U.S. Army 25th Combat Aviation Brigade completed the large-scale air assault training exercise, according to a recent service news release.

Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy lines.

For air assault exercise, Soldiers waves loaded onto twenty CH-47 Chinook UH-60 Blackhawks helicopters to provided troop lift capability to air assault the Gimlets of 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division from Wheeler Army Airfield to Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on Big Island of Hawaii, Nov. 12.

CH-47 Chinook helicopters assigned to the Hillclimbers of 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment along with UH-60 Blackhawks assigned to 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment traveled 200 miles in the execution of this large muscle movement to move Soldiers and equipment intra-island for the upcoming exercise.

Air assault should not be confused with air attack, air strike, or air raid, which all refer to attack using solely aircraft (for example bombing, strafing, etc.).

Moreover, air assault should not be confused with an airborne assault, which occurs when paratroopers, and their weapons and supplies, are dropped by parachute from transport aircraft, often as part of a strategic offensive operation.