Airforces Monthly Special (Airbase USA) - 2013 UK

THE AIRCRAFT: THE PEOPLE: THE TECHNOLOGY

AN INSIDE VIEW OF AMERICAS MOST IMPORTANT AIRBASES

HORNETS AT FALLON

AT EDWARDSATAT EDWARDSEDWARDSF-22 AND F-35

HOME OF AIR FORCE TESTINGRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

MARINE CORPS MEGA BASE IN ARIZONIAMARINE CORPS MEGA BASE IN ARIZONIAHARRIERS AT YUMA

AIRBASE USA UK 4.99

MARINE CORPS MEGA BASE IN ARIZONIAMARINE CORPS MEGA BASE IN ARIZONIAHARRIERSHARRIERS

THE US NAVYS STRIKE AND WARFARE CENTRE

PUBLICATION

F35 AV8F22AMERICAS BEST FIGHTER

FUTURE AIR DOMINANCE

BACKBONE OF THE MARINE CORPS

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The Worlds FavouriT

e MiliTary aviaTion Ma

gazine

AUSTRALIAN AIRPOWER

IN FOCUS F-35 JOINT

STRIKE FIGHTER: THE REALITY

Hind assaultPolands Afgha

n operations

History Units Bases air

craft

Waddington Family Passes

*Closing date 10 May 2013

JAPANS F-15J UPGRADES IN DE

TAIL

drone warsattract contr

oversy

Huge defence cuts

threaten us military: EXERCISES

,

AIRSHOWS, DEPLOYMENTS CANCELL

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WARTHOG AT 40

Part 2: Hogs of war

F-35 Special

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The Worlds FavouriT

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IN FOCUSSTRIKE FIGHTER:

THE REALITY

Waddington Family Passes

*Closing date 10 May 2013

JAPANS F-15J UPGRADES IN DE

TAIL

drone warsattract contr

oversy

Huge defence cuts

Huge defence cuts

threaten us military: EXERCISES

,

AIRSHOWS, DEPLOYMENTS CANCELL

ED!

Special

IndIas massIve lIve fIre exercIse

MAY 2013 4.20

European Edition Vol 14, No 5 | www.combataircraft.net

The Worlds FavouriTe MiliTary aviaTion Magazine

Yeovilton and Flying Legends tickets*Closing date14 june 2013

IN FOCUS: C-130J Super HerculesIN FOCUS: C-130J Super Hercules

VIper VeNOmTYpHOONS ON TOUr eXCLUSIVe repOrT FrOm NeLLIS AFB

Decade of DUTCH VIperS IN AFGHANISTAN

GermAN TeSTerS WTD 61

US AIr FOrCe F-16S AT THe CUTTING eDGe IN HArD TImeS

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MAY 2013 4.20

European Edition Vol 14, No 5 | www.combataircraft.net

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IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS: C-130J IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS:IN FOCUS: C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J C-130J Super HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper HerculesSuper Hercules

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The Journey...so far

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MAY 2012

INTERNATIONAL

MARCH 2013

Vol.84 No.3

4.40 Mali

France Steps in...

...the Ops so far

Chinese Flankers

787Dream orNightmare?

Airbus & Eurocopters

Outlook on 2013

Covert AffairThe Story of Chinas Aircra

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ANALYSISNEW AIRCR

AFT EXCLUSIVE

PART TWO OF OUR SERIE

S ON ATTACK HELICOPT

ERS

B-2, F-22 & F-35

B-2, F-22 & F-35

Struggling Stealth TriadB-2, F-22 & F-35

Struggling Stealth TriadB-2, F-22 & F-35

INTERNATIONA

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787787Dream orNightmare?

Airbus & Eurocopters

Outlook on 2013

ANALYSIS



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PART TWO

Aerolneas Argentinas Back Under State ControlAn-225 MriyaAntonovs Heavylifter

An-124 Ruslan Back into Production

INTERNATIONALFor the best in modern military and commercial aviation

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MAY 2012

INTERNATIONAL

APRIL 2013 Vol.84 No.4 4.50

Chinese Flankers

EA-18GThe MissionsThe ThreatsThe Aircraft

NASAsHi-Tech Turbofan Research

Global HawkAmericas

Unmanned Spyplane

Airbus A350

All New from Toulouse

FREE EA-18G GROWLER SUPPLEMENTDeny...Delay... ...Deceive...Degrade

Also featuring the Next Gen Jammer

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INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONALFor the best in modern military and commercial aviationFor the best in modern military and commercial aviation

EA-18GEA-18GThe MissionsThe MissionsThe MissionsThe MissionsThe ThreatsThe Aircraft

NASAsNASAsHi-Tech Turbofan Hi-Tech Turbofan

EA-18G GROWLER SUPPLEMENT



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France Steps in...

Aerolneas ArgentinasAerolneas Argentinas Back Under State ControlAerolneas Argentinas Back Under State ControlAerolneas Argentinas An-124 Ruslan Back into Production

INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONALFor the best in modern military and commercial aviationFor the best in modern military and commercial aviation

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36 #309 DECEMBER 2013 www.airforcesmonthly.com

RAF AIRBUS MILITARY A330 VOYAGER

raf enterpriseWith the retirement of the VC10 in late September, most of the RAFs aerial tanking

is now being taken on by the new Airbus Military A330 Voyager. AFM spoke to Air Commodore Dave Lee, Air Mobility Force Commander, on the state of play

THESE ARE THE VOYAGERS OF AN

36-38_Voyager_Dec_GP jg.indd 36 06/11/2013 16:27

37#309 DECEMBER 2013www.airforcesdaily.com

NOW THAT 101 Squadron has retired the VC10 after nearly 30 years of operations, its quickly transitioned to the Voyager its last

mission with the Queen of the Skies was on September 20 (see AFM November) and on October 1 it began its work-up

on the RAFs latest acquisition. The squadrons new commanding officer,

Wing Commander Ronnie Trasler, has a handful of new crews

and will build numbers over the next few months until

Voyager takes on the full air refuelling task once TriStar is retired

next March.Voyager was given the green light from

the Military Air Authority (MAA) to begin air-to-air refuelling (AAR) operations with

Typhoon in late May, with a formal release to service on August 15. Go-ahead to refuel

the Tornado GR4 came at the beginning of last summer. At the same time AirTanker received its Extended Twin (Engine) Operations (ETOPs) clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority, giving the companys civilian airline operation greater flexibility to take on long-range routes by permit-ting it to fly up to 180 minutes from the nearest suitable airport. This is an essential precursor for its role in support of the Falklands air bridge, which AirTanker picked up in October.

At present the Voyager force is building. It changes day by day right now weve got ten air refuelling qualified crews and 14 air transport qualified crews, confirmed Air Cdre Lee. A full squadron 10 Squadron is up and running. The final build-up is 30 crews, enough for two squad-rons.

Its well known that reservists make up a sig-nificant proportion of the crews, being mostly employed on air transport missions at present

raf enterprise

Above: ZZ331 is a K2 variant with refuelling pods on the end of each wing. The K3 also has a centreline pod for refuelling larger aircraft such as the Sentry AEW1. Mike KerrTop: Voyager has now taken over the VC10s tanking commitments and will replace the TriStar from next March. Geoff Lee/PlaneFocus

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www.airforcesdaily.com

4 Editorial

5 Edwards Air Force BaseGary Wetzel tells the story of Edwards AFB in California, talking to the people who perform the missions that make it one of the most important bases for research and testing in the United States.

13 Ridley Mission Control Center

14 31st TESPerfecting the F-35

15 411th FLTS Stealth Fighter testers

17 412th FLTS Speckled Trout Ferrying the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

20 416th FLTS Skulls Making the F-16 more capable

23 418th FLTSTigers Testing the Heavies

28 419th FLTSThe Silent Sting Upgrading the Heavy Bombers

31 445th FLTSKeeping Edwards Flying

35 452th FLTSPerfecting remotely piloted aircraft

39 461st FLTSDeadly Jesters Developing the Future Fighters

42 MCAS Yuma Marine Air MeccaJoe Copalman tells what goes on behind the scenes at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

44 Yuma RangesYumas weapons ranges are arguably its most important asset we fi nd out more

47 Harrier CountryMAG-13 and the AV-8B

53 MALSBlack Widows Keeping Those Pilots Alive

Editor: Jerry Gunner Chief Designer: Steve DonovanDesign: Lee Howson

ProductionProduction Editor: Sue BluntProduction Manager: Janet Watkins

Advertising and MarketingAdvertising Manager: Ian MaxwellGroup Advertising Manager: Brodie BaxterAdvertising Production Manager: Debi McGowanAdvertising Production Controller: Danielle Tempest

Group Marketing Manager: Martin SteeleMarketing Executive: Shaun BinningtonMarketing Assistant: Jessica JaggerCommercial Director: Ann SaundryManaging Director and Publisher: Adrian CoxExecutive Chairman: Richard Cox

ContactsKey Publishing LtdPO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQTel: 01780 755131 Fax: 01780 757261Email: [email protected]

DistributionSeymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PP. Tel: 020 74294000

PRINTED BY: Warners (Midlands) plc, Bourne, LincolnshireThe entire contents of this special edition is copyright 2013. No part of it may be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher.

