Tactical Global Delivery of 0.5-5 Ton Cargo Vehicles with Rocket Cargo

The demand for rapid logistics response to deliver cargo globally is becoming critical, especially in military operations. Traditional transportation methods, such as aircraft or marine vessels, are insufficient for immediate supply needs. Rocket delivery via space offers a solution, but conventional launch vehicles are not typically designed for reentry, limiting their cargo capacity and delivery locations. Inversion Space Company proposes a novel logistics approach to bridge the gap between multi-hour and sub-55-minute deliveries anywhere on Earth. Rocket Cargo technology, particularly for military payloads, can revolutionize rapid delivery. While traditional payloads range from 30 to 100 tons, many military needs fall within the 0.5 to 5-ton class, which would significantly benefit from sub-1-hour global access. This category, termed "Tactical" cargo delivery, is strategically and tactically valuable, offering Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) enhanced flexibility during conflicts. Initial studies identify three critical payload subclasses: 0.5 tons, 2 tons, and 5 tons. Tactical cargo delivery applications include deploying reconnaissance and surveillance equipment, such as intelligence gathering tools and surveillance drones; munitions delivery, including air-to-surface missiles, man-portable missiles, and loitering munitions; electronic warfare, providing jamming technology to disrupt enemy communications, GPS, or radar, and electronic countermeasures; troop support and resupply, delivering essential supplies like medical kits, food, and ammunition; and infrastructure support, supplying emergency repair materials for forward bases, roads, bridges, or utilities. The concept of operations (CONOPS) for point-to-point tactical delivery involves using multiple small payloads, allowing diverse landing sites and direct delivery to personnel. This approach leverages the commercial launch industrial base fostered by the Department of the Air Force (DAF), utilizing small and medium-class rockets from remote launchpads to create strategic ambiguity for adversaries. A cost-effective approach to distributed warehousing involves storing cargo in reentry vehicles in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), designed to loiter for extended periods. This concept, akin to "War Reserve Materials in Space," ensures continuous geographic coverage, with initial studies suggesting global coverage with 33 Arc vehicles and targeted coverage of Taiwan with just nine, leveraging their cross-range capability.