Aerial Cableways in the Army

History of Aerial Cableways in the Army

Military Aerial Cableways were used in the First World War by Italy and Austria to transport supplies to their troops in mountain sectors of the War front. Troops were often in high-altitude positions during the war & far removed from roads, mule tracks and pathways. Wherever such infrastructure existed, it generally followed the easiest routes and was therefore exposed to enemy fire. Providing the troops on the front line with a reliable supply of food and ammunition often required the building of new infrastructure.

Aerial Cableways were hence the solution and were built where they were needed, regardless of how difficult the terrain might be. Overcoming steep and impassable slopes, the engineers who built them had to deal with rock-falls and avalanches and sometimes work under enemy fire. The technical demands of the new Cableways were sometimes extreme. For example, Austrian Aerial Cableways had to cross large glaciers, requiring spans that had never before been attempted.

The Army built mechanized Aerial Cableways with spans of up to 2.5 km. Powered by gasoline, crude oil, electricity or steam; these engines had an output of 25 hp. The largest unsupported span was 500 meters.

Each day, a brigade required around 200 tons of supplies – food, equipment, clothing and ammunition. In 1915 all of this was brought up to the front line by mules, donkeys, civilians pressed into service, or prisoners of war. Under the harsh conditions in the mountains it could take well over an hour to cover one kilometre and both porters and pack animals required supplies themselves, as well as rest. Aerial Cableways could operate for 20 hours a day and reliably deliver 6 thousand quintals of supplies. Without Cableways it would have required 400 trucks with a thousand drivers, 2 thousand soldiers and 3 thousand pack animals to achieve the same.

Aerial Cableways for the Indian Army

For the Indian Army, M & M Ropeways has Designed, Manufactured and deployed Aerial Cableways to quickly transport troops and supplies across difficult terrain, such as rivers, mountains or dense forests, where traditional transportation means were limited or slow. We have installed the highest Cableway systems at 18,000 feet with temperatures dropping to -35 degrees Celsius (most inhospitable conditions) on the Siachen Glacier in the Greater Himalayas for the Indian Army, which are running absolutely trouble-free.

Some potential uses of Aerial Cableways in the Army:

It’s important to note that the specific use of Aerial Cableways in the army would depend on the operational context, terrain and the objectives of the mission. Additionally, advancements in technology may lead to the development of more sophisticated and versatile Cableway systems for military applications.