PUBLISHER: Key Publishing LtdPRINTED IN ENGLAND

AN INSIDE VIEW OF AMERICAS MOST IMPORTANT AIRBASES

54 SnipersMarine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) Snipers

56 MAWTS-1The Brain Trust responsible for the tactics manuals of all USMC aircraft

58 VMFA-121Setting a New Standard with the F-35B

64 Headquarters & Headquarters SquadronThe last operator of the HH-1N in the USMC

69 NAS Fallon Where the Navy Learns to FightGary Wetzel visited this Nevada base, home to Top Gun and much more.

73 NSAWCUS Navy Strike Air Warfare Center

79 Top GunCarrying on Where Tom Cruise Left Off

85 VFC-13Red Air

90 Air Wing FallonTraining for the Fight

96 LonghornsSAR - Rescue Wizards

AIRBASE USA 3

47

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www.airforcesmonthly.com4 AIRBASE USA

THE UNITED States of America is arguably the worlds only superpower. Other nations China and Russia, for example have awesome military capabilities, but only the USA can justifi ably claim the title based on sheer military might. The nations navy, marine corps, air force and army rely on technological mastery, investment in the best materiel available, constant training and preparedness to maintain its pre-eminence in global power.

Such capabilities are not cheap and the billions of dollars required to provide them are in short supply at the moment. Priorities need to be set.

In the following pages we demonstrate the phenomenal undertaking by America to remain at the cutting edge of modern warfare. We start at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where teams of highly skilled aviators working with scientists and technicians from industry and the

armed forces test and develop aircraft, systems and weapons. Undoubtedly, the most important weapons system being developed at Edwards is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, upon which so much is at stake for Americas armed forces, industry and security. It must succeed. The F-35 is just one of a myriad of programmes at Edwards, each one vitally important to America and its allies.

From the high desert of California we travel a relatively short distance south and east over the border with Arizona to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. For a long time Yuma has been known as home to Americas west coast Harrier fl eet, but now it is rapidly gearing up for a replacement - the marine corps' short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35B. However, there are still Harrier squadrons at Yuma along with other important, interesting units and we tell their stories too.

Lastly, we journey to the other side of

Californias border with Nevada and the land-locked Naval Air Station Fallon. Its to Fallon where the United States Navys Carrier Air Wings deploy before they leave home shores to project power around the world. At the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center the fi nest pilots the navy can offer teach every aspect of aerial warfare, and its aggressor squadron uses tiny supersonic F-5 Tigers to replicate enemy tactics.

Together the three bases demonstrate the effort and determination that goes into making Americas military the most powerful in the world.

Editorial

Jerry Gunner, Editor

Right: The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is is already a familiar sight at two of the airbases featured in this publication and will soon form the backbone of American airpower. Joe Copalman

04_AirbaseUS_Editorial jg.indd 4 26/11/2013 09:44

AIRBASE USA 5

IF THERE is any base that qualifi es as a Superbase, it is Edwards Air Force Base.Those are the words of Col Christopher Azzano, the commanding offi cer of the US Air Forces 412th Test Wings (TW) Operations Group. And he should know Col Azzano oversees the ten different combined test forces (CTFs) within the 412th TW which conduct trials on everything from software upgrades and weapons systems right up to total aircraft tests such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which has been undergoing evaluation at Edwards AFB since October 1, 2008. The 412th combines fl ight operations, maintenance and engineering expertise to keep more than 90 aircraft some highly modifi ed test-worthy across ten fl ying squadrons.

What we do on a daily basis here at Edwards, in terms of the impact the base has on the overall mission of the United States Air Force and our national defence, is extraordinary, said Col Azzano. We have a giant fl ying operation here at Edwards; any

given day you can see that. Recently I was waiting my turn to take off and, as I sat there, the variety of aircraft that landed in front of me was amazing. While the different types may not be what it used to be, its still unlike any other base in the air force.

He said theres a lot more to the 412th than just the fl ight operations: We have so many unique disciplines across the board that supports those fl ying operations.

Edwards AFB is located in the High Desert of Southern California, on the western edge of the Mojave Desert some 20 miles (32km) north-east of Lancaster, California, and about 90 miles (144km) from Los Angeles. Sitting astride two giant dry lake beds which were the initial enticement for bringing the US military here the base covers more than 470 square miles (1,210km2) and is the second largest USAF facility by area. The

largest AFB is another test centre, Eglin in Florida, which covers around 732 square miles (1,900km2) and controls 100,000 square miles (260,000km2) of range-dedicated airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, giving it a larger footprint than any other military base in the western world.

Edwards two dry lakes, Rogers and Rosamond, have saved many lives and aircraft by offering alternative and emergency landing areas on their beds. They are smooth and polished fl at by the combination of seasonal rain followed by desert winds.

Air Force Material Command (AFMC), based at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the overall commanding unit for most of the units based at Edwards. Created on July 1, 1992, through the combination of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command, AFMCs mission is to conduct research

Edwards

Gary Wetzel tells the story of Edwards AFB in California and talks to the people who perform the missions that make it one of the most important bases in the United States

Air Force Base


Above: A 12,000ft temporary runway was built to help sustain base operations during refurbishment of the main 15,000ft runway. Major General David Eichhorn, then Air Force Flight Test Center commander, made the fi rst operational fl ight from the new strip on May 19, 2008. USAF/Jim ShryneBelow: Welcome to Edwards Air Force Base. Gary WetzelBottom: Edwards runways go on, and on, and on Gary Wetzel

If there is any base that qualifi es as a Superbase, it is Edwards

05-13_AirbaseUS_Story_GP.indd 5 25/11/2013 11:47


and development, develop and oversee test and evaluation programmes and provide acquisition oversight and the necessary logistics management to keep air force weapon systems ready for combat operations.

AFMC claims most of the money allocated to the air force. It employs nearly 80,000 military and civilian personnel who are responsible for overseeing the cradle to grave cycle for aircraft, systems and weapons.

One of the AFMCs subordinate units is the Air Force Test Center (AFTC), created on July 13, 2012, by the renaming of the Air Force Flight Test Center whose motto, Ad Inexplorata (Toward the Unexplored), it retains. It is responsible for developmental test (DT) and evaluation of air, space and cyber systems and to provide timely, objective and accurate reporting of system evaluations. The results are used to help those responsible for making decisions on everything from platform selection to system upgrades. Although the AFTC has its headquarters at Edwards, two other main bases Eglin AFB and Arnold AFB, Tennessee are important test facilities that come under its remit.

The host unit at Edwards is the 412th Test Wing (TW), which is responsible for planning and conducting ground and flight testing as well as analysing and reporting on aircraft, weapons systems, software and components for the USAF. Ten CTFs as well as the USAF Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) reside within the 412th TW. The USAF TPS is where the fundamentals of flight test are taught, and it is essential to a successful and safe test flight programme. The CTFs are divided among the three main branches of air force responsibility: Global Power, Global Reach and Global Vigilance. The Global Power CTF squadrons deal with bombers and fighters. Global Reach comprises two squadrons, one for tankers and transports and another for Speckled Trout, the air forces refuelling tanker dedicated to testing; it also doubles as a VIP transport for the USAFs chief of staff. Global Vigilance is dedicated to present and future air force remotely-piloted aircraft (RPAs).

The 412th TW also controls the 412th Test

Above: Edwards air traffic controllers with the 412th Operations Support Squadron. The air traffic controllers provide separation for aircraft within the terminal area, which is seven miles around the airfield, and control all the aircraft that use the base. USAF/Chad Bellay

Above: F-16B 80-0634 and F-86F Sabre 52-5241/FU-241 preserved in front of the 412th TW HQ at Edwards. It is not thought that this particular Sabre was ever based at Edwards, but the Viper was assigned to the 412th from October 1991 until its retirement in April 2000. Gary WetzelBelow: Preserved outside the HQ of the USAFTPS is Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter 56-0760. Along with two others of the type it flew from Edwards with the Aerospace Research Pilots School between 1963 and 1971, mostly as a low-cost astronaut training vehicle. The supplementary rocket engine at the base of the tail was used for flight on the edge of space the NF-104s, one of which was destroyed after Brig Gen Charles E Chuck Yeager ejected from it when it span out of control regularly reached altitudes of 120,000ft and above. Gary Wetzel

Engineering Group (412th TENG), the 412th Electronic Warfare Group (412th EWG), the 412th Maintenance Group (412th MXG) and the 412th Test Management Division (412th TMD).

