ANDøYA SPACE DEFENSE RANGE, NORWAY (AFNS) —
Two Air Drive Particular Operations Command wings partnered in a complete pressure initiative to conduct the primary live-fire demonstration of Fast Dragon, a long-range palletized munitions system, within the U.S. European Command theater over Andøya House Protection Vary, Nov. 9.
Throughout U.S. Particular Operations Command Europe train ATREUS 22-4, two MC-130J Commando IIs assigned to the 352nd Particular Operations Wing flew the Fast Dragon bundle to a Royal Norwegian Air Drive coaching vary and deployed it over the Atlantic Ocean. An MC-12W Liberty assigned to the 137th SOW, Oklahoma Air Nationwide Guard, used its manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to gather and disseminate details about the discharge.
That is the primary time Fast Dragon has been employed utilizing cargo plane within the USEUCOM theater, and precision munitions capabilities for medium-sized or bigger cargo plane permits U.S. and NATO forces a versatile speedy response possibility.
“It’s actually simply exportable to our companions and allies across the globe that will need to enhance the utility of their air pressure,” stated Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, AFSOC commander, throughout a latest Air and House Drive Affiliation occasion. “While you take a look at accomplice functionality, we have now lots of companions across the globe that do not have heavy bomber-type platforms that might be conventional carriers of these forms of munitions, however they have loads of C-130s proliferated world wide.”
Greater than 40 international locations function C-130 Hercules, however AFSOC has been the one U.S. Air Drive combatant command to reveal this method.
“An MC-130J is the right plane for this functionality as a result of we will land and function from a 3,000-foot highways and austere touchdown zones whereas a bomber can not,” stated Lt. Col. Valerie Knight, 352d SOW mission commander. “Moreover, a crew certified to execute heavy tools airdrop may make use of this operationally. After the profitable execution of this airdrop, we have now now confirmed we will make use of the identical weapons system — making a dilemma for our adversaries. As the one U.S. Air Drive Particular Operations Wing in Europe, this functionality gives our allies, companions and the joint pressure a further response possibility, strengthening our deterrence capabilities in USEUCOM.”
Creating relationships between allies and companions prolonged to the full pressure with the inclusion of an Oklahoma Air Nationwide Guard MC-12Ws. Two U.S. Air Drive pilots and a fight techniques officer have been a part of the MC-12W aircrew to conduct the mission, with assist from aircrew flight tools and particular operations communications Airmen.
“The 137th SOW actively seeks out workouts the place we will reveal our distinctive capabilities and create relationships with our companions — not simply inside AFSOC and the full pressure, however throughout a multi-national coalition,” stated Maj. Murray Ludwig, a 137th SOW fight techniques officer. “Because of the help of our Norwegian allies, our integration into this train has been seamless. We have been capable of reveal that our wing can present top-tier ISR assist and a big selection of sustainment capabilities for our joint companions.”
Members of the 137th Mission Sustainment Workforce additionally participated, conducting pre-deployment web site surveys and airfield assessments. Whereas it’s not the primary time the workforce has labored with coalition forces, it’s the first time the MST has carried out their mission in a setting life like to the austere environments they’ll function in as they assist world SOF operations.
“The multi-capable Airman idea permits us to turn out to be utterly self-sufficient anyplace on the earth,” Ludwig stated. “The coaching our operations Airmen and Mission Sustainment Workforce are receiving right here will probably be critically essential to their future war-fighting potential.
As AFSOC postures its forces for the long run combat, creating unconventional, modern capabilities to guard in opposition to near-peer adversaries is vital.
“This speedy roll-on, roll-off functionality extends America’s potential to venture firepower across the globe,” Knight stated. “It doesn’t require any plane modifications, making it extremely simple to make use of anywhere, any time.”
