Liberty Airmen Watch Over Afghanistan

[buglerbilly]

(Source: US Air Force; issued March 9, 2010)

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --- Airmen in the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron are "looking for trouble," using the MC-12W Liberty to bring tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, to ground commanders in Afghanistan.

"We bring a unique capability to the fight," said Lt. Col. Rob Weaver, 4th ERS director of operations, deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., where he is an A-10 Thunderbolt pilot. "Our mission is to deliver combat airpower and overwatch to the joint fight in theater."

Since the squadron stood up in December 2009, Airmen in the all-volunteer unit, known as the "Crows," have flown 130 sorties, logging more than 600 hours. The four-man MC-12 aircrews fly the aircraft, a modified King Air 350 commercial plane, to augment information gathered by other intelligence-collection capabilities operating in theater by providing real-time full-motion video and signals information to help military leaders make battlefield decisions.

"We had an operation where one of our teams received actionable intelligence regarding a potential suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device," said Special Agent Jeffrey Engel, an agent in Air Force Office of Special Investigations Expeditionary Detachment 2405 and deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va. "The MC-12 aircrew was able to provide visual intelligence, which enabled us to see the key points on the ground, enter the area safely and apprehend five insurgents before they could evade coalition forces' custody or use their device against both Afghan and coalition forces."

"When we first got the intelligence about this operation we needed some validation of the intel we received," said Lt. Col. Vasago Tilo, the AFOSI E Det. 2405 commander who is deployed from Langley AFB, Va. "Without the MC-12 squadron, this operation would never have been executed and these targets would have never been neutralized. There is no doubt. Executing this operation saved the lives of coalition forces and Afghan citizens."

For these total-force Airmen with backgrounds in many different aircraft, such as the A-10, E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System, E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, RC-135 Rivet Joint, T-1 Jayhawk and others, becoming an effective special-mission tactical ISR squadron didn't happen overnight.

First, there were two weeks of training in Atlanta, Ga., including a check ride in an MC-12 simulator. Next, there was a 7-week flying course at Key Field, a Mississippi Air National Guard Base near Meridian, Miss., where the four-person aircrew, comprising one pilot, a copilot, a sensor operator and a crypto operator, get 12 flights aboard the MC-12.

Their 13th flight was in combat.

"With every Airman in this squadron being a volunteer from different aircraft, we had to gel together quickly," said Colonel Weaver, a native of Seneca, S.C. "As an A-10 pilot, I don't normally fly with a four-man aircrew, so this has been an adjustment for me. As a team, we have met each challenge as professionals. It's a true testament to the professionals we have working on the various airframes in the world's greatest Air Force."

While the mission is meeting with success, there have been some unique experiences for Airmen flying the Air Force's newest ISR aircraft.

"Just getting to talk to the (joint terminal attack controller) Airmen on the ground is a new experience for me," said Staff Sgt. Edward Shepherd, a 4th ERS sensor operator deployed from Tinker AFB, Okla., where he is an E-3 AWACS radio operator. "I get to build a relationship with that guy on the ground and hopefully positively impact his day. That direct contact makes me feel like I am making a difference for those forces on the ground and it is something that fills me with pride."

"Getting to see the diverse skills from around the Air Force come together to make this mission a success has been great," said Senior Airman Alvar Lam, a 4th ERS crypto operator deployed from Offutt AFB, Neb., where he is a linguist. "Our diversity is our strength and we have been able to come together and make our strength a strong asset for the ground commanders we serve."

The MC-12 program was dubbed the Project Liberty Program as a nod to a World War II effort that quickly built and transitioned commercial ships to the fight in Europe, much like how the Air Force fielded the MC-12. Air Force officials plan to increase the MC-12 inventory to 37 by the end of 2010.

"The Airmen and this asset are proving their worth on a daily basis," Colonel Weaver said. "I hope the MC-12 can find a permanent home base in the U.S. where Airmen can gain more experience on this critical ISR asset. Our Airmen have proven it means trouble for the enemy."

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Final Project Liberty ISR Aircraft Delivered for War Ops

Jul 19, 2010

By Amy Butler abutler@aviationweek.com
WASHINGTON

The 30th MC-12W Project Liberty intelligence collecting aircraft — the final system slated for operational use — is beginning to execute combat sorties in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to U.S. Air Force officials.

A total of 37 of the modified King Air 350 and 350ER aircraft are due to be delivered to the Air Force; seven are being dedicated to pilot training in Meridian, Miss. Two of the aircraft remain to be delivered to Air Combat Command for that purpose, and all 37 will be delivered by the end of October, according to Air Force officials.

The Air Force began the project in July 2008 in response to a demand from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was pressuring the service to provide more intelligence support for ground troops in the war. Delivery has been faster than any other Air Force aviation program since manufacture of the P-51 Mustang during World War II, says Lt. Gen. David Deptula, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

The entire operational fleet was delivered in 13 months with the help of acquisition experts at the Big Safari Program office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This group largely operates in secrecy, specializing in developing and modifying intelligence-collecting aircraft quickly by oftentimes bypassing traditional procurement processes.

Requirements stability was key to allowing for the quick delivery, an Air Force official says. “When executing fast-track acquisition/quick reaction capability acquisition programs, risks must be managed, not avoided,” this official says. Service officials are now deciding whether to keep the program under Big Safari’s purview or shift it out into the mainstream acquisition management corps.

Price of the program was estimated at just under $1 billion; it is now slated to be about $1.2 billion. Each aircraft costs about $25 million, the Air Force official says.

Each aircraft carries a sensor capable of capturing visible imagery and full-motion video as well as a signals intelligence collector.

Meanwhile, Air Force officials are making progress in building up the MQ-9 Reaper UAV fleet. Gates originally directed the service to field 50 combat air patrols worth of vehicles by the end of Fiscal 2011; but he later upped the demand to 65 CAPs by the end of Fiscal 2013. Typically, a CAP is about four aircraft.

However, in “surge status,” Air Force officials stretch the performance of each system.

Now, 91 MQ-1 Predators are deployed for 30 CAPs, and 22 Reapers are deployed to total 13 CAPs.

During the Fiscal 2012 budget build, Air Force officials are now exploring how many aircraft will be purchased moving forward; that budget goes to Congress for approval in February. The “steady state” operations goal is to have a fleet of 260 of the UAVs total.

Photo: USAF

[buglerbilly]

L-3 Aims For Army ‘Liberty’

By Bryant Jordan Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 1:59 pm



L-3 Communications is hoping to capitalize on its rapid production and fielding of an ISR plane for the Air Force to snag a similar Army contract perhaps as early as this month.

The company announced Sept. 13 that it has just delivered the 37th and final MW-12 Liberty surveillance plane to the Air Force. The delivery came about 14 months after the first delivered Liberty began flying operational missions in Afghanistan. The plane, a modified Hawker Beechcraft, has a crew of four, including pilot, co-pilot, signals intelligence systems operator and a full-system video operator.

The Army is looking for a fleet of 37 similar planes for its Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System, Lionel G. Smith, director, Strategic Development Special Programs for L3, told DoDBuzz. The Army already has been using modified civilian aircraft for ISR missions for several years, since it put together Task Force Odin in Iraq, according to Jason Decker, a spokesman for L-3. The C-12 planes, equipped with cameras and sensors, identified targets for attack by Army Apache helicopters.

In December the Army put out a solicitation for a new ISR plane that would be adapted from a commercially available aircraft. The Army said it wants delivery of four of the planes within 18 months of awarding a contract. In addition to L-3, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and a Lockheed Martin-Sierra Nevada Corp. team are competing for the contract.

L-3 is counting on the Army’s wanting the planes fast and its own rapid turnaround of the Air Force Liberty planes to be a factor.

“Others can do it, but we have demonstrated the ability to build and field them quickly,” Smith told DoDBuzz.

With all of the Air Force’s Liberty planes now operational, the first seven that were rolled out will be headed back for some upgrades, according to Smith. This group will be retrofitted with equipment made standard on the later planes -– satellite communications capability, extended-range fuel tanks and winglets, he said.

Read more: http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/09/14/l-3-aims-for-army-liberty/#ixzz0zYRRcNVU

[buglerbilly]

U.S. Army Emarss Winner Expected By Year-End

Oct 6, 2010

By Amy Butler

The U.S. Army is expecting to announce the winner of a contract to develop the Enhanced Medium-Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System (Emarss) by the end of the year, says Lt. Col. Mike Zuvanich, program director.

The program is designed to field 36 Emarss aircraft, all to be based on the Hawker Beechcraft Kingair 350ER; the competition is to handle integration of the mission systems. Total life-cycle cost of the system is expected to be more than $1 billion, Zuvanich says.

Because bids are now being assessed, he declined to identify the number of competitors under consideration or which companies are in the running. However, in the wake of an urgent need for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to support fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, several companies have risen to prominence in this arena through other, similar programs such as the Constant Hawk and Project Liberty efforts. They include Jorge Scientific, L-3 Communications, EO/IR and Sierra Nevada.

The forthcoming downselect will be for development of the design, including production of four aircraft. An option will include the manufacture of four additional aircraft for low-rate, initial production, Zuvanich says.

Another competition, for full-rate production, will include the remaining 28 aircraft. “We want to introduce competition where we can within the acquisition process,” Zuvanich says. Hawker Beechcraft will be a directed subcontractor to the winner of both phases.

Contractor logistics support will be included in the deal, but Emarss will be owned and operated by the Army.

The payload will consist of a commercially available electro-optical/infrared camera capable of collecting full-motion video and a communications intelligence (comint) sensor. These will be selected by the winner of the development competition based on requirements articulated by the Army.

Emarss also will have a data link capable of relaying some video in near-real time into the Army’s Distributed Common Ground System, which can disseminate information to a range of users, Zuvanich says. Each Emarss mission is likely to be 4-6 hr. in duration, and the aircraft are intended to provide direct support to the Brigade Combat Teams and help detect improvised explosive devices. Each aircraft will require a pilot, co-pilot and two operators for the sensors in the back of the aircraft.

The Army plans to deploy the first Emarss aircraft into Afghanistan, likely a development bird, within 18 months of contract award, with the final delivery by the end of Fiscal 2015. Emarss is expected to have a 20-year life cycle.

The Army recently completed a cost study for Emarss. Zuvanich declined to provide a number, citing sensitivity during source selection.

Emarss is one of four pillar programs that grew out of the defunct effort to field a Lockheed Martin/Embraer Aerial Common Sensor aircraft. The Army also is planning to field the Northrop Grumman Long-Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle hybrid airship, Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft and the enhanced RC-7 Aerial Reconnaissance Low, which is led by Northrop Grumman.