No other base in history can come close to achieving the impact Edwards AFB has had on the USAF. But its influence on the US military was never a certainty, as the area was a largely ignored section of Southern California without any defined or potential use. In 1932, however, a forward-looking lieutenant colonel took the first step to secure the future of Americas air force, an entity that would not be officially established until 1947.

HistoryBefore the railroad arrived in 1876 in the area that is now Edwards AFB, humans had made little impact in the High Desert of Southern California. A simple water-stop for the Southern Pacific Railroad along what was then the Rodriguez Dry Lakebed brought the first steady trickle of people to the area. Not long afterwards the areas name was anglicised to Rodgers Dry Lake and soon shortened to Rogers.

At the start of the 20th century, a family called Corum tried to give their name to a new


www.airforcesdaily.com AIRBASE USA 7

local settlement but with a Corum postal address already established in Illinois, the proposal was rejected. Not to be beaten, the family reversed the letters of their name and the town of Muroc was established.

It would be nearly 30 years before the US military developed an interest in the lake bed near Muroc. Dealing with his own form of encroachment in the 1930s, Lt Col H H Hap Arnold was looking for additional bombing ranges to support his aircraft fl ying from March Field (now March Air Reserve Base). The growing population around the base outside Riverside, California, was slowly eating away at real estate suitable for bombing practice. Arnold, who later was promoted to general and considered the architect of the US Army Air Force in the Second World War, considered Rogers Dry Lake as the perfect place, secluded and remote from built-up areas, and within a few years much of the land had been acquired and the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range established.

Seven months after the Second World War had begun (for America) the area was renamed Muroc Army Air Field and came under the control of the Fourth Air Force. The base hosted replacement training units for bombers and fi ghters, giving new pilots a few months fl ying before they were shipped off to combat. A realistic-looking 650ft (198m) replica of a Japanese Navy heavy cruiser, dubbed Muroc-Maru, was built on Rogers Dry Lake and used for strafi ng, identifi cation and skip-bombing practice.

For many years America had tested its secret aircraft projects at Wright Field (now Wright-Patterson AFB) in Ohio. The growing urbanisation of the area around the base led leaders to search for somewhere less in the public eye. Not surprisingly, the location chosen was the small airfi eld and bombing and gunnery range in Californias High Desert.

Soon top secret aircraft arrived at new facilities built on an area across the dry lake bed from Muroc AAF, from where the fi rst American military jets would make their maiden fl ights: the Bell XP-59A Airacomet and the Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star. True fame for the desert airfi eld would arrive on October 14, 1947, when Captain Charles Chuck Yeager fl ew the Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound, ushering in a new era of aircraft research, testing and supersonic fl ight.

Muroc was designated an Air Force Base

R-2508R-2508R-2508R-2508R-2508R-2508

Exceptions having been the shuttle landing here at Edwards when we would make R-2508 a 'black hole' for any other traffi c as the shuttle was a falling rock with no second chance or [the possibility to make a] go-around

Below: One of the most famous aircraft ever to have served at Edwards is NB-52B Stratofortress Balls 8. It was used during hundreds of tests in connection with the space programme before being retired on December 17, 2004. It now graces Edwards North Gate. USAF


8 AIRBASE USA

(AFB) on February 10, 1948, following the establishment of the USAF as a separate military service on September 18, 1947. It would be renamed Edwards AFB in December 1949 after the death of Captain Glen W Edwards who crashed testing the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing. Pilots and engineers began scrambling to get to Edwards as it was becoming the place to be in the newly-formed US Air Force.

Two important events further raised Edwards' profi le in 1951: the base was offi cially recognised as the US Air Force Flight Test Center; and the USAF Test Pilot School moved from Wright Field to Edwards.

After Yeagers successful Mach 1 fl ight, the next step for Edwards AFB and AFFTC was the pursuit of higher Mach numbers and altitudes of 100,000-plus feet (over 30,000m). The 1950s at Edwards were all about that chase. Aircraft such as the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, Bell X-1A and Bell X-2 were fl own by men who have gone down in American aviation history Yeager, Crossfi eld and Kincheloe among others as they strove to fl y faster and higher. This was not enough. Mans reach was beginning to extend further towards space and the moon. Edwards was at the forefront of that adventure.

As the pursuit of sending machines and men into space accelerated, the changes at Edwards were immediate. On October 12, 1961, the Test Pilot School was redesignated the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS). Its mission was to train future astronauts as well as continuing to produce USAF test pilots.

New aircraft, such as the North American X-15 and the Lockheed NF-104 Starfi ghter, pushed the boundaries of manned fl ight with every mission. The effort paid off on October 3, 1967, when USAF Major William J Pete Knight fl ew the X-15A-2 to a record speed for manned fl ight of 4,520mph, or Mach 6.72. The record stands to this day as far as we know!

Later, as the military space mission declined, the ARPSs designation was changed on July 1, 1972, to its current title, the United States Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS).

After the space raceThe realisation, in 1969, of President Kennedys dream of putting a man on the moon ended Americas focus on manned space fl ights, but Edwards test mission carried on apace. New aircraft with even greater capabilities and technological advances found their way onto the ramps, runways and hangars along Rogers Dry Lake something that continues to this day with jets employing stealth technology in the form of the Northrop B-2 Spirit, and Lockheed Martins F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II pushing the limits of both pilots and technology.

The fl ying operation at Edwards AFB is primarily centred on developmental test and evaluation, or DT&E, which enables the air force to understand the design of an aircraft and improve on it while documenting its fl ight characteristics and understanding its limitations. While the mission is mainly focused on USAF platforms, aircraft from

www.airforcesmonthly.com

Above: An F-16B destined for the Pakistan Air Force hangs from the roof in the Benefi eld Anechoic Facility at Edwards. It was used to complete a series of tests on several different pieces of kit on the jet. The facility, on the south-western side of Edwards is the largest anechoic chamber on the planet. USAF/Chad BellayBelow: Personnel from the 12th Maintenance Squadron Propulsion Flight work on a Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofan engine, the powerplant for the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. USAF/Senior Airman Jason Hernandez



Runway Hold Position at Taxiway Bravo. Even though a large proportion of the runways are unpaved desert fl oor, the correct signage is used to give pilots the appropriate instructions. When the tower is closed, radio contact must be made with the Command Post (or CONFORM, to use its radio call-sign) which monitors the network covering the ramp. USAF

AIRBASE USA 9

the navy or army especially RPAs - have been sent to Edwards to undergo testing, as well as American-built aircraft destined for foreign nations. Customers understand that Edwards AFB is home to the subject matter experts for a variety of issues affecting their new purchase. India, looking for an impartial evaluator of its new and different communications systems, recently had its fi rst C-17 fi tted with the equipment tested at Edwards, and countries including Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan have their F-16s going through evaluations with the 416th Flight Test Squadron (FTS).

The early history of fl ight test was punctuated by numerous crashes of test aircraft, leading to the deaths of many pilots. Accidents continue to happen at Edwards, two relatively recent crashes resulting in fatalities. On March 25, 2009, while on a weapons integration test fl ight, an engineering manufacturing and development (EMD) F-22A, 91-4008, belonging to the 411th CTS, crashed killing Lockheed Martins test pilot Dave Cooley (See Attrition, Air Forces

Rogers and Rosamond Dry LakesRogers and Rosamond dry lakes beds have helped make Edwards AFB Americas premier facility for testing aircraft. The base sits at the north-western border of the 44-square mile (114km2) Rogers Dry Lake and its smooth clay surface. Nearby is the smaller Rosamond Dry Lake which, at 22 square miles (57km2), is also a key element to the viability of Edwards AFB and its test mission. Both have both been used for decades as

emergency, alternate and test landing sites for aircraft from Edwards. Hundreds of lives and millions of dollars have been saved simply because of the opportunity to land safely on the lake beds. What makes them so perfect for their role is their absolute fl atness, ideal for landing aircraft. Over a distance of 6.25 miles (10.06km), Rosamond has a curvature of only 18 inches (46cm). Rogers importance was reinforced when it was declared a National Historic Landmark by the US National Park Service for its place in not only Americas military aviation history, but its contributions to the nations space programme. Many early Space Shuttle test fl ights and space missions landed here. Running across the lake beds are no fewer than

15 offi cial marked out runways, 13 of which are

marked out on Rogers, the longest being nearly 7.5 miles (12km) long. Additionally, the main runway at Edwards AFB, 04R/22L, is 15,024ft (4.58km) long. It adjoins the lake bed, effectively adding an additional 9,000ft (2.75km) of clay

runway should it be needed. Since 1937 when it was carved into the surface of its bed, Rogers Dry Lake has been home to the worlds largest compass rose a handy guide when all the other navigational instruments have failed!

