As part of the operational activities of the IV Airborne Brigade and the courses offered by the School of Airborne Troops and Special Operations Troops “Captain Héctor Cáceres,” the Argentine Army and Air Force successfully completed the heavy load drop from a C-130H Hercules. The drops were carried out during the recent air cooperation exercise held in the province of Córdoba.
As in previous occasions, the operations took place at the Military Aviation School and the La Mezquita drop zone. Paratroopers from the Argentine Army and Air Force conducted both manual and automatic opening jumps over two days, including night jumps, as part of the Commando Course, the Parachuting Course, and the operational activities of the IV Airborne Brigade.
On this occasion, the air cooperation also included cargo drops, which involved eight A22 containers and the drop of a platform with an MB230G jeep.
It is worth noting that for this type of operation, the Paratrooper Aerial Drop Support Company 4 meticulously prepared all the involved materials in advance. This preparation included both the containers and the platform, a task that involves complexities due to all the factors affecting these activities.
Another point to consider is that the work with cargo is coordinated with Argentine Air Force personnel. When the containers or platforms are transported to the boarding area, members of the Section conduct a new check using a checklist, a process replicated by the FAA upon receiving the cargo. All this information is recorded in the corresponding documents and forms.
Regarding the movement of the containers and platforms, they are transported from the Section’s facilities to the boarding area using trailers and trucks. The loading into the C/KC-130 Hercules is done directly, with only the assistance of the present personnel, after reconfiguring the aircraft.
In this recent air cooperation exercise, the cargo drop was followed by a manual opening jump by the Air Force Military Parachuting Team and members of the Special Operations Group (GOE).
Acknowledgments: Argentine Army; IV Airborne Brigade.
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