The unknown Army aircraft that flew a tank

Harold C. Hutchison
Updated onOct 22, 2021 7:23 AM PDT
1 minute read
Army photo

SUMMARY

When you think ‘sherpa,’ the first thing that comes to mind is probably the folks who help people climb Mount Everest. Unless you’re a pro, you’re probably not thinking about the Army’s C-23 transport plane. Wait, the Army has a tran…

When you think 'sherpa,' the first thing that comes to mind is probably the folks who help people climb Mount Everest, not an Army aircraft. Unless you're a pro, you're probably not thinking about the Army's C-23 transport plane.


Wait, the Army has a transport plane? That's right. You see, the Army operates unarmed, fixed-wing aircraft. After the Army and Air Force split, the Air Force got the armed aircraft in the divorce settlement.

One of the unarmed transports the Army flies is the C-23 Sherpa. According to MilitaryFactory.com, the Sherpa was acquired to serve as an intra-theater transport between U.S. Army bases in Europe. However, the plane soon took on responsibilities beyond that limited role. The C-23 can haul up to 30 troops or three pallets of cargo. The plane is also capable of using smaller runways than the C-130 Hercules and is cheaper to operate than a CH-47 Chinook. With a top speed of 281 miles per hour and a range of 771 miles, this particular aircraft soon found work outside Europe as well.

A C-23 Sherpa over Europe in the 1980s. (Photo from USAF)

According to a 2014 United States Army release, the C-23 was used in the American peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula. The plane was also a valuable asset during Operation Iraqi Freedom, moving cargo to places where C-130s couldn't land, which was particularly valuable in humanitarian relief missions.

Related: This is what happened when a C-130 aircraft and a C-17 had a baby

Ultimately, the United States bought 62 airframes and, aside from losing one in a crash, the planes remained in service until it was retired in 2014 to be replaced by the C-27J Spartan. Still, the C-23 isn't going away just yet. Ethiopia, Djibouti, and the Philippines are receiving some of these short-haul airlifters as second-hand assets. As for the C-27J, it was retired by the Air Force and Air National Guard without replacement.

A US Army (USA) C-23B Sherpa aircraft assigned to Company H, 171st Aviation Regiment unloads Soldiers at an undisclosed airfield in Iraq, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. (USAF photo)

To learn more about this aircraft, check out the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEFhQEPJAzw

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