Rogers and Rosamond Dry Lakes

Although the F-22 has been fl ying for nearly 20 years, its a bit early in its career and the F-35s to have any spare to display on poles. These two outside the HQ of the US Air Force Test Center are scale models. Gary Wetzel


10 AIRBASE USA

Monthly May and October 2009). Two months later, Northrop T-38A Talon 68-8153, assigned to the 412th TWs 445th FLTS (USAF TPS), crashed near California City, about 12 miles (20km) north of Edwards Air Force Base. This incident illustrates the dangers of test fl ying. The crew was conducting a fl ying qualities, longitudinal static stability data mission which involved pushover manoeuvres to explore fl ight characteristics at different attitudes, generating zero and negative g. The subsequent enquiry found that, even though the test pilot performed

the test correctly and in no way could be blamed for the accident, the stresses put on the airframe by the exercise, together with improper maintenance procedures, caused the rudder to fail and the aircraft became uncontrollable. Student test pilot Captain Mark P Graziano was killed in the subsequent crash and although his back-seater, Major Lee V Jones, survived, he suffered serious injuries sustained when he ejected outside the fl ight envelope of the ejection seat (see Attrition, AirForces Monthly July 2009 and January 2010). Thankfully, the technology, systems

and procedures test pilots put their lives on the line to perfect make such incidents much less frequent than they once were.

Operational risk management is very much at the heart of what we do here, Colonel Azzano explained. Theres a process of assessing potential risks and fi nding a way to mitigate those risks. And executing the mission there will be times when you say that its risky, but the mission will go forward because its something that has to be done. We dont want to be doing what we used to do here at Edwards back in the

Top: The Northrop T-38 Talon has practically become the poster-jet for Edwards having performed innumerable tasks over the last four decades. USAF Above: Edwards' award-winning control tower dominates the landscape for miles around. Its extraordinary height is necessary to ensure air traffi c controllers can see to the more remote parts of the base albeit with the use of binoculars. USAF/Snr Amn Julius Delos Reyes

Antelope ValleyThe triangle-shaped Antelope Valley lies 60 miles (97km) north of Los Angeles, straddling both Los Angeles and Kern Counties, California. Occupying 2,220 square miles (5,750km2) of the

western end of the Mojave Desert, it is framed by the Tehachapi and San Gabriel Mountains which vary in height from 2,100 to 3,000ft (910m). The weather is generally benign with an average of 345 good fl ying days a year. This is why Antelope Valley is home to so much of Americas aerospace industry and explains the population growth in the area over the past several decades. To emphasise the point, a minor-league baseball team, which calls Lancaster - the largest conurbation in the Edwards AFB area - its home, is named the Jethawks. A retired NASA F/A-18 is positioned at the stadiums entrance.In addition to Edwards AFB and the co-located

NASA Dryden Research Center, USAF Plant 42 is in nearby Palmdale along with the Lockheed Martin plant (including its famous Skunk Works facility) where many black projects have originated. Boeing and Northrop Grumman also have major facilities in and around Palmdale airport.In Mojave, just north of Edwards AFB, is the

Mojave Air and Space Port, home to both the National Test Pilot School and Scaled Composites, the company founded by Burt Rutan and now owned by Northrop Grumman, which fl ew the fi rst manned private space fl ight in 2004 with SpaceShipOne. Being so near Edwards AFB, the activities at Mojave greatly benefi t from its protected airspace, and as such have a symbiotic relationship with Edwards itself.

NASA FA-18 at sunset at Lancaster Jethawks stadium. Gary Wetzel

www.airforcesmonthly.com



40s and 50s where we were crashing a lot of airplanes. [For example] I recall being at the Ridley Mission Control Center for the fi rst F-35 engine air start. Remember, the F-35 is a single-engine aircraft and youre turning off the engine theres an element of risk involved with that! Going into the test, you like to think you have it all worked out right; and then the test turns out to be a non-event, which is what we want.

Flight testing is an ongoing, circular process. [The procedures we use] have proven very effective for us but still require constant vigilance and an incredible amount of expertise. The colonel explained that mathematical modelling and simulators have removed a lot of risk, but added: Theres still a lot of uncertainty when you take an aircraft thats designed to fl y straight and subject it to low speeds, high angles of attack and

unsteady aerodynamics, where the airfl ow over the wing is no longer predictable. When we do things like that, going really slowly and pulling a lot of gs, there are a lot of unknowns, potential dangers. We mitigate those dangers by installing a spin-chute onto the aircraft in case the jet departs controlled fl ight. We can pop the chute and the aircraft rights itself, jettisons the chute and fl ies off normally.

We have three categories of risk: high, medium, and low. High risk is something we dont see that often in fl ight test, but over at the 461st FLTS they are doing high-risk testing daily with their F-35s. This process is one step at a time, looking for anomalies. If we fi nd one, we go back and press the [fl ight] envelope a little bit at a time. If we have a particularly dangerous and complex step we break it down and make it achievable. This is not saying theres no risk in what we do; every time we go out and push the envelope theres risk.

Biggest bang for the buckAfter the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the American military was given budget priority, essentially a blank cheque to fi ght what was then called the Global War on Terror and soon became the American-led invasion of Iraq. New technologies and strategies were needed to fi ght the shifting tactics of Americas enemies, and there was no shortage of companies to sell the military what it needed. Twelve years and two wars later and theres much less money to go around. Spending cuts forced on the US military in the form of potentially multi-year sequestration are seriously affecting a force already strained almost to breaking point. Testing must still be done, but within the constraints imposed by the new fi scal realities: the 412th TW is not immune from the current environment.

Were in a period of redefi ning the paradigm

Above: Tim Bryant (foreground) and John Snyder (back), Edwards Radar Control Facility's Space Positioning Optical Radar Tracking (SPORT) air traffi c controllers, provide an extra set of 'eyes' for the pilots performing test missions. SPORT controllers inform aircrew members of the location, altitude and direction of other aircraft in close proximity as well as providing air space boundary notifi cations and weather/airport information. USAF/Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes Below: Testers observe the X-51 Waveriders antenna performance at the Benefi eld Anechoic Facility at Edwards. USAF/Mike Cassidy

Pacifi c Sea Test RangeLess than an hours fl ying time from Edwards AFB is the Pacifi c Sea Test Range (PSTR), the largest overwater range operated by the US Department of Defense. Sixty miles (97km) north-west of Los Angeles, the range covers more than 36,000 square miles (93,200km2) of sea and airspace. If needed, this can be expanded to an enormous 125,000 square miles (320,000km2). The area is unique in its size, scope and the level of instrumentation it provides. Chiefl y a naval asset administered by the US Navy, it is relatively near Edwards and enables squadrons of the 412th Test Wing to conduct weapons tests over the sea. The job of ensuring all tests conducted within the PSTR are carried out safely and effectively belongs to a US Navy

squadron, the Bloodhounds of VX-30, based at NAS Point Mugu in Ventura County, California, which operates a variety of aircraft to keep the area clear of air and sea traffi c and to monitor tests. The task is not easy because the waters and airspace of the PSTR are not prohibited to everyday users; rather it is an advisory warning area. Southern Californias large population generates a lot of pleasure craft traffi c and there are plenty of civil, commercial and military fl ights in the airspace over the region. Add to that the merchant traffi c in and out of the many sea-ports, along with a large very active fl eet of fi shing vessels, and its easy to see the enormous challenges faced by VX-30 to ensure the range is used safely.

