Airforces - Demo Hornet

Subscribe to http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

for breaking news stories. E-mail the news team

at [email protected]

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #365 AUGUST 2018 // 15

SOCOM plans

AC-130J laser

demo

US SPECIAL Operations

Command (SOCOM)

intends to run an

operational flight

demonstration of a

high-energy laser on

an AC-130J at the end

of fiscal year 2022.

Col Melissa Johnson,

programme executive

officer of SOCOM fixed-

wing aircraft, has now

confirmed that the

command has begun

purchasing subsystems.

“In addition to subsystem

component procurement,

assembly, ground

test, development of

structure to isolate

aircraft vibrations, and

flight test of an optical

window on AC-130J will

be accomplished,” she

told Air Force Magazine.

The demonstration

will provide insight on

future requirements,

which may involve high-

energy lasers installed

on different airframes.

Huey

replacement

basing plan

THE US Air Force has

confirmed that each

base currently operating

UH-1N Huey helicopters

will receive replacement

aircraft. The service is

currently in the process of

procuring a successor to

the Huey to support four

primary missions: nuclear

deterrence operations,

continuation of

government operations,

survival school support,

and test and training.

Current USAF UH-1N

locations include Eglin Air

Force Base’s Duke Field,

Florida; Fairchild AFB,

Washington; F E Warren

AFB, Wyoming; Joint

Base Andrews-Naval

Air Facility Washington,

Maryland; Kirtland AFB,

New Mexico; Malmstrom

AFB, Montana; and Minot

AFB, North Dakota.

Each of these

active-duty UH-1N

locations will receive

replacements pending

the outcome of an

environmental analysis.

A contract award

for the new aircraft is

anticipated later this

year and deliveries are

planned for 2020-32.

Nebraska Guard UH-72As deploy to Germany

FOUR US Army UH-72As
from the Nebraska Army
National Guard have been
deployed to Europe to carry
out medevac missions from
Hohenfels, Germany. The
Lakotas, from C Company
of the 1st Battalion, 376th

Aviation Regiment (Security

and Support), at Frankfort-

Capital City Airport Army

Aviation Support Facility,

were brought in to support

Charlie Company of the

1-214th General Support

Aviation Battalion, 12th

Combat Aviation Brigade,

so that the latter unit could

focus on participation in

Exercise Saber Strike 2018.

The four Lakotas

(11-72189, 11-7219 0 ,

11-72191 and 11-7219 2)

arrived by sea at the

port of Bremerhaven,

Germany, on May 21.

The following day

they were flown to their

temporary base at

Hohenfels, from where they

were expected to operate

until August. Dave Allport

Nebraska Army National Guard UH-72A 11-72191 from 1-376th

AVN (S&S) assists with medical evacuation and transport of

simulated casualties during the Strong Europe Tank Challenge

at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training

Area, Germany, on June 6. US Army/Lacey Justinger

Yokota C-130J debuts

at Red Flag – Alaska

THE US Air Force’s 36th
Airlift Squadron (AS) has
taken part in Exercise Red
Flag – Alaska (RF-A) for
the first time with C -130Js.
The unit – part of the 374th
Airlift Wing at Yokota Air
Base, Japan – recently
transitioned from the older
C -130H and provided
tactical airlift throughout
RF-A. The airlifters were
deployed to Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson,
Alaska and flew missions
over the Joint Pacific
Alaska Range Complex.

“It’s our first time flying

the J-model in RF-A,

so it’s really been a

learning experience for

us as a squadron,” said

Capt Christopher Ansel,

36th AS C -130J mission

planning cell chief.

Airman 1st Class Jaime

Suarez, 36th AS C -130J

loadmaster added:

“The C -130H aircrews

definitely made an impact

in the Pacific. Now as

a transitioned C -130J

squadron, we try to live

up to their legacy. Being

here with over 30 units

participating in an exercise

this big is definitely a

good opportunity for us to

develop our understanding

of how we operate and how

we function with others.

We’re training on how to

pre-flight and load cargo,

getting these bundles and

personnel ready to drop

under different conditions.”

Above: A 36th AS C-130J is prepared for its training mission

during Red Flag – Alaska at JB Elmendorf-Richardson on

June 12. USAF/Airman First Class Juan Torres

ANOTHER US Air Force
AC -130U Spooky gunship
has been retired from
service as the type is
progressively replaced
by the new AC -130J
Ghostrider. The latest
aircraft to be withdrawn
is 8 9 - 0 511, which had
been assigned to the
1st Special Operations
Wing’s 4th Special

Operations Squadron at

Hurlburt, Field, Florida,

since 1995. It departed

Hurlburt on May 8, bound

for storage with the 309th

Aerospace Maintenance

and Regeneration Group

(AMARG) at Davis-Monthan

Air Force Base, Arizona.

This particular example

set a record during early

testing, achieving 31,000ft

(9,449m), the highest

altitude ever reached by

an AC -130U. On October

7, 2001, it was involved in

the first night of attacks

on Afghanistan at the

beginning of Operation

Enduring Freedom. Two

years later, on March 21,

2003, it became the first

USAF aircraft to sink a

maritime combat surface

vessel during conflict since

World War Two, when it

struck an Iraqi fast-attack

boat in the Persian Gulf.

This is the fourth AC -130U

to be retired to AMARG,

joining 90-0163, which

arrived on September 22,

2015, followed by 89 - 0514

on October 24, 2 017, and

89-0512 on January 16

this year. Dave Allport

Hurlburt AC-130U retired to AMARG

Above: USAF AC-130U Spooky 89-0511 prepares to depart from Hurlburt Field for the last time. USAF/Airman 1st Class Rachel Yates