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November 24th, 2024WRANGB Home to OA-1K Formal Training Unit
December 3rd, 2024WILL ROGERS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Okla. —
On Nov 15, 2024, the 17th Special Operations Squadron hosted a ceremony to publicly observe its alignment under the 492d Special Operations Wing and reassignment to become the formal training unit for Air Force Special Operations Command’s newest aircraft, the OA-1K.
“The ceremony is not just a formal event,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Patrick Wnetrzak, 492d Special Operations Wing commander. “It is a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence, our unwavering commitment to our nation’s defense and the enduring legacy of those who have come before us.”
The OA-1K is a new multirole crewed aircraft with the first missionized variant expected to arrive in 2025. The propeller-driven aircraft, which is built on the Air Tractor 802U frame, will deliver close air support, precision strike, and armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability in support of combating current and future threats.
“The OA-1K aircraft are truly awesome machines,” says Lt. Col. Jesse Ziegler, incoming 17th Special Operations Squadron commander. “These [block] zero models are not fully modified yet and serve as an initial training aircraft, until both air crew and aircraft reach operation status.”
In addition to WRANGB, the OA-1K will be stationed at Hurlburt Field, Cannon Air Force Base, and pending the results of an environmental impact statement, Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. All training for the aircraft will take place here under the 17 SOS, which will be made up of both active duty and Air National Guard Airmen from the 137th Special Operations Wing.
“Once combined with the full mission equipment and the crews that these cadres will teach, the Special Operations community will have a capability we haven’t seen yet,” said Ziegler.
With the remission to the OA-1K, WRANGB is expected an increase of 150-200 permanent personnel and predicted to positively impact the local economy. The arrival of the OA-1K comes on the heels of the divestment of the MC-12 aircraft at WRANGB, which is expected to conclude in 2027.
Currently WRANGB has two AT-802U trainer aircraft being used to train initial cadre in a representative tail wheel aircraft in preparation for the OA-1K arrival. The 17 SOS will provide special mission qualification, combined systems refresher, as well as proficiency and currency training.
Prior to standing up at WRANGB, the 17 SOS was an AC-130J unit at Cannon Air Force Base. The squadron has a storied history of transformation and the squadron motto “no mission too demanding” is a testament of the unit’s resolute and innovative spirit, which continues as the OA-1K FTU. The squadron has had numerous operations including combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, combat in Southeast Asia, disaster relief missions in the Philippines, and other special operations missions as necessary starting in the 1990s, when AFSOC was activated.
By 492d Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
I/ITSEC: Saab Reveals UAV live Training Developments
December 2nd, 2024During the I/ITSEC event in Orlando, Florida, Saab has revealed a UAV training capability which can act both as an asset or threat during military exercises. Saab has also recently received an order from an undisclosed customer to deliver a number of prototype UAV live training systems.
Saab’s new UAV trainer is used as an add-on within live training. It connects to Saab’s exercise control software EXCON and it can be equipped with sensors and simulated weapons as desired by the customer. It also has a laser target system, meaning it can both virtually engage participants as well as simulate getting shot down by ground forces, thereby enabling evaluation of soldier skills and tactical behaviour.
“We see the increased use of military UAVs on the battlefield. The need for a solution that makes soldiers ready to detect, engage and hide from these is crucial. Saab’s UAV live training capability has already received a huge interest from the existing live training customers. It was initially offered to the UK Armed Forces, who became our first customer using Saab’s instrumented UAV service for live training scenarios,” said Joakim Alhbin, head of Saab’s business unit Training and Simulation.
Designed to replicate aerial threats from opposing forces, the Saab UAV trainer, utilising an ‘off-the-shelf’ UAV platform, can be engaged and defeated whilst capturing troop activity on video and is able to drop ‘virtual munitions’ on soldiers on the ground. All data is recorded and used to support objective measurement and feedback to improve counter-UAV survivability.
Saab’s military UAV trainer is initially offered as a service, where Saab supports drone operation during training scenarios. In addition, a large number of customer trials have been ordered and delivered, further confirming the strong interest for this capability.
Paul C. Darley, Chairman, CEO & President of Darley, Honored with the Kathleen Sridhar Small Business Executive of the Year Award by National Defense Industry Association (NDIA)
December 2nd, 2024ITASCA, IL – December 2, 2024
Darley, a leading provider of defense, fire, and emergency services equipment since 1908, is proud to announce that its CEO, Paul C. Darley, has been awarded the prestigious Kathleen Sridhar Small Business Executive of the Year Award by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). The Kathleen Sridhar Small Business Executive of the Year Award is presented annually to a small-business executive who exemplifies Dr. Sridhar’s leadership excellence and support for the defense sector.
