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In 1994, the United States prepared to launch the largest airborne invasion since World War II. U.S. Air Force C-130s and C-141s loaded with para-troopers and equipment from the 82nd Airborne Division and elements of Special Operations Command were on their way to Haiti when the President recalled the invasion force. During the after action process, Air Combat Command and the C-130 community realized it lost the expertise to plan large-formation operations.
As a result, in 1996 the first C-130 course under the USAF Weapons School began. One of the centerpieces of academic and flying instruction was large-formation operations. Ten years later, the C-130 Weapons School cadre rewrote the syllabus and coined the new large-formation exercise; Mobility Air Forces Exercise. The students from the C-130, C-17 and KC-135 courses worked to put together a plan involving a difficult threat scenario, multiple airframes, congested airspace around the objective area, air refueling, Combat Air Forces integration, and briefing the operation to unfamiliar aircrews.
In May, the men and women of the 86th Airlift Wing positioned two C-130Es at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to participate in the mobility exercise with Weapons School Class 08A. In this exercise, Air Force assets launched from all over the country to converge at the Nellis Training Range. The Nellis range complex is capable of simulating a range of threats, tracking aircraft for debriefing purposes and controlling the air war through the Nellis Air Operations Center.
The students planned the mission for less than a week and had to brief the critical eyes of the cadre before getting to the crews. In the end, 15 C-130Es, two C-130Js, 16 C-17s, two KC-10s, two KC-135s, E-8 JSTARS, E-3 AWACS, eight F-15s, 16 F-16s, four EA-6Bs, 10 A-10s and six F-15Es participated in a massive display of American airpower.
The experience was very special for Capt. Dan Santoro, a 37th Airlift Squadron C-130 pilot attending Weapons School, who was the lead C-130 planner and led the C-130 massive interfly.
“Flying with my home station unit in this mission was incredible,” he said. “Getting to lead 15 C-130s 300 feet through the Nellis range with F-15s and A-10s screaming by was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. My biggest reward, though, was seeing all the smiles and excitement on the faces of my buddies in the 37th. It made all the hard work my classmates and I put into the mission worth it.”
The next week, this slice of the 86th AW repositioned to Yuma, Ariz., to work with the test engineers from the Joint Precision Airdrop System program. When the crews arrived, they discovered they would participate in the drops with the world’s largest parachute.
***image1***The Megafly airdrop system has a 155-foot wingspan, 25 feet larger than the C-130’s wingspan. Pulled out of the aircraft by a standard 28-foot extraction parachute, the Megafly then deploys this parachute for heavy loads in a
situation where precision is mandatory. Aided by computing power from the aircraft and GPS signals, the system is capable of guiding itself to a specific spot on the drop zone.
Adding to the training was the requirement to execute this drop from 20,000 feet. Training restrictions in most parts of the world limit the altitude to less than 10,000 feet. The opportunity to test this new parachute, execute from higher altitudes and work with the test engineers from the Army and Air Force made this opportunity a unique training experience.
“With the 37th AS representing a key role in the test of this revolutionary airdrop system, we take pride in knowing that one day this system will allow tactical mobility assets to stay well out of harm’s way while providing the precision airdrop capability that the Army has come to depend upon,” said Maj. Andy DeLello, 37th AS pilot and mission commander.
