combatreform.org/aircommandos.htm

1. Joint Attack Pathfinder Maneuver Air Support Teams
2005

2. To prepare for the fast-moving battlefield situations of WW2, the
German Army had WW1 Ace Fieseler design a small, light fixed-wing
airplane that could land without need of runways to co-locate itself
with their blitzkrieg tank forces (panzers). The Fi-156 “Storch” to this
day is a remarkable plane that can take off in under 150 feet and land
in under 50, the world’s first STOL aircraft! The Fi- 156’s wings could
fold so it could be towed on a trailer or using its own landing gear.
Fi-156s were so great they were built after the war, too! The 3,000
German Fi-156s gave Rommel a birds’ eye view of his battles, saved
downed pilots, rescued Mussolini in a commando raid, flew wounded
men back to hospitals, in desert, mud, snow...
Fi-156 Storch
F-8 Bearcat
After the war, the French built Fi-156s and towed folding wing
fighter-bombers into action in Indo-China for air support

3. During WW2, Korea and Vietnam, U.S. Army/marine forces
had light liaison aircraft that could be co-located with
them on the ground with folding wings and could be towed
by trucks (today UAVs move by trailer), were very simple to
maintain to fly continuously overhead and report back
enemy activities for artillery barrages, aircraft strikes and
their own decisive “Maneuver Air Support” (MAS) with light
weaponry before enemy could flee; Cessna (L-19) O-1 Bird
Dog light plane could take off and land in a football field but
was slow (100 mph), unarmored and unable to defend itself...
Here an Army Grasshopper plane is put on back of a truck and
taken to a ship where it will launch off a small deck for the invasion
of North Africa
Major Strong’s excellent account of Bird Dogs
in Vietnam War: www.strongware.com/23

4. Bird Dog replacement: OV-1 Mohawks can short-take-off and
land under 1,000 feet like O-1 but faster (300 mph), armed &
armored: the ultimate “Grasshopper” liaison aircraft for
modern, non-linear battlefields!
Mohawks were so successful they were taken from troops
and made into surveillance platforms flown from air bases
far to rear; helicopters are too difficult to keep flying, noisy,
slow; UAVs lack peripheral vision and investigative instinct
= result U.S. troops no longer have Maneuver Air Support!

5. Any flat surface 400 feet or more
OV-1 Mohawks can land & take off from to be
co-located with ground maneuver units and act
as liaison--direct coordination insures understanding
Real World Imagery from Iraq

6. OV-1 Mohawks are designed to be operated from field environment not
airfields to be responsive to troops and remain overhead continuously
This easy-to-maintain MAS capability yet to be fully exploited!

7. Attack: Human Airborne Forward Air Controllers (AFACs)
in OV-1 Mohawks have excellent visibility to investigate
signs of enemy activity and down-link live video imagery to
Pathfinders below who can coordinate air strikes and/or
ground maneuver from M113 Gavin light tracked armored
fighting vehicles

8. As video imagery is fed down to Ground FAC Pathfinders
below; objects of interest can be safely investigated by
human observers in the air before lethal fires are bought to
bear: preventing fratricide
“I See a suspicious bus on your video feed, should you attack it?”

9. “Negative. Its CNN”

10. “We see a mortar in a
courtyard!”
“Engage! Its not ours!”

11. Attack Element can hit enemies
before they can run since OV-1
carries light armaments; can also
direct GFAC Pathfinders to laser
target designate for other strike
aircraft with heavier ordnance to
be brought to bear…air helps
those on ground and ground
helps air = TEAMWORK!

12. Other Capabilities: Mohawks can drop supply pods to units in need
of ammunition, food, water, radios medical items with great
precision…can fight way through enemy opposition to sustain our
men, during Army’s 3rd ID’s “Thunder Run” into Baghdad this could
have helped greatly...

13. OV-1 Mohawk Towing Parameters: once on the ground,
they don’t need airbases; can be parked alongside tactical
ground vehicles until needed…troops always have MAS
48 feet
22 feet
10 feet
12 feet 12 feet
Standard Highways are 12 foot wide

14. Proposed OV-1 Mohawk wings folded on trailer enhancement
At Fort Hood, Texas
5 foot overhang Mohawks were
routinely towed on
onto opposite trailers when flight
lane if only line ops were not planned
separated still and they needed to be
close to ground units
leaves 7 feet to
pass
5 foot overhang
over road shoulder
Lead convoy vehicles
screen vehicles
ahead like when
moving a double-wide
motor home

15. o ds Snow Aviation International, Inc.
ft M
7201 Paul Tibbets St.
cra Rickenbacker International Airport
Air Columbus, OH 43217-1204
Phone: (614) 492-7669
FAX: (614) 492-7679
E-MAIL: snow@snowaviation.com

16. Joint Attack Pathfinder Team Attack Element
Driver Gunner Chief
Pilot Observer
mechanic mechanic mechanic Pathfinder Element
Driver TC/Leader GFAC GFAC
Driver TC/AsstL GFAC GFAC

17. Joint Attack Pathfinder MAS Teams
Operational prototype costs
Purchase 2 x OV-1s fr/ USAF AMARC $50K
Refurbish to flight status $100K
Electro-optical sensors $300K
IRCM, Chaff, rockets, gunpods GFE
High-Mobility Trailer $25K
XM1108 Gavin prime mover $400K
2 x M113A3 Gavin GFAC TAFVs $200K
2 x Laser designators GFE
2 x Air/Ground Radio systems GFE
Folding Wing Modifications $4, 935K
(one time R&D costs)
Contract staff for 2 years $400K
_______________________________________
TOTAL $7.2M

18. Any Questions?