[[Image:HALO Jump Congo Packman Yuma Proving Ground (thumbnail).jpg|Army MSG "Congo" Easterling, the Tandem Master, and his passenger Army SGT "Packman" Eatmon, while assigned to the Military Free Fall committee. Both parachuters were wearing oxygen systems, ruck sacks and rifles.]]
HALO jump at about 15,000 feet over Yuma Proving Ground, AZ
Photo by: USMC SGT Mike Black


Military Free Fall Parachute Badge

HALO/HAHO

Military free-fall form of insertion.

Purpose:

Delivering personnel, equipment, or supplies.

HALO

High-Altitude/Low-Opening

HAHO

High-Altitude/High-Opening

Origins:

Atributed to SEAL Team SIX.
Perfected by U.S. special forces.

HALO/HAHO is a military term for a method of delivering personnel, equipment, or supplies from an airlift aircraft that is flying at high altitudes to avoid enemy attacks. [1]

HALO is an acronym for High Altitude-Low Opening, while HAHO stands for High Altitude-High Opening. Both are different forms of military free-fall (parachute) insertion. [1] [1]

The origins of the method is attributed to SEAL Team SIX; perfected later by U.S. special forces. [1]

Table of contents
1 Forms of insertion
2 List of HALO/HAHO capable military units
3 Related topics
4 External links
5 References

Forms of insertion

The HALO technique is used for delivering equipment, supplies, or personnel, while the HAHO technique is used to deliver personnel only. In a typical HALO/HAHO insertion, the airplane will fly at altitudes of over 10,000 feet.


Altitude chamber at Langley AFB, VA
Photo by: Master Sgt. Val Gempis

HALO

The HALO technique is used to airdrop supplies, equipment, or personnel at high altitudes when aircrafts can fly above enemy skies without posing a threat to the load. [2] [1]

Equipment or supplies delivering

For military cargo airdrops, the rigged load is pulled from the aircraft by a stabilizing parachute. The load then proceeds to free-fall to a low altitude where a cargo parachute opens to allow a low-velocity landing. Military personnel will later move to the landing point in order to secure the equipment or to unpack the supplies. [2]

Personnel delivering

See also: SEAL Team SIX.

The origins of the HALO technique could be traced back to SEAL Team SIX of the United States Navy. The team pioneered the use of military free-fall exercises when the U.S. military needed to deliver soldiers to boats and other large operational gears for military personnel delivering or target neutralization. SEAL Team SIX perfected the HALO method by jumping from altitudes upward of 36,000 feet with oxygen masks. [1]

In a typical HALO exercise, the parachuter will jump from the aircraft, free-fall for a few seconds and open his parachute at a low altitude.


HALO jump at McChord AFB
Photo by: Senior Airman Jeffrey Allen.

Health risks

See also: Earth's atmosphere, Hypoxia.

At high altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere, the oxygen quantities required for human respiration become thin. A typical HALO exercise will require the use of an oxygen mask, as the parachuter jumps from an altitude upwards of 12,000 feet. [1]

This type of technique is dangerous to human health, as the lack of oxygen can lead to suffering hypoxia. Hypoxia may cause lost of conciousness, which in consequence puts the parachuter in a mortal risk situation, as he can suffer death from landing impact by not being capable of opening his own parachute. [1]

Typical equipment

In a typical HALO exercise, a parachuter will jump with: [1]

  • an altimeter
  • an automatic rip cord pulling device:
    • if the parachuter descends past a pre-set altitude, but hasn't opened his parachute yet, the device will read the air pressure and approximate the current altitude of the parachuter; if this approximation is less than the one pre-set, the device will open the parachute automatically.
  • a knife
  • a helmet
  • a pair of gloves
  • a pair of military free-fall boots (designed for ankle support)
  • an oxygen bottle and mask (if jumping over 12,000 feet)


25,000 feet jump over the Arizona desert
Photo by: Master Sgt. Val Gempis

HAHO

The HAHO technique is used to airdrop personnel at high altitudes when aircrafts can fly above enemy skies without posing a threat to the jumpers.

In a typical HAHO exercise, the parachuter will jump from the aircraft and deploy his parachute at a high altitude, 10–15 seconds later after the jump (typically at 27,000 feet or so). The parachuter will use a compass to guide himself while flying for 30 or more miles. The soldier will use way points and terrain features to navigate to his desired landing zone, and along the way, he must correct his course for changes in wind speed and direction; making for a tricky navigation problem. [1]

Team jump

The HAHO technique is also used for delivering military teams. The team will jump from the aircraft and form up in a stack while flying in the air with their parachutes. Usually, the parachuter in the lowest position will set the travel course and act as a guide for his other team members. [1]

List of HALO/HAHO capable military units

Related topics

External links

Books / Online Courses

Former HALO/HAHO paratroopers sites

Official military sites

References

Expert advises

  1. Divine, Mark (2004). Navy SEALs Air Operations - Free Fall: HALO/HAHO (used with permission). US Navy SEAL 1989 to present. Founder of NavySEALs.com.

Images

  1. Allen, Jeffrey (July 1997). High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump at McChord AFB. US Air Force. United States of America.
  2. Gempis, Val (July 1997). A Bad Altitude. Airman. US Air Force. United States of America.
  3. Black, Mike. HALO jump over Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. US Marine Corps. United States of America.

Works / Documents / Articles

  1. US DOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms. US Department of Defense. United States of America.
  2. US DOD (June 5, 2003). US DOD Dictionary of Military Terms: Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations. US Department of Defense. United States of America.
  3. McKenna, Pat (July 1997). A Bad Altitude. Airman. US Air Force. United States of America.
  4. US Army Infantry School (November 1, 1995). Lesson 3: Airlift Requests and Personnel Used in Airborne. Fundamentals of Airborne Operations, Edition B. US Army Infantry School. US Army. United States of America.