG/autocannon resistant modular, situation-dependant applique armor Infared camouflage coverings to be invisible to thermal observation FBCB2 C4I digital comms Lightweight hatches 3-man crew on parachute jump status, also Air Assault helicopter qualified PHASE II Hybrid-Electric Drive for 600 mile range and silent operation Unlimited sensor use without having to give position away cranking engines to recharge Float screen (or better system) to swim like M551 Sheridan had Body narrowing to roll-on/roll-off from CH-47D/F helicopters The M8 B-CavAssault Vehicles provide shoot-on-the-move tank killing firepower to prevail/break contact in surprise meeting engagements if they cannot be avoided. They provide the full 105mm family of rounds to render fire support against enemy hard, point targets like bunkers, buildings, walls to facilitate recon and security forces as the dual escort vehicles for 2 x G-CavScout Vehicles. The M8 B-CAVs can fly by USAF C-130s and CH-53E/X helicopters of the Navy/Mc. We name the M8 after Union Army Cavalry General John Buford who seized the high ground at Gettysburg and defended it with firepower to insure we would fight our opponents on superior ground. This one action set the stage, shaping the battle for a decisive Union victory that insured a favorable outcome for the war and preservation of our nation’s union. Each Squadron’s Weapons company has a 120mm Mortar Troop using the M1064A3 Gavin Cavalry Mortar Vehicle (G-CMV) to provide immediate smoke, long-range area and precision indirect fires for the G-CSV Scout Teams in contact with the enemy. Nicknames: CavScout Vehicles = upgraded M113A3 Gavins CavAssault Vehicles = M8 Buford Armored Gun Systems CavMort Vehicles = M1064A3 Gavin 120mm mortar carriers Kinnard 4th Air Cavalry Squadron: "the flyers" Missing from today’s institutional memory is the great synergy that existed between the Air and Ground Cavalry units of the Vietnam war. UH-60N SpeedHawk Troop The Piasecki Vectored Thrust Ducted Propeller (VTDP) and wings system would be added to UH-60s to facilitate 200 mph and 2,000 mile range self-deployment capabilities and increase combat capability/survivability, creating a "SpeedHawk". UH-60L Blackhawks (before upgrades) and SpeedHawks after Phase II would operate as either armed gun/rocket/missile ships and as foot scout and Ridgway CavRecon Vehicle transports. CH-47D/F/G SpeedHook Squadron The Chinook Squadron facilitates air-mech movement of any Gavin equipped troop and/or Ridgways in the RSTA Squadron. They can bulk resupply units bypassing roads and obstacles to enhance, sustain deep recon and security operations. High-altitude stand-off precision parachutes like GPADS-L and GPADS-M can be attached to supply loads by the Regiment’s Riggers roll off the rear ramp of Chinooks to effect offset delivery away from enemy air defenses and maintain stealth for the unit being sustained. To gain self-deployability for the CH-47 Fleet would be even be cheaper than a UH-60 "Ring-Tail" modification because it would not involve any flight control modifications and some of the flight test data from the Boeing 347 project may be applicable. The Army Plans to replace the engines in the CH-47F model anyway, so why not adapt a turbine/turbofan to also propel it forward to create lift over wings and unload the rotors for higher speeds and longer-ranges? The wings and tail cone should be straight-forward. This concept would solve one of the chief complaints of a compound aircraft and that is the extra complexity associated with additional engines and or propeller systems and modified flight control systems. This would involve no increase in moving parts, assuming the gearbox transferring power from shafts to fan is about as complex as the one on their now. Pilot training would be minimal and maintenance would be very similar to current aircraft. A high-bypass turbofan would do wonders at reducing the heat exhaust of the turbo shafts by mixing the exhaust wit lots of cool air thus reducing the vulnerability of heat-seeking missiles. The extra 80+ mph or so would also reduce air defense exposure times and increase sortie rates up to 50% which would speed up aerial logistics and finally the extra range would allow the TSB to be placed farther away from the enemy. For the Army, the CH-47G SpeedHook configuration would offer reasonable self-deployability that meets General Shinseki's 96 hour timeline. It would also add fuel (range) without drag penalty like the MH-47 king size tanks do without any benefit. I beleive that the Hub Page for most of the pages I viewed to present this summary is:            http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/2116/2ndaacr.htm   Wally