Waterborne airdrop testing complete on 2013 Yamaha FX
SHO Advanced Rescue Craft
by Mr. Wayne Lovely, Test Officer, Airborne