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{{short description|Designated area in hostile territory for landing transport aircraft}}
{{otheruses}}
{{History of war}}
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 (logistics)|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 forces|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 [[military glider|glider]]-accessible area.

Notable airhead operations include [[Battle of Crete]] and [[Operation Market Garden]] during [[World War II]], and [[United States invasion of Panama|Operation Just Cause]] in [[Panama]] in 1989. [[Operation Castor]] was intended to establish an offensive airhead, but quickly degenerated into the [[Siege of Dien Bien Phu]]. Another recent example includes the [[Battle of Hostomel Airport]].

==See also==
* [[Beachhead]]
* [[Bridgehead]]
* [[Lodgement]]

==References==
{{Wiktionary}}

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040117084621/http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/ ''DOD: Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms'']. United States of America: US Department of Defense. June 5, 2003.

[[Category:Airborne warfare|Head]]
[[Category:Military geography]]

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