Airhead

An airhead is a designated area in a hostile or threatened territory which, when seized and held, allows the air landing of further teams and materiel via an airbridge, and provides the maneuver and preparation space necessary for projected operations. Normally, it is the area seized in the assault phase of an airborne operation. It may also be used as a staging or refueling point for less permanent operations.

Typically, an airhead is established by helicopter-landed or paratrooper forces, and often will take place at an airport (to allow conventional transport to land later on) or at a helicopter or glider-accessible area.

Notable airhead operations include

See also

• Beachhead
• Bridgehead
• Lodgement

References

Look up airhead in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• DOD: Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. United States of America: US Department of Defense. June 5, 2003.