An ______ is the movement of friendly assault forces by RW aircraft to engage and destroy enemy forces or to seize and hold key terrain.

• A. Air Assault
• B. Airborne Insertion
• C. Air Cavalry
• D. Aerial Raid

Answer: (A)

Air assault is the movement of assault forces by rotary-wing aircraft to engage and destroy enemy forces or to seize and hold key terrain. Troops are lifted by helicopters into a landing zone, often under the protection of accompanying air and ground fires, allowing a rapid, surprise entry and the ability to reach objectives that ground or fixed-wing operations can’t easily access. This approach emphasizes massed helicopter lift and direct ground assault, unlike airborne insertion where troops are dropped by parachute from fixed-wing aircraft, or other air operations focused on raids or reconnaissance without a mass helicopter assault into a landing zone.