Holloman Airmen provide 5th generation fighter support

by Senior Airman Sondra Escutia, 49th Wing Public Affairs

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) -- Two T-38 Talons were delivered in December here with the help of NASA officials.

NASA officials used an Aero Spacelines Super Guppy to deliver the first two of an eventual 15 T-38s that will be regenerated here and flown to operating locations at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and Tyndall AFB, Fla. The Super Guppy is a wide-bodied cargo aircraft used in many space programs to transport spacecraft components.

"This will keep the T-38 Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Program alive for a number of years, and it will allow us to provide these low-cost training assets to help offset the cost of some of these higher cost aircraft," said Miles Crowell, the M1 Support Services manager and director of maintenance for the T-38 Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Program.

Members of the M1 Support Services T-38 CAM program here currently maintain all of the T-38s on base -- the majority of which are used as aggressor forces against F-22 Raptors during training, Mr. Crowell said. This method of fifth generation fighter support has proven a highly efficient and cost-effective way to train.

He said the aircraft being delivered here were originally sent to South Korea in 1997 to be used for pilot training. In November 2009, the T-38s returned to the U.S. and were slated to be retired at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. Instead, Air Force leaders determined they should be put to use.

"The Air Force had identified the need to have more of these aircraft for fifth generation fighter support," Mr. Crowell said. "They approached us to see if we could rehab these aircraft. We went and took a look at them, and we think that we can have them back into service over the next year."

The T-38 Adversary Air Program lead from JB Langley, Lt. Col. Derek Wyler, said the delivery of the first two T-38s was a major step on the path to provide that fighter support.

Colonel Wyler said the first seven T-38s to arrive and be regenerated here will be flown to JB Langley and will largely benefit the fighter pilot population there.

"Right now at (JB Langley) ... the F-22s are having to fly against themselves for their air-to-air training," Colonel Wyler said. "By bringing the T-38s out, we'll be able to train F-22 pilots by flying against the T-38s, which will give them a larger number of aircraft to fly against, and it will be a far more cost-effective way to train."

He added that the decision to preserve the T-38 training mission will not only benefit each of the bases involved, but the Air Force as a whole.

"The addition of these T-38s will dramatically increase the combat capability of our F-22 pilots so they're ready to go down range when needed," Colonel Wyler said.

Holloman AFB will receive the T-38 aircraft two at a time until the last of the 15 is delivered which slated for February 2011, officials said.

586th Flight Test Squadron hits testing milestone

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) -- The 586th Flight Test Squadron, part of Air Force Materiel Command's 46th Test Group, recently hit an aviation milestone when members of the unit completed flight testing of an inert missile, the LTGM-65 Laser Maverick, currently under development by Raytheon Missile Systems.

Air Force testers have flown many variants of the air-to-ground missile throughout the years, but the significance of this testing was the aircraft used to carry it: an Air Force C-12J.

Normally a "people mover," this C-12, nicknamed "Ms. Mable," is an Air Force version of a Beech 1900C airliner that has been highly modified to support agile, low-cost testing of advanced avionics and weapons.

Perhaps the most unusual modification is the addition of two pylons and bomb racks that enable the aircraft to carry test items, like the Laser Maverick, on the belly of its fuselage.

"This is a really unique test capability ... because you usually don't find missiles underneath a transport aircraft," said Capt. Reid Larson, chief flight test engineer with the 586th FLTS. He also noted that the aircraft does not launch the missiles; it only carries them into the air for testing purposes.

"(This capability) provides a much-needed low-cost, long-loiter capability for weapons and avionics development," added Lt. Col. Monte Cannon, the 586th FLTS commander.

Captain Larson explained that the concept of placing bomb racks on the aircraft was born about three years ago when the need was identified for testing external stores at slower speeds and at significantly lower cost than testing on a typical fighter aircraft.

"There is a real need for an inexpensive way to conduct risk-reduction flight testing," he said. "Testing early in the development helps work out the major bugs in a new weapon or system before loading it on a fighter that costs much more to operate."

According to Colonel Cannon, the C-12 is cheaper to operate per flight hour largely because it consumes significantly less fuel than an F-15 Eagle or F-16 Fighting Falcon, for example.

"There is obviously a tradeoff here," he said. "We can't go nearly as fast as a fighter, but that's fine in the early stages of testing."

He explained that once the test item has proven itself during this early testing, it gets flown on the aircraft from which it will be employed.

"A team of experienced pilots and engineers across the 46th Test Group initially began a study to assess the feasibility of attaching bomb racks to the C-12J," said Captain Larson. "The team determined that it was not only something that we could do, but also should do. It made sense from a technical perspective and from a cost-savings perspective."

What followed was a two-year design and modification effort, followed by a year-long test program to verify that the addition of the bomb racks did not affect the behavior of the airplane during flight.

The recently-completed Laser Maverick testing marks the first time this new capability has been used. The program aimed to show that this variant of the Maverick could successfully track a fast moving target illuminated by a laser.

"The need to strike mobile targets was identified as an urgent need for current operations in theater," said 2nd Lt. Rob Erickson, lead flight test engineer for the program. "By any measure, this was an enormously successful demonstration. It was truly a team effort with outstanding support from the (people at) White Sands Missile Range as well as numerous members (from) Holloman."