Paul Darley has been recognized for his exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to fostering a robust small-business sector within the defense industrial base. Under his guidance, Darley has continued to innovate and expand its offerings, providing cutting-edge technology and equipment solutions to military and first responders growing to over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Paul’s dedication to excellence and his visionary leadership have been instrumental in driving Darley’s success and growth. This recognition is a testament to his hard work and the positive impact he has made in the defense industry.
“I am deeply honored and truly humbled to receive this award on behalf of our amazing Team Darley members, and I thank them for their unwavering support and commitment to our mission,” said Paul Darley. “This came as a complete surprise, and I am also grateful to the NDIA Great Lakes Board for their nomination for this recognition. It’s been a pleasure to serve the NDIA for over 15 years.”
Moog’s 40-year Experience with Simulation on Display with CH-47VR Sim
December 2nd, 2024EAST AURORA, N.Y. – December 2, 2024 –At I/ITSEC 2024, Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) invites attendees to pilot a CH-47Chinook at booth 649 via an innovative flight training device, FTD, that brings unmatched motion control and virtual reality to immersive aviation training, exceeding regulatory agency requirements.
“We can tailor our platform to simulate other helicopters, aircraft, or ground vehicles,” said Noud van Bavel, global marketing manager for Simulation & Test at Moog. “This FTD offers a level of realism and fidelity that simply hasn’t been available with other training devices and opens up a world of possibilities for military and civilian organizations to improve safety, reduce the cost of training, and put people into the field faster with enhanced skills.”
Attendees can climb into the pilot’s seat of Moog’s fully working simulator, built on a Moog high-performance motion platform. They can then don a VR Headset and lift off from any Airbase. The simulator is a live demonstration of Moog’s 40 years of experience with every high performing component customers need to make their own line of FTDs:
• A full control loading solution with flight stick and mimicked CH-47 thrust lever with dynamic feedback, and adjustable pedals accurately representing everything a pilot feels in the real helicopter.
• Top-of-the-line motion platform with 6 degrees of freedom, built to last.
“This is no arcade ride; it’s designed for professional systems and only the highest levels of performance,” added van Bavel.
Schedule a flight
Attendees and members of the media can book a VR experience in the Chinook simulator by choosing a day and time at this link: www.moog.com/news/events/2024/iitsec-2024
Moog goes beyond its VR demonstration unit
New this year is the release of two major Moog motion systems, the E60 and P60, for organizations needing larger systems for Level D flight training centers. The standard for all electric motion systems is the E60, an update on Moog’s previous generations, now with even better reliability and simplified maintenance for top simulation OEMs’ exacting requirements. The P60 pneumatic motion system, which leverages enhanced power management and integrated pneumatics, boasts a 75 percent savings in energy over traditional all-electric systems. Stop by the booth at I/ITSEC to talk with the team at Moog on how to build a new energy-efficient product line of simulators with the P60 or leverage the improvements of the E60 to make the best all electric simulator on the market.
Aimpoint – ACRO P-2 in Sniper Grey Tiger Stripe
December 2nd, 2024You guys know I just can’t help myself when it comes to Tigerstripe so when the owner of OP Tactical told me that Aimpoint was offering a version of their popular P-2 red dot pistol optic, I had to share the news.
It kind of reminds me of the old Air Force ABU pattern and if they had called it a Sniper pattern, they’d probably still be wearing it, for the cool factor, if nothing else.
Other than the great paint job*, it’s a standard P-2.
Features:
-5 MOA dot size
-50,000 hours (over 5 years) of constant operation
-4 night vision compatible settings and 6 daylight settings
-Featured in Cerakote H-Series surface coating in Sniper Grey with special Tiger Stripe engraving
-Weight 2.1 oz / 60 g (sight only)
-Submersible to 115 feet (35 meters)
-Clear Aperture (mm/in): 15 × 15mm / 0.59 × 0.59in
-Optimized for pistol and applications which require a low-profile red dot system
-INCLUDES: CR2032 battery, Aimpoint T10 / Battery Cap Tool
Get yours at aimpoint.us/acro-p-2-sniper-grey-tiger-stripe-3-5-moa-red-dot-reflex-sight.
* Someone will freak out because I said paint job and will feel compelled to point out that it’s Cerakote. Yep, it is, and even says so in the features section.
ARO – The Wrap
December 2nd, 2024The Wrap is the first product released by ARO; a new company founded by Jace Foulk, a Soldier in the U.S. Army. The Wrap is designed to allow the user to mount pouches to their retention holster.
High strength, low profile the Wrap is constructed from polycarbonate sheets woven together for maximum strength and weight savings. Weighing in at less than an ounce, the Wrap is lighter than the competition. By wrapping around the holster body, the bulk added to the holster is virtually zero. The Wrap is the most modular solution enabling pouches on every face of the holster.
The Wrap is designed to use your existing retention holster hardware.
ARO has produced exceptional instruction materials available at at their website: aroproducts.com/instructions
The Wrap is currently available for Safariland holsters, the Legacy Wrap fitting most 6XXX and 7XXX series holsters and the Vault Wrap fitting most SafariVault series holsters.”
Sneak Peek – Qore Performance ICEBLOQ Tactical Breaching Water Tamping Device
December 2nd, 2024QORE Performance has a number of epic collaborations in the works for 2025. What you see here is the first phase of another collaboration they’ll be releasing with their friends at K-Factor Breaching.
Its’s called the ICEBLOQ Tactical Breaching Water Tamping Device. What it does is direct kinetic energy into the target during an explosion. Water is the perfect medium for the job—it’s incompressible, non-combustible, and highly effective at focusing explosive force exactly where it’s needed. It’s the same principle that makes the ICEPLATE Curve so effective at eliminating backface deformation behind hard or soft armor.
To focus energy, you need a solution that works seamlessly with water as the medium. ICEBLOQ is designed for this purpose.
ICEBLOQ K-Factor and K-Clip V2s are 100% Made in USA from US materials. US and International Patents pending and isued.
AFSOC Pathfinding Fuel Efficient Technology
December 2nd, 2024HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —
Air Force Special Operations Command, in partnership with Air Force Operational Energy and the Defense Innovation Unit, is testing drag reduction technology to enhance combat capability to mitigate operational risk to the warfighter.
“AFSOC is thrilled to be at the forefront of innovations in drag reduction technology,” said Robert McMaster, SOF Mobility Requirements Analyst. “What we are supporting as a MAJCOM will reduce fuel costs, increase aerodynamic efficiency and flexibility, and may have significant positive implications across the entire service.”
The effort is part of the Air Force’s desire to update legacy aircraft through the application of drag reduction technology. By reducing drag, an aircraft is more aerodynamically efficient which decreases the aircraft’s fuel usage and increases mission capability.
“By exploring drag reduction technology for our legacy airframes we are not only improving performance but also optimizing our energy usage across the enterprise,” said Bill Clark, Operational Energy Analyst for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Installations, Energy and Environment (Air Force Operational Energy). “This translates to cost savings for taxpayers and increased capability for our warfighters.”
AFSOC is testing various drag reduction technologies, which Air Force Operational Energy has funded with the goal of fielding the technology on all C-130 variants. The first test of drag reduction technologies took place here in October with a shark skin-inspired ‘riblet’ film. Early next year AFSOC will support another drag reducing technology by installing small finlets on the C-130 rear cargo door which will smooth out turbulent airflow.
“AFSOC has aircraft at Hurlburt that are specifically used to pathfind new technologies. By using them for this riblet test, it avoids impacting combat coded aircraft from training and operations,” said McMaster. “This is a complex science project where the results may have far-reaching benefits.”
In the coming years, the data collected during the flights will be used to formulate the life-cycle cost-benefit analysis and inform the DoD procurement process of potential drag reducing, fuel saving technologies.
“Drag reduction technologies improve our overall posture for Great Power Competition by optimizing aircraft performance through the lowering of demand for energy in fuel constrained environments,” said Mr. Roberto Guerrero, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Safety and Occupational Health. “Large theatres, such as the Pacific, require our aircraft to fly long distances to conduct operations. The technologies we are working on today will ensure our forces make it to the fight with the energy supplies needed to win the day.”
Optimization programs like this support the DoD’s operational energy goals, as well as the Department of the Air Force’s goal of increasing legacy aircraft performance and capability. Overall, these goals reflect the DoD’s and Air Force’s commitment to improve energy intensity of current operations, advance transformative technologies, and develop an energy-optimized force that maximizes combat capability.
Air Force Special Operations Command