Flight testing is an ongoing, circular process. [The procedures we use] have proven very effective for us, but still require constant vigilance and an incredible amount of expertise



Captain Glen W EdwardsCaptain Glen W EdwardsCaptain Glen W EdwardsCaptain Glen W EdwardsCaptain Glen W EdwardsCaptain Glen W Edwardsof acquisition within the Department of Defense, said Col Azzano. Here at Edwards, we have about 300 test projects going at any one time, and with big budget cuts already here were looking at a considerable reduction in that number. Wed been trying to do that on a slow and gradual basis over the past decade on our own terms, and weve made a lot of progress but now were forced into doing things we never thought we would, to the point we may have to start to assume more risk than weve ever been comfortable with in the past. Well have to fi gure out how to do things more cheaply and faster, but the problem is we also want to continue to do them at the same level of performance. At times it takes a little longer, costs a little more than the customer may like, but nobody ever complains about the product Edwards AFB turns out.

The value of Edwards AFB to the war fi ghting component of our national defence cannot be [accurately] measured. We understand the importance of developmental test [DT], and weve seen throughout our history numerous cases where the value of developmental test was marginalised and [the consequent] cost in the programme has been huge. Unfortunately a lot of these lessons are written in blood. We need to wring those issues out here in DT so the product we deliver to the combatant is the best we can possibly give them our young men and women going off to war. We do the best we can to ensure their safe return.

The way we make this whole thing work every day, with everything thats at stake, is that everybody has a vote, everybody has to understand they can throw the veto card on the table if they think what were going to do doesnt make sense or isnt smart. We have to turn out the best possible aircraft for the air force without DT costing us a whole lot in capability and lives.

There are very few national resources like Edwards AFB left. [It] was put here because of the lake beds, and the reason its still here is because of the airspace. If the airspace were ever to go away wed never get it back. From the sheer standpoint of geography, the infrastructure, and diversity, Edwards AFB is really a true superbase.

If the airspace were ever to go away wed never get it back. From the sheer standpoint of geography, the infrastructure, and diversity, Edwards AFB is really a true superbase

Above left: Colonel Lawrence Hoffman, USAF TPS commandant. USAFAbove right: Brig Gen Michael Brewer took command of the 412th Test Wing on July 13, 2012. USAF/Rick GoodfriendLeft: General Janet Wolfenbarger (left), Air Force Materiel Command commander, hands Brig Gen Arnold W Bunch Jr the Air Force Flight Test Center guidon during the AFFTC change-of-command ceremony on June 19 2012. USAF/Jet Fabara

Despite the shortage of water up in the high desert, a pilot leaving Edwards for the last time can expect to have the traditional send off from the base fi re section. USAF/David Henry


AIRBASE USA 13

AT THE heart of the Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB is the Ridley Mission Control Center (RMCC), under the guidance of the 412th Range Squadron (RANS). The RMCC has 13 control rooms (and one additional mobile trailer) that resemble those once used by NASA to launch the Space Shuttle. The RMCC is focused on real-time collection and display of fl ight test information, but pre-test planning and preparation, as well as post-mission data processing and analysis are also carried out here.

Ridley Mission Control is named after Col Jackie L Ridley, a former test pilot and engineer, considered by many to be the architect of modern fl ight testing. Col Ridley was a pilot and engineer for the Bell X-1 rocket plane, in which (then Capt) Charles E Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947. Colonel Ridley died on March 12, 1957 when the C-47 transport 'plane he was a passenger in crashed into a mountain northwest of Tokyo, Japan. Before that, he spent a decade at Edwards AFB on numerous fl ight test projects, developing procedures that are still relevant and infl uence fl ight testing today.

Testing problemsThe RMCC monitors fl ight testing as far away as White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A series of towers relay the data back to Edwards using now out-of-date microwave technology, which will eventually be replaced by fi bre-optic cables. Ironically, monitoring of test events has become more diffi cult in recent

years because of the improvements in modern communications and their adoption by the world outside the military. Doyle Janzen, the leader of the 412th Range Squadron explained: Other bases around the country are dealing with issues of population encroachment, but here at Edwards we are dealing with an encroachment of a different kind that affects our ability to monitor tests. Currently we are trying to fi nd ways to deal with [radio] spectrum encroachment, especially as the mobile phone companies expand their 4G LTE networks. He also said that windmills, used to pump water from underground and to generate electricity in nearby Barstow and Tehachapi, as well as the growth of solar-panel farms, all impinge on the RMCCs ability to test by degrading what was a clean test environment with clutter that is picked up by the sensitive test equipment.

The heart of the matterWhen trials are under way up to 40 fl ight test engineers will work in one of the control

Ridley Mission Control Center

rooms with as many as eight more people on the range supporting operations and maintaining systems in the control room itself. All forms of data, including radio telemetry and video, are delivered to the control room in real-time so that everything that is happening with the aircraft can be monitored, rudder and stick positions, engine temperatures, angle of attack, and so on. The information gleaned from these data is simply too much for one person to follow and arrives too quickly for absolute real-time evaluation, so it is all recorded for later analysis while selected data are monitored by specialists.

The RMCCs computers and terminals are used to schedule all aircraft and range resources during test missions, the system is so comprehensive that it can display 300 different aircraft trajectories simultaneously on one digital monitor, allowing complex missions to be played out and monitored in real time. The bombing ranges are instrumented too; live video feed from the targets is sent back to the RMCC which can instantly tell a test pilot where his bomb has landed.

The speed at which technology is evolving has markedly increased the workload for RMCC. Doyle Janzen explained: When I was working with the F-22 CTF we had about 120,000 parameters to monitor, with about one million samples per second. Now, with the F-35 our control rooms will be handling 250,000 parameters to monitor at nearly 3 million samples per second.

Currently we are trying to find ways to deal with [radio] spectrum encroachment, especially as the mobile phone companies expand their 4G LTE networks




THE 31ST Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) is one of the oldest units in the USAF, as it can trace its lineage back to June 13, 1917. It is unique at Edwards in being the only Air Combat Command (ACC) unit assigned to the base. Most of the units at Edwards come under Air Force Materiel Command (AMC) and are devoted to developmental test [DT], ensuring that aircraft perform as advertised. The 31st TES is concerned with operational test [OT], and is part of the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group (TEG) based at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

Major Matt Bell is an assistant director of operations for the squadron, and a former A-10 Warthog pilot. At the moment, the most important job for the 31st TES is to prepare the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) which is still several years away. Having both types of testing developmental and operational occurring simultaneously is unusual if not unique and Major Bell thinks it is a great idea: With developmental test, they are determining how the jet performs compared to its design specifi cations, ensuring safety of fl ight throughout the envelope and on our side, in operational test, we are taking the product that the DT folks have given us and applying that aircraft tactically in a series of combat scenarios. By doing both DT and OT together it guarantees that the system we are developing is the actual system we need to be effective in combat.

The 31st TES has seen its share of aircraft, and while currently it only owns F-35As, its pilots are involved with almost all types of aircraft owned by the air force. The main focus currently, however, is the F-35. Major Bell was one of the fi rst to arrive to help set up the F-35 detachment within the 31st TES in August 2011. He turned up to an empty hangar, some offi ce space and a few personnel who had arrived before him: At the time, I was required to maintain my currency in the

A-10, so every few weeks I would have to go to Nellis to get my hours in the A-10 until I went for F-35 conversion. Our fi rst jets showed up in March of this year. Right now we have six pilots trained up and we will continue to bring in more pilots to support OT. Eventually, we will have all three versions A, B and C of the F-35 here though currently we only have the A model.

We are in the early phase of tactical development, and down the road this will be a

31st TES

great multi-role aircraft. We also understand there is a timeline and the jet will steadily become more capable.

The fi rst models of any aircraft are not as mature or tactically capable as the airplane will be ten years further on. Things are already developing rapidly with the F-35 programme, and as the DT testers open up more capability for us, we will continue to expand that, [discovering and developing] the tactical advantages this jet brings.

(TEG) based at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

(IOT&E) which is still several years away. Having both types of testing developmental and operational occurring simultaneously is unusual if not unique and Major Bell thinks it is a

We are in the early phase of tactical development and down the road this will be a great multi-role aircraft

Low Rate Initial Production Lot 3 F-35A 09-5006/OT is assigned to the 53rd Wings 31st TES. This and sister ship 09-5005 arrived at Edwards from Lockheed Martins Forth Worth factory on March 6, 2013. The 31st TES uses the aircraft to determine how best to tactically operate the F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant of the JSF. Gary Wetzel

The F-35 is very much the shape of things to come. USAF

Motto: Glory on the field of battle, courage before every danger, fidelity to our nation and flag, and honor before all men

14-40_AirbaseUS_Edwards_AK_GP JG.indd 14 25/11/2013 11:55


OVER FIFTEEN years have passed since the fi rst Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Raptor 01, USAF serial number 91-4001 arrived at Edwards AFB direct from Lockheed Martins facility in Marietta, Georgia, partially disassembled and tucked inside a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. The 411th Flight Test Squadron, the unit assigned to testing the new jet, became a beehive of activity with the Combined Test Force (CTF) pushing Raptor development along.

