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In the immediate post-World War II period, Army aviation began to evolve from an observatory role to a mobility role. Helicopter air mobility began to develop in the Army from 1949 onwards. The outbreak of the Korean war assisted and accelerated the acceptance of greater helicopter air mobility within the Army. The Eisenhower period was a golden age for Army aviation, with rapid and extensive developments in air mobility doctrine and tactics. There was also a strong research and development effort to overcome the initial technological lag. These developments allowed the formation of the first air mobile division in 1965 to meet the growing demands of the Vietnam war. This work gives a new understanding of the process of military innovation. Moreover, this case study has important general implications for future military policy-making.
List of contents
Foreword by Ellis D. Parker, Lt. Gen., U.S. Army (Ret.)
Preface
Acronyms and Abbreviations
The Early YearsPrecursor: The Creation of Organic Army Aviation
Expansion: Postwar Modernization and the Korean War
The Eisenhower PeriodAir Mobility Rationales Under the "New Look" Policy
High-Level Support for Air Mobility
Putting Theory into Practice
Structural Handicap of Army Aviation
The SixtiesIntervention Contingencies and Counterinsurgency
Epilogue
Appendix
Bibliographic Note
Index
About the author
CHRISTOPHER C.S. CHENG is a Manager of the Yung Shing Enterprise Co. in Hong Konge He has a doctorate from the Department of War Studies, King's College, University of London.