Operators from one of Holloman's remotely piloted aircraft flying training units also assisted in the testing.

"We were especially excited to work with members of 6th Reconnaissance Squadron who operated an MQ-1 Predator to laser designate the simulated target as part of the testing," said Colonel Cannon.

Eric Peterson, Laser Maverick lead engineer with Raytheon, explained that upgrades to guidance and control software, which help get the missile to its intended target, will make up the next generation Laser Maverick.

"This was an important milestone for us," Mr. Peterson said. "The 586th team here was really focused on the outcome and made sure that we got a realistic test of the missile."
He added that this test is an important risk-reduction milestone before full development and operational tests commence later this year.

According to Captain Larson, the squadron doesn't have long to savor this success. There are plans in the works to certify several other technologies for flight on Ms. Mable.

"We're looking to eventually test targeting pods, such as LITENING and SNIPER, that would allow us to zoom in on, track and even laser designate targets just like many of our fighters can," he said.

Each of these technologies will provide a key capability to support the squadron's test customers.

"In the end, this is about providing world class testing that helps cost-effectively verify new combat capability," Colonel Cannon said. "Our aim is to help get things right before the weapon or system gets to the fight."

8th Fighter Squadron flagship arrives

by Staff Sgt. Sanjay Allen, 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) -- The 8th Fighter Squadron received its first of 20 F-22 Raptors Dec. 21 here.

The arrival of 8th FS flagship, a Langley Air Force Base Raptor, which came from maintenance in Palmdale, Calif., starts the next chapter of the "Black Sheep's" storied history that started in 1941 when the squadron was assigned to the 49th Pursuit Group, and during World War II, their pilots amassed 207 aerial victories.

"Air dominance," said Lt. Col. Craig Baker, 8th FS commander, relating how the F-22 fits into Holloman's history. "The F-22 builds on what previous generations of air superiority fighters have established in the 8th -- a positive kill ratio. The fifth generation F-22 is far superior to any enemy aircraft today. U.S. Air Force pilots, the F-22 and its psychological effects all contribute to maintain that positive kill ratio [which is] a must to gaining and maintaining air superiority."

Colonel Baker assumed command of the squadron Sept. 25 after a brief period of inactivity. The 8th has not had any aircraft assigned to it since the F-117 retired in April 2008. The pilots and maintainers will work hand-in-hand with the 7th Fighter Squadron as a "super squadron" until the unit deploys next summer. When that happens, the squadrons' roles will reverse.

Working together with Lt. Col. Mike Hernandez, 7th FS commander, as a super squadron has ran like a well-oiled machine since the two commanders have a history of working together.

"Pigpen (Colonel Hernandez) and I have worked together since 1999 ... so luckily our policies, our thoughts, our tactics and opinions generally fall in-line together," Colonel Baker said. "His opinions for the squadron are the ones that I share, so it makes it relatively easy."

The 7th FS and 8th FS have been working together since 1941.

The nickname, the Black Sheep, dates back to 1943, when the 49th Fighter Group was transitioning from the P-47 Thunderbolt to the P-38 Lightning. The 8th FS was the last of the three squadrons to receive the P-38 aircraft and pilots began calling them the Black Sheep. The name has remained through various conflicts, base changes and airframe changes.

Previously, 8th FS pilots have flown the F-117, F-15, F-4, F-80, P-51 and P-38.

Air Force announces Reserve F-22 squadron at Holloman

An F-22 Raptor flown by Col. Jeff Harrigian arrives June 2 at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. In addition to two active-duty squadrons, the Air Force will base an Air Force Reserve Command classic associate squadron at Holloman AFB to fly the fifth generation fighter. Colonel Harrigian is the 49th Fighter Wing commander.

Air Force Reserve Command officials announced June 6 that a second F-22 Raptor fighter squadron will be established at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.

Reserve officials will relocate the 301st Fighter Squadron from Luke AFB, Ariz., to Holloman AFB and form a classic association with the active duty's 7th and the 9th Fighter Squadrons under the 49th Fighter Wing.

"I am proud that the Air Force Reserve has been invited to participate in so many new mission areas and that we are here today, and included from the beginning, during the stand up of the F-22 at Holloman," said Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, the AFRC commander.

As an associate unit, the Air Force Reserve squadron members will fly and maintain the aircraft with their active-duty counterparts. The 49th FW officials will own the aircraft.

Reserve planners expect to establish the 44th Fighter Group at Holloman AFB and assign 260 Airmen there by 2010.

"I believe that associate units, such as we have at Holloman, are the best way forward to maximize the Air Force's combat effectiveness and harness the inherent synergies we share between the active and Reserve forces," General Bradley said.

The Air Force Reserve established its first F-22 associate squadron in October 2007 at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

"We have partnered with Pacific Air Forces during the stand up at Elmendorf, and I would like a similarly successful stand up here with Air Combat Command," General Bradley said. "The Air Force Reserve provides the world's best mutual support to the Air Force and our joint partners."

The 301st FS was originally part of the "Red Tailed" 332nd Fighter Group of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. The squadron has an impressive combat heritage dating back to activation and combat service in World War II.

While the historical 7th and 9th Fighter Squadrons flew their combat sorties over the Pacific waters and islands, the 301st FS spent World War II in the European and Mediterranean theaters of operation.