The pace of operations within the 411th CTF has slowed in recent years, especially since 2010. Two major events in F-22 development have been passed since then. The fi rst was the work involved in getting so-called Increment 3.1 software to the Raptor fl eet.

The second was the grounding of nearly all F-22s in the USAF inventory, except for fl ights from Edwards directly related to trying to determine the cause of the hypoxia symptoms pilots had sustained while fl ying the type. This problem led to the death of at least one F-22 pilot when his

machine crashed after he lost consciousness.Since 2010, the programme has changed,

[prior to that] we had probably twice as many people working in the programme within the CTF. Where we once had three shifts of maintenance [crews] we now have two, Major Chris Keithley, test pilot and assistant

director of operations for the 411th said during an interview. A lot

of that activity was directed towards implementing Increment 3.1 on the jet. The

Raptor isnt an old, grizzled airplane like the B-52 or F-16. With those older aircraft we know which parts fail and have

already redesigned them. With the Raptor we are still learning,

and fi guring out which parts are going to need to be redesigned. So

a lot of what we do here at the 411th FLTS is testing those parts before the air force buys a bunch of them.

Increment 3.1 was built around four key upgrades to the Raptor, which included new ground-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR) modes for the AN/APG-77 radar, some electronic attack capability, geo-location of detected electro-magnetic emitters and initial integration with the GPS-guided GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb (SDB-I), which Major Keithley refers to as 250lbs of hate.

Fixing the problemOn November 16, 2010, Captain Jeff Haney was killed when his F-22 Raptor crashed about 100 miles (160km) north of Anchorage,

Motto: Assessing the Future

director of operations for the 411th said during an interview.

know which parts fail and have

going to need to be redesigned. So a lot of what we do here at the 411th

411th FLTS Stealth Fighter testers

Major Chris Keithley, 411th Flight Test Squadron assistant director of operations. USAF/Kevin Robertson

Supersonic Raptor. Lockheed Martin/Kevin Robertson

With the Raptor we are still learning and fi guring out which parts are going to need to be redesigned



Alaska, after the F-22 vanished from radar and broke off communications about an hour and 20 minutes into night-time training manoeuvres with another F-22. The mishap would be the strongest evidence that something was wrong with the jets life support system. Between April 2008 and May 2011, 14 F-22A pilots experienced physiological incidents in which they reported symptoms including disorientation, dizziness and nauseous feelings in flight. One pilot, who scraped the belly of his jet across trees prior to landing, had no recollection of doing so. As the reports of problems increased, the USAF made the decision to stand-down the entire F-22 fleet on May 3, 2011 and in June of that year the Secretary of the Air Force ordered a formal study be carried out to examine the fighters life support systems. The jets stayed parked up for four months until the flying ban was lifted.

Following the grounding, the entire focus here at the CTF was on a solution, and we were the only Raptors allowed to fly, Major Keithley explained. We started peeling back the onion the life support system to address the anomalies the plane was having. It was an enormous amount of work chasing the problems down, and not much flying. There was nothing for us to compare this to, as there was no previous test aircraft that had done any trailblazing for us, we were designing new tests and were forced to think outside the box.

We did do some flying that summer. The aircraft were modified with new monitoring equipment for the tests.

One problem was that, for reasons of medical ethics, the clinicians could not agree to anything that might be construed as experimentation on human beings. Major Keithley said: At the end of the day, the human body was indeed a sensor in that programme. Before I went to fly they tested my lung function and then upon landing I was again tested. I gave urine samples for 24 hours and upwards of 14 vials of blood after each sortie. We were looking to see what my body metabolized and if the contaminates that I ingested showed up in those tests. At the end of the day, the jet was doing me a favour: my lungs and the air I was breathing at the end of a flight were cleaner than the air I was exhaling right before I got in the jet.

The problem was eventually solved after a seven-month study by the US Air Force Scientific Advisory Board that examined the jets OBOGS (onboard oxygen generating system) and its environmental control system. The jets were returned to full flight status after parts of the pilots life support system and flight suit were redesigned. The 411th

FLTS test pilots played a major part in the investigation into the problem.

Keep em fighting!Of the two programmes currently being run by the 411th FLTS, one is further expanding the Raptors combat effectiveness with software Increment 3.2, and the other is designed to save lives, similar to the auto-GCAS (ground collision avoidance system) for F-16s that the 416th FLTS has successfully tested. Rather than adopting a ground avoidance system like that being developed for the USAFs Vipers, the Raptors Line-in-the-Sky auto-GCAS is designed to prevent an F-22 from crashing when the pilot is incapacitated or distracted by prohibiting the jet from going below a certain altitude. Figures generated as a result of studies carried out under the Fighter Risk Reduction Project (FRRP) have shown that the USAF can expect to lose seven of its small fleet of F-22As as a result of what is termed controlled flight into terrain flying into the ground.

Major Keithley: Line-in-the-Sky auto-GCAS is different to the auto-GCAS being tested by the 416th for the F-16. He said that the best way to think of the F-22 was as a big computer that can fly. The problem with the GCAS was getting it to work adequately without completely re-writing the aircrafts software a massive, hideously expensive and difficult undertaking. So, a solution was found by using spare capacity in the jets computer memory: Instead of telling the airplane there is a hill here, here and here [like auto-GCAS does], we allow the pilot or mission planner to put a line in the sky that the airplane will not penetrate. It will achieve a similar effect to the system the F-16s will have its a solution, but not a perfect system. It is clear that in an ideal world, the F-22A would have an

auto-GCAS system that automatically avoids terrain and other obstacles, like that planned for the F-16, but the funds are not available.

Software Increment 3.2 is being developed in two steps 3.2A and 3.2B. The first is currently being tested at Edwards and is a software only upgrade. It improves the Raptors lethality and self-defence capability by allowing the jet to use information from other platforms via the F-22s receive-only Link-16 datalink. This will enhance the pilots situational awareness by improving both the combat identification of other players in the battlespace and electronic protection.

Full integration of the Raptors new air-to-air weapons will not come until increment 3.2B, although Update 5 to increment 3.2A will include basic support for the advanced AIM-9X air-to-air missile. However, critics point out that the capabilities being added to the Raptor are already available on other jets in the air force inventory, and new ones such as a helmet-mounted cueing system will not be considered because sequestration means there is no money available.

Major Keithley said he thought the right trade-offs have been made regarding the development of the F-22. Hell yeah, I want a helmet. I want everything, but there is a finite amount of money available. Right now we are still testing the AIM-9X and that programme will go on for a while, as the F-22 has a massive envelope to clear. There is still a lot of capability we can have with the jet, however, extracting that capability is not free. Major Keithley was the first person to launch an AIM-9X from a Raptor, the 411ths 91-4006/ED, an F-22A Engineering Manufacturing and Development (EMD) aircraft. The test took place on May 17, 2012 off the coast of California and was hailed as a success by the manufacturer and the air force.

Above: Senior Airman Douglas Covey delivers a CATM-120 AMRAAM missile to be loaded onto 411th FLTS F-22 Raptor 99-4010/ED while team leader Staff Sgt Alexe Perez supervises. USAF/Edward CannonRight: A missing-man formation of one F-22A and two F-16s flies over Hangar 1600 at Edwards during a memorial service for retired Lt Col David Cooley on April 1, 2009. Colonel Cooley, a Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor test pilot, died in an F-22A crash on March 25 during a test mission, northeast of Edwards. USAF/Mike Yncera



WHEN THE Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (CSAF) needs to travel, his aircraft will more than likely be Speckled Trout, a highly modifi ed Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker belonging to the 412th FLTS at Edwards AFB.

The name Speckled Trout covers the mission fl own by the 412th, the squadron itself and the specifi c Boeing C-135 Stratotanker assigned to the unit. The 412th is the only worldwide-deployable fl ying combat squadron within Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC).

Although primarily a VIP transport aircraft carrying out the Special Assignment Airlift Mission (SAAM), like its predecessors, the current Speckled Trout airframe, KC-135R Stratotanker serial number 63-7980, is a fully operational tanker which can be quickly converted for use as a test aircraft with the 412th Test Wing.

Externally identical to any other KC-135 except for its paint scheme, internally Speckled Trout is unlike any other of the type, featuring the creature comforts usually found aboard airliners. Since 2010, Speckled Trout has travelled to more than 100 countries in support of 34 different distinguished visitors (DVs).

More than a private jetThe Speckled Trout mission began in 1957 when the USAFs

Chief of Staff at the time, General Curtis E LeMay, ordered the last KC-135 test aircraft, then being used in trials at Edwards, to be

transferred to Andrews AFB, Maryland. It was put in the care

of the 1001st Operations Group and assigned to the HQ USAF for

use as his personal aircraft while also continuing its duties as a test machine. LeMay was conscious there might be complaints that he was riding around in luxury, although having a hack or runabout was a common practice at the time; around 700 aircraft in the USAF were used as such in the late 1950s and early 1960s. As a result, the aircrafts exterior, scarred by the modifi cations caused by its test mission, went unpainted and the inside was spartan, with no luxury fi ttings or even passenger seats until Boeing donated ten in 1965. The aircraft, C-135 55-3126, was named for the programmes co-ordinator, Faye Trout. The Speckled part of the name reportedly came from a comment by General LeMay that Ms Trout had a lot of freckles.

412th FLTSMotto: 'Proof by Trial'

Keeper of the Speckled TroutMore than a

used in trials at Edwards, to be

of the 1001st Operations Group and assigned to the HQ USAF for

use as his personal aircraft while also

Since 2010, Speckled Trout has travelled to more than 100 countries in support of 34 different distinguished visitors'

Above: Lt Col Michael Davis addresses members of the 412th Flight Test Squadron in Hanger 1600 at Edwards on July 2, 2013, after assuming command of the squadron. USAF/Edward CannonBelow: The famous Speckled Trout. This aircraft, 63-7980 is the fourth to perform the mission and carry the name. As can be seen from the engine covers, it is known as Test Tanker II at Edwards. The various lumps and bumps on the fuselage give away its testing mission. Gary Wetzel



During the early years under LeMay, Team Speckled Trout established several records. On November 13, 1957, as part of operation LONG LEGS, the general and his crew established a world record for the longest unrefuelled flight 6,322.85 miles (10,175.6km) from Westover AFB, Massachusetts, to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Even though the individual aircraft have changed over the years, with one C-135 variant replacing another, the basic mission has remained the same; not only transporting distinguished people around the globe but also contributing directly to trials and experiments designed to improve Americas air forces ability to carry out its mission in times of peace and war.

In 1976 when USAF HQ Command deactivated, Speckled Trout was transferred to Air Force Systems Command and stayed there as Detachment 1 to the 4950th Test Wing. In 1992 the mission moved to Edwards AFB and on January 28, 1994, the 412th

Flight Test Squadron was activated at the Californian base and added the unique mission of testing communication systems for senior government officials in a global, operational and combat environment.

The jetBoeing KC-135R serial number 63-7980 is the current airframe used for the Speckled Trout mission and the fourth to bear the name. In March 2013 it returned from a year-long overhaul at Greenville, Texas, where, during scheduled periodic depot maintenance (PDM), it was painted in a smart new grey and white paint scheme instead of the standard grey worn by the rest of the tanker fleet. Crewmembers estimate this finish lowers the temperature inside the aircraft when it is on the ground by 15 to 20C (59 to 68F), making pre-flight checks and routine maintenance onboard more comfortable especially on the ramp at Edwards during the summer or at Al Udeid, Qatar, where the jet frequently deploys.

The peopleTo make all of this work, Speckled Trout is a selectively-manned unit where pre-acceptance interviews are mandatory. All crewmembers are highly experienced within their specialties, whether they be pilots, maintainers or flight attendants. While being a graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is not a requirement to join Speckled Trout, either the CO or the director of operations (DO) must be a TPS graduate.

The crew will normally consist of 12 personnel: three pilots, a navigator (who is also the mission commander and acts a liaison to VIPs), a flight engineer, two flight attendants, four maintainers and a combat systems officer. When the aircraft is being used in the VIP transport role 18 staff can be accommodated along with the DVs party which enjoys privacy in its own separate suite.

VIP transportAboard Speckled Trout, the DV and his or her staff have access to internet, SIPRNet (Secret Internet Protocol Router Network) and phone calls as well as entertainment such as DIRECT TV satellite television. And, of course, the food is special as well, as TSgt Mariel Rivera explained: Everything is homemade and made from scratch. We purchase the food ourselves from stores such as Costco Wholesale and we use our culinary training to produce a variety of exceptional meals.

Test aircraftWhen not being used to transport the CSAF or other VIPs around, Speckled Trout is a fully-fledged member of the 412th Test Wing. It is used in several different ways. Either purely as a tanker to support test missions being performed by other units, conducting test flights in connection with the specialist work of the 412th FLTS or a combination of the two Speckled Trout is an important part of the Edwards-based Test Wing.

The squadrons versatility was exemplified in late 2011 when an Edwards-based B-2A

Speckled Trout at sunset. USAF

Above: The third Speckled Trout, 57-2589 refuelling its replacement 63-7980 in July 2007 before it was repainted though it had already been given its orange 'Edwards' tail band. USAF


AIRBASE USA 19www.airforcesdaily.com

Spirit long-range stealth bomber fl ew a mission to the North Pole to assess hardware and software upgrades, endurance and performance at extremely high latitudes and the effects the high latitudes would have on delivering ordnance.

Supporting the test, Speckled Trout served as an airborne control room and communications hub, enabling the test team to troubleshoot issues that occurred while airborne. It also provided the necessary communications back to Edwards that were essential to the test missions success.

The 412th FLTS uses its own fi ght test engineers to plan, execute and report on the fl ight test programmes Speckled Trout takes on. Recent test programmes include the PACER CRAG cockpit upgrade, now common to all KC-135Rs; COMBAT TRACK II, a secure, beyond-line-of-sight tactical data network comprising military UHF SATCOM (satellite communications) and internet protocol (IP) components; SwiftBroadband, which provides a symmetric always on data connection globally, except for polar regions, using the Inmarsat satellite network; wideband global SATCOM; and the KC-135 LAIRCM, or Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures System, which was designed to defeat attacks by infrared-guided missiles by automatically

detecting launches, determining if the weapon is a threat and activating a system of pulsed lasers to track and defeat it by confusing its guidance kit and sending the munition away from the targeted aircraft. Speckled Trout is the only KC-135 airframe to

have LAIRCM permanently installed.

Key assetThe importance of the Speckled Trout programme to the 412th Test Wing and the USAF as a whole cannot be overestimated. On one hand it provides safe, reliable and, by virtue of its air refuelling capability, very long range transport for senior leaders and their staff. On the other it contributes to the development of aircraft and communications systems while also providing aerial refuelling services for Edwards fl eet of test aircraft. No other single USAF aircraft can claim such a variety of roles.

The individual airframes may have changed over the years but the goal of the Speckled Trout team has never changed. Its multi-faceted mission will remain the same for years to come: providing excellent service, whether to the CSAF or other VIPs, or supporting test projects vital to the interests of the United States and the wider world.

Above: WC-135B 61-2669 was the second aircraft to bear the name Speckled Trout, being introduced into service as such in 1974. It now resides at the Air Force Flight museum at Edwards. USAF

The 412th FLTS uses its own fi ght test engineers to plan, execute and report on the fl ight test programmes Speckled Trout takes on



416th FLTSFlying Skulls

EDWARDS AFBs 416th FLTS, known by many at Edwards by its nickname Skulls is currently focused on making the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, or Viper, a better, more capable aircraft. The squadron is helping to develop new software for the type along with new sensors and targeting pods, different radars and new weapons as well as testing new fl ight dynamics with related fl ight control software (FCS). For the task, the Combined Test Force (CTF) employs 324 people, 90% of whom are engineers, maintainers and individuals who control the tests. Only 35 of these personnel are USAF members assigned to the 416th FLTS.

Perfecting partners aircraftThe 416th currently operates 15 F-16s, eight of which are USAF jets and the other seven from other F-16-operating nations. Two of those are from the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF) a consortium of the fi rst four European Viper operators, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway and two belong to Morocco, two to Pakistan and one to Egypt. Motto: The Best Test in the West

USAF TPS instructor Major Brian Deas over Edwards during a night currency fl ight. USAF/Chad Bellay

416th Flying Skulls



The F-16 is currently the worlds most widely used modern fighter aircraft, and it is fitting that continuing improvement of the Viper is conducted at Edwards AFB where so much of its development from lightweight fighter to multirole all-rounder was carried out. The 416th works closely with Air Combat Command (ACC) and different Operational Test (OT) units to further the capability of the jet. It also keeps a detachment of 12 people at the ANG AFRC Test Center (AATC) in Tucson, Arizona, to help develop upgrades for the type for the Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC).

The 416ths CO, Lt Col Leonard Kearl, remarked: Whereas there are a lot of organisations here at Edwards trying to develop something new, were trying to make something already fielded and currently in use in combat in Afghanistan better. Our focus is to give the warfighters using this jet in combat the tools they need to succeed.

The needs of this jet are not decreasing despite developing fiscal constraints. We currently have 15 different test programmes running. Weve added the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) to the jet which is a tremendous asset. Its a very precise low-yield warhead that will limit collateral damage. We can carry eight SDBs, twice as many bombs as before, and the stand-off [range] is at least four times that of any previous stand-off weapon we carried [on the F-16].

Keeping clear of the groundThe most important test project for Lt Col Kearl is the automatic ground collision avoidance system (auto-GCAS), designed to prevent controlled flight into terrain, or CFIT. A clever aspect of auto-GCAS is that it not only prevents a pilot from inadvertently flying his jet into the ground but is smart enough not to interrupt typical F-16 missions such as low-flying during shows of force and strafing.

Auto-GCAS will be deployed when the M 6.2+ software is introduced to the US fleet of Fighting Falcons in 2014. Auto-GCAS is being fielded on the next tape [software update], and its an awesome capability, said Lt Col Kearl. Its something thats been talked about for 20 years, but unfortunately it was never looked at as a combat capability which in itself is ridiculous and was placed on the back burner in favour of other projects that increased the capability of the Viper. But this project keeps

the aircraft from hitting the ground when the pilot has passed out. That might be because of g-lock [g-induced loss of consciousness], becoming disoriented at night or when flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) or just being distracted by something else. CFIT is the number one killer of F-16s and has been for decades: pilots flying perfectly good airplanes into the ground. Auto-GCAS prevents this from happening. Its designed to be 98% successful; with the trade-off being that you dont want the jet to fly away from the ground when youre trying to be close to the ground. So theres a little trading of space there. Its currently forecast to save 136 airplanes and 78 lives [over the expected lifetime of the F-16], and $6.7 billion worth of resources over the life of the programme. This will eventually make its way to other types, but the F-16 is the threshold jet.

Keep the nose up!Another important mission of the 416th FLTS which, strictly speaking, falls outside

Above: Skulls Rule says the legend on this crew chiefs T-shirt, and who are we to argue? USAF/Senior Airman Nadine Y BarclayBelow: Major James Hayes III, HAVE POSIT II project pilot, puts the Automatic Air Collision Avoidance System data car-tridge into a AN/ASQ-T50 (V) P5 Tactical Combat Training System pod prior to take-off. USAF/Christian Turner

No orange patches, denoting test equipment, are visible on F-16B 87-0392 as it blasts into the California sky. It was the second Block 40 F-16D to be delivered to the USAF and has spent its entire life at Edwards. Gary Wetzel



the realm of testing is the high angle of attack (AoA) training it provides. Lt Col Kearl explained: High AoA is a problem in all airplanes, and the F-16 is designed to prevent itself from departing [controlled] fl ight as it has limiters where you can only pull so many degrees of AoA, so many gs, keeping roll rates under control and such. But with the Viper, these limiters can be defeated, especially if you have a weird confi guration [of external stores] on the jet.

Asymmetry can cause extra drag and weight on one side which the fl ight control system doesnt compensate for very well, so the aircraft can depart [controlled fl ight and go into a spin] and bad things can, and will, happen. We do departure [from controlled fl ight] testing on any new confi guration, whether ordnance or software, and make sure the aircraft departs in the way we expect it to and, more importantly, that it recovers the way we expect it to.

With the Viper, once the aircraft does depart it will probably self-recover, but if it doesnt the pilot has to do a very non-intuitive procedure called pitch rocking to recover the airplane to make sure its still possible to recover the jet [from the spin] with weapons and different confi gurations on it. We do all that testing here, and when we do, we put a spin chute on the back of the airplane so that if the jet doesnt recover we can pop the chute out and recover the aircraft that way.

Since this event can be a huge problem when it occurs, we do training on it. No other squadron in the USAF is allowed to do this on purpose because its very dangerous. We intentionally put the Viper in this position. We teach the pilots what it looks like, feels like and smells like because its extremely disorienting and we dont want a pilots fi rst time to be a surprise.

Almost every week we have two students here from the CAF [combat air forces] and depart the airplane with them and show them how to recover. Then they go back and talk to their buddies about it, giving our programme the most exposure it can get.

We also travel with this programme, going mainly to Luke AFB, Arizona, and Kelly Field at Lackland AFB, Texas, although we recently returned from Eielson AFB, Alaska. Luke and Kelly are training bases for the Viper so we put their IPs [instructor pilots] through [the recovery procedure] so they can teach the students and impart to them how it feels to be out of control, how hard it will be to reach the switches and [show them] this is why you tighten your seatbelt the way you do: all the little things that arent written up in the

technical manuals. Theyll be upside down and thrown all over the cockpit with dirt in their eyes. Its important to learn this lesson in a controlled environment.

Lt Col Kearl said each course lasts a week at the detached location. Monday morning is spent on the academic part of the syllabus before the fi rst fl ight, that afternoon followed by two a day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and one on Friday morning. Each student will conduct around 10 to 12 departures from controlled fl ight per sortie, which Kearl admits is a lot; but even though it is hard to quantify, the colonel is confi dent his team has saved a lot of lives and aircraft over the years.

F-16s seen fl ying today are very different from the F-16A that fi rst joined the USAF. Making the jet more capable is what the 416th has done for years and will continue to do. The F-16 of today is at least twice as capable as the Viper from fi ve years ago, and that jet was twice as capable as the one before that. [It was] originally designed as a throwaway day VFR (visual fl ight rules) point defence fi ghter with a gun and heat seeking missiles, said Lt Col Kearl. [Now] look at all the stuff weve hung on the plane: the tail is bigger, the engine is bigger and it can carry more stuff. It doesnt go any higher, it doesnt go any faster, doesnt pull more gs but it can see further, carry more weapons, target more accurately and is more survivable [provides better protection for its crew]. The workload here will explode in Fiscal Year 2016 when the plan is to give the Viper an AESA (active electronically-scanned array) radar along with other upgrades, making it a 4.5-generation fi ghter. This airplane just keeps getting better and better.

This F-16B has led an unusual life. It was ordered by Pakistan but its delivery was embargoed by the US government because of concerns over Pakistans nuclear programme. Having made its fi rst fl ight on February 24, 1994 it was immediately placed into storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. It remained there until January 2003 when it was delivered to the Skulls at Edwards along with the other three jets in the batch. Finally, on July 28, 2008 it was delivered to Pakistans 9 Squadron. Gary Wetzel

F-16D Block 50 90-0835, which fi rst fl ew on August 19, 1992 has been a test aircraft throughout its career. It was delivered to the 46th Test Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida in November 1992 and remained there until its transfer to Edwards and the 416th in October 1995. The orange patches are pieces of test equipment. Gary Wetzel


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THE TASK of ensuring the USAF can project power and is able to meet the challenges of tomorrow falls to the 418th FLTS, the Global Reach Combined Test Force (GRCTF) at Edwards AFB. One of the largest squadrons at Edwards, the 418th carries out testing on several aircraft types including the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, Boeings C-17 Globemaster II, KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender, Lockheeds C-130 Hercules and Lockheed Martins Super Hercules. It will also lead the test programme for the Boeing KC-46 tanker programme.

But unlike the majority of the 12 fl ying Combined Test Forces (CTFs) at Edwards, the 418th is in the unusual position of having to borrow aircraft for testing purposes as several platforms, specifi cally the C-5, KC-10 and C-130, are not organic assets at Edwards. All the aircraft under the units umbrella are, with the exception of the KC-10, currently undergoing active test programmes. The capability to do so is maintained so when new tasks arise the squadron is able to quickly spin up to start the necessary trials.

Tigers Test the Heavies

with the exception of the KC-10, currently undergoing active test programmes. The capability

418th FLTSLeft: Test Tanker II refuelling the Edwards-based F-35A prototype. USAFBelow: At a ceremony in Seattle, Washington on July 11, 2013, Lt Col Charles Cain (left), 418th Flight Test Squadron commander, passes the 418th FLTS, Detachment 1 guidon to Lt Col James Quashnock, charging him with command. The 418th FLTS, Det. 1 will be the responsible test organisation for developmental test on the KC-46. US Air Force photo by Major Donevan Rein



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Airforces Monthly Special (Airbase USA) - 2013 UK

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