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Davis-Monthan AFB Identified as AFSOC’s Next Power Projection Wing

Tuesday, August 8th, 2023

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

The Department of the Air Force selected Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, as the preferred location to host Air Force Special Operation Command’s third power projection wing.

Transforming the 492nd Special Operations Wing into a power projection wing with all of AFSOC’s mission capabilities (strike, mobility, ISR, air/ground integration) will enable the Air Force to regionally focus each power projection wing on a geographic combatant commander. The transition will also allow AFSOC to further diversify its locations to protect against natural disasters by ensuring it can maintain its ability to respond to president-directed missions on very tight timelines.

The additional location will also permit AFSOC to take advantage of the Barry M. Goldwater Range, which will provide additional training opportunities, capacity and increased prioritization as its forces prepare to meet the priorities of the National Defense Strategy.

Standing up the new wing at Davis-Monthan AFB requires several relocations, planned throughout the next five years. The final decision will be made following completion of the environmental impact analysis process.

The following outlines the planned transition actions:

The 492nd SOW at Hurlburt Field, Florida, will relocate to Davis-Monthan AFB. The relocation includes the 492nd SOW’s transition from support wing into a power projection wing.

The U-28 Draco fleets at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, and Hurlburt Field will be replaced by the OA-1K Armed Overwatch aircraft. As part of the 492nd SOW’s transition to a power projection wing, one OA-1K Armed Overwatch squadron will relocate from Hurlburt Field to Davis-Monthan AFB.

An MC-130J Commando II squadron will relocate from Cannon AFB to Davis-Monthan AFB to join the 492nd SOW.

An additional MC-130J squadron will activate at Davis-Monthan AFB.

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron will relocate from Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, to Davis-Monthan AFB.

The 22nd Special Tactics Squadron will relocate from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to Davis-Monthan AFB.

The 492nd Theater Air Operations Squadron will activate at Duke Field and transfer to Davis- Monthan AFB.

The 47th Fighter Squadron (24 A-10s), the 354th Fighter Squadron (26 A-10s) and the 357th Fighter Squadron (28 A-10s) at Davis-Monthan AFB will inactivate and their respective A-10s will be retired. The 47th FS and 357th FS will continue A-10 formal training until inactivation.

The 34th Weapons Squadron and the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron will relocate from Nellis AFB, Nevada, to Davis-Monthan AFB, transferring five HH-60W Jolly Green IIs.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Forces Focus, Guest Post, SOF | 4 Comments »

U.S. Air Force And Archer Enter Into Contracts Worth Up To $142 Million Representing Landmark Investment In EVTOL Technology By U.S. Military

Tuesday, August 1st, 2023

• Archer has been partnering with the Department of Defense (DoD) since 2021 on a series of projects through the Air Force’s AFWERX program with the goal of helping the AFWERX Agility Prime program assess the transformational potential of the vertical flight market and eVTOL technologies for DoD purposes

• This new execution phase of the partnership includes the delivery of up to 6 of Archer’s Midnight aircraft, which the Air Force is targeting for use in personnel transport and logistics support, rescue operations and more

• This expansion of Archer’s partnership with the DoD represents a significant investment in the future of the country and will help ensure the U.S. maintains its leadership position in aviation

• The other military branches have the opportunity to leverage these contracts as a platform for additional projects, which could increase the total value of Archer’s DoD partnership

SANTA CLARA, CA, – Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced that it has significantly expanded its partnership with the DoD by signing new contracts with the U.S. Air Force with a total value of up to $142 million. The new contracts signal the U.S. military’s recognition of the transformative potential Archer’s innovative eVTOL aircraft brings to our country’s Armed Forces. This new execution phase of the partnership includes the delivery of up to six of Archer’s Midnight aircraft to the Air Force, the sharing of additional flight test data and certification related test reports, pilot training, and the development of maintenance and repair operations. As a result of these contracts, Archer will create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

Archer has been partnering with the DoD since 2021 on a series of projects through the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX program with the goal of helping the AFWERX Agility Prime program assess the transformational potential of the vertical flight market and eVTOL technologies for DoD purposes. Now, with Archer recently completing the manufacturing of its first Midnight aircraft, the DoD recognizes that with its vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, target payload of approximately 1,000lbs, proprietary electric powertrain system, and low noise profile, Archer’s aircraft represents a potential paradigm shift in military aviation and operations. These aircraft hold the promise of enhancing rapid response, agility, and operational effectiveness across a wide range of mission profiles, from personnel transport and logistics support to rescue operations and more. Archer’s Midnight aircraft are expected to provide a much safer and quieter alternative to helicopters while being more cost-effective for the U.S. military to transport, operate and maintain in the field.

“This historic agreement reflects the steadfast commitment by our Armed Forces to embrace the cutting-edge technology our eVTOL aircraft offer,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO. “It’s clear that the development and commercialization of eVTOL technology continues to remain a national priority. We look forward to working closely with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force to integrate Midnight into their operational fleet with a focus on transport, logistics and rescue operations.”

“It is our mission to ensure the U.S. continues to lead the world in developing and deploying emerging aerospace technology,” said Colonel Tom Meagher, the lead for AFWERX Agility Prime programs. “eVTOL aircraft represent the cusp of the third revolution in aerospace, and these aircraft and their descendents will drive advances in capabilities and efficiency. Our contracts with Archer Aviation provide the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Air Force the opportunity to play a role in ensuring from the onset, and as the technology evolves, that we unlock the many benefits these aircraft have to offer the U.S. military.”

“As a retired senior military leader who was responsible for U.S. forces, operations and activities throughout the continent of Africa, I’m thrilled with this agreement and its potential impact on the capabilities of our Armed Forces,” said Retired 4-Star General and Archer Government Services Advisory Board Member, Steve Townsend. “The United States has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, and this partnership demonstrates our nation’s commitment to maintain that position. I commend the visionary leadership at DoD which led to this contract and Archer’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of aviation technology.”

This announcement comes on the heels of Archer announcing the formation of the company’s Government Services Advisory Board in May. The goal of the advisory board is to allow Archer to more fully engage with U.S. government and public safety agencies to explore opportunities to commercialize its eVTOL aircraft. The members of this advisory board are assisting and facilitating Archer’s direct engagement with appropriate government agencies and officials to advance both consideration and implementation of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft and related technologies. The board includes Retired 4-star General Steve Townsend, Retired 3-star Lieutenant General David A. Krumm, Retired 3-star Vice Admiral Ron Boxall, Retired 2-star General Clayton M. Hutmacher, Retired 2-star General Bill Gayler, and Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Durant.

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Contracts, Industry, Press Release, Research | 3 Comments »

USMC Completes 20,000 Flight Hours with MUX MALE MQ-9A

Wednesday, July 26th, 2023

SAN DIEGO – 24 July 2023 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) congratulates the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) on achieving a significant milestone of surpassing 20,000 flight hours with their Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) Medium-Altitude, High-Endurance (MALE) MQ-9A Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

To date, GA-ASI has delivered eight MQ-9A UAS to the USMC. Two of these MQ-9A aircraft are actively engaged in operational missions, playing a vital role in supporting mission-critical Marine Corps objectives. The USMC awaits delivery of 12 additional aircraft, which will fulfill their goal of three squadrons by 2025.

“This strategic acquisition of MQ-9As underscores the USMC’s commitment to strengthening their aerial surveillance capabilities and demonstrates their confidence in GA-ASI’s expertise in delivering top-tier UAS,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

Renowned for its fault-tolerant flight control system and triple-redundant avionics system architecture, the MQ-9A UAS embodies the industry’s highest standards of reliability and performance, surpassing those of many manned aircraft.

The USMC fleet will ultimately be entirely composed of the MQ-9A Extended Range (ER) configuration, enhanced with wing-borne fuel pods and reinforced landing gear. This model has been specifically designed to extend its endurance to more than 30 hours, enabling persistent long-endurance surveillance capabilities. Equipped with Full-Motion Video and both a Synthetic Aperture Radar and a Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Mode Radar, this advanced system provides the USMC with a comprehensive real-time situational awareness picture.

The USMC’s 20,000 flight hours with MQ-9A represent an impressive accomplishment in the field of unmanned aviation. GA-ASI is honored to have played a role in this achievement and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the USMC to further advance the capabilities of unmanned systems and support their growing UAS squadrons.

Posted in Aviation, Press Release, UAS, USMC | Comments Off on USMC Completes 20,000 Flight Hours with MUX MALE MQ-9A

USAF Flies with Angry Kitten Jamming Pod

Tuesday, July 25th, 2023

SAN DIEGO – 20 July 2023 – The U.S. Air Force flew a remotely piloted aircraft equipped with an Angry Kitten® ALQ-167 Electronic Warfare Countermeasure Pod for the first time on April 27, 2023. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. integrated the pod onto the aircraft.

The Angry Kitten EW Pod is supplied to the U.S. Air Force by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and has flown on other Department of Defense systems, including F-16s. GA-ASI integrated the EW pod in less than nine months at no cost to the U.S. Air Force by using a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.

“It was great to see the Angry Kitten Pod on an Air Force platform for the first time,” said GA-ASI Vice President of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve. “Flying this EW capability on an MQ-9A demonstrates its possible use on future aircraft.”

The Air Force plans to continue flying with Angry Kitten Pods over the next 12 to 24 months to develop the best Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to leverage EW capabilities in support of the Joint Force and partner nations.

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, EW, Guest Post, UAS | 2 Comments »

GA-ASI’s Unmanned Aircraft Cross 8 Million Flight Hours

Monday, July 17th, 2023

>New MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian® Models Add More Than 4,000 Hours

SAN DIEGO – 14 July 2023 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA?ASI) today announced that its family of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), which includes the Predator®, Reaper, Gray Eagle, Avenger®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian® lines, has surpassed eight million flight hours. GA-ASI aircraft have completed 566,000 total missions in nearly 40 countries around the world.

Adding to the total are 13 MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian UAS that have flown more than 4,000 flight hours, including the new Protector RG Mk1 being delivered to the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. The first three Protectors are currently undergoing Integrated Test, Evaluation, and Acceptance trials. In addition, MQ-9Bs are being operated by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), as well as supporting various U.S. Navy exercises.

“GA-ASI continues to be a leader in developing reliable, cost-efficient, and sustainable unmanned aircraft systems that perform advanced operations for our customers around the world,” said GA-ASI CEO Linden P. Blue. “Eight million flight hours is another achievement on our list of historic firsts, which demonstrates our relentless commitment to quality.”

The exact aircraft and customer that achieved the milestone is unknown, as it’s estimated that more than 50 Predator-class Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) RPA are airborne worldwide every moment of every day.

GA-ASI aircraft average 40,000 hours per month, supporting programs with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, NASA, the Italian Air Force, the UK Royal Air Force, the French Air Force, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, the Spanish Air Force, the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Indian Navy, the Polish Air Force, JCG, JMSDF, and others, with more customers coming online soon. Missions include helping protect ground units on the battlefield, supporting first responders in the wake of natural disasters, and providing critical ISR around the world. These aircraft systems continue to maintain some of the highest mission-capable rates in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army aircraft inventories.

GA-ASI has produced more than 1,000 aircraft and nearly 500 Ground Control Stations (GCS) in more than three decades of business. In addition to UAS and GCS, GA-ASI produces Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) systems, as well as sensor payloads that deliver radar and video imagery, detect moving targets on the ground and over water, and provide Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) on signals of interest. GA-ASI has also developed a Detect and Avoid (DAA) system to facilitate the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into civil airspace in addition to combat environments.

The Predator-series family includes Predator A and Predator XP, Predator B/MQ-9A Reaper, Predator B Extended Range (ER), Guardian, Gray Eagle, Gray Eagle ER, Predator C Avenger/ER, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian.

Posted in Aviation, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on GA-ASI’s Unmanned Aircraft Cross 8 Million Flight Hours

MQ-9 Reaper Completes First Mission Using Dirt Landing Zone

Friday, June 30th, 2023

SANDERSON, Texas (AFNS) —

Just south of Fort Stockton is one of the largest private armed forces training centers in the country, the Nine Mile Training Center — an expansive terrain offering privacy from prying eyes and the perfect opportunity to unleash the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.

At this remote dirt strip in West Texas, members from the 2nd Special Operations Squadron, 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 311th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron teamed up with Airmen from the 26th Special Tactics Squadron out of Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, June 15, to carve their next milestone into Air Force Special Operations Command history.

Working together, the air commandos conducted the first MQ-9 landing on a dirt landing zone.

“This is a significant achievement for Air Force Reserve Command, AFSOC, the MQ-9 community and the joint force as a whole,” said Lt. Col. Brian Flanigan, 2nd SOS director of operations. “This team of aircrew, maintainers and special tactics Airmen have proven the Reaper can operate anywhere in the world and is no longer beholden to the ‘leash’ of perfectly paved runways or line-of-sight antennas traditionally used to takeoff and land the aircraft.”

Historically, the MQ-9 has taken off and landed via line-of-sight of antennas, with aircrew members manually flying the aircraft. Now, the MQ-9 can literally takeoff and land from anywhere in the world.

Flanigan was quick to point out how this new concept meets the AFRC’s priorities of ‘Ready Now’ and ‘transforming for the future.’

“This capability will be critical in ‘tomorrow’s fight’ and nests perfectly with the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept that focuses on smaller footprints, distributed operations and increased survivability while generating combat power,” Flanigan said. “We are demonstrating what is possible when you leverage citizen air commandos and our diverse backgrounds to take an existing capability like [satellite launch and recovery] and apply it to the future fight.”

The 12th Aircraft Maintenance Unit from the 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron supported the effort with a very small footprint to the austere location using ACE techniques, tactics and procedures developed by the 12th AMU.

“This initiative was significant in terms of refining maintenance ACE capabilities because it provided insight into how the aircraft handles landing in an austere environment,” said Maj. Doniell Mojazza, 727th SOAMXS director of operations. “This scenario both challenged and empowered 12th AMU maintainers to assess risk utilizing their expertise and innovation to ensure aircraft air worthiness and mission success.”

The team is not only using the MQ-9 SLR capability to access short, narrow and unprepared places, but also using it in creative ways to offer ‘off the menu’ options not traditionally provided by RPAs. This was demonstrated by their use of a travel pod attached to the aircraft to execute a critical resupply of the 26th STS on the dirt landing zone.

“We call it ‘Reaper Express,’ which is essentially just using a travel pod to develop an operational concept of delivering critical items to austere locations using the MQ-9,” Flanigan said. “It may not be able to carry much, but what it can hold, might be the difference between getting that critical aircraft part to an isolated airfield or bringing in a blood supply for casualties sustained during a base attack.”

While the MQ-9 has no demand shortage with its traditional role in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance or its ability to quickly land and execute an engine running offload could be a secondary or tertiary mission.

“This provides options compared to waiting multiple weeks until intra-theater airlift can support,” Flanigan said. “What we’re also finding through the series of exercises we’ve executed, is that the ‘fight tomorrow’ capabilities we’ve been demonstrating is rapidly becoming a ‘fight tonight’ capability the joint force is wanting now.”

The collective contributions of active duty and Reserve members working together provided a glimpse of what is possible as transformation continues throughout the RPA enterprise.

“We are continuing to expand MQ-9 Reaper capabilities,” said Maj. Dan Carlson, 2nd SOS MQ-9 chief pilot. “The unique ability to maneuver the MQ-9 to operate anytime, anyplace is a relatively new capability and one that is transforming how we prepare for tomorrow’s fight as well as today’s.”

The certification exercise also provided a venue for intelligence analysts to contribute and further enhance the STS mission regardless of where they operate.

“We are innovating ways to provide geospatial intelligence to downrange forces,” said Capt. Courtney Cook, 311th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron assistant director of operations. “The opportunity to support this was huge for our organization.”

919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

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Warrior East 23 – Mustang Survival x HSI

Monday, June 26th, 2023

Another technology exhibited during the ADS Maritime Demo Day is the TacHeat System developed by Human Systems Integration and integrated into dry suits by Mustang Survival. The technology stems from a SBIR program for heated gloves and relies on electrically heated coils which are embedded in the fabric.

Currently, there is a next to skin top and bottom, glove liner and insole.

Here you can see how the power cable interfaces with the next-to-skin layer.

This cable is used to pass the power cable through the drysuit.

There are currently two control boxes, with ine having a smaller form factor but less control.

The wearer can choose which components he wants to use. For example, all of the components, or just gloves and insoles for say aircraft door gunners.

Units and agencies can procure products seen at Warrior East by contacting ADS, Inc.

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Navy Fields New Protective Headgear for Marine Corps Aviation Maintainers

Monday, June 26th, 2023

Three things about this new helmet for maintainers which replaces the classic Cranial.

1. It’s built by Team Wendy and based on the Exfil bump helmet.

2. This is one of the rare occasions where Marines get something first.

3. They are coming in custom colors for each of the aviation specialties, for example Red for Aviation Ordnance.

The Naval Aircrew Systems Program Office is fielding new headgear, the Head Gear Unit Number 98/Personal Use (HGU-98/P), that improves both head and hearing protection for fleet Marine Corps aviation maintainers.

The program office incorporated the latest advancements and information gained from market research, lab testing and fleet assessments to select the new Marine Corps maintenance cranial, the Team Wendy Exfil Light Tactical Polymer helmet, which is a Commercial-off-the-Shelf solution.

“The HGU-98/P provides improved impact protection and increased hearing protection, which are long overdue improvements that our maintainers deserve,” said Capt. Carey Castelein, program manager.

Since the inception of protective headgear in the 1950s, a major challenge has been to design helmets that offer the required impact and hearing protection while providing a system that provides a comfortable fit. Because flight lines and flight decks are notoriously loud, a safe and comfortable helmet is mission critical.

The new cranial comes in two sizes and an alternate H-shaped back retention system to accommodate a hair bun. The HGU-98/P also features two different styles of hearing protection, both rail mounted to the helmet, with either X4 ear cups for a slimmer fit or X5 with larger ear cups but with better sound attenuation.

“Through research, test and fleet assessments, our team was able to determine the best possible solution for improved head and hearing protection, taking into account cost, performance and user feedback,” said Jennifer Bartnick, program office team lead.

Squadrons that began receiving the HGU-98/P flight deck helmet system in October 2022 have given favorable feedback. Fielding to Marine Corps aviation units will continue through the end of the year, and the cranial with additional capability will begin delivery next year.

From the Naval Aircrew Systems Program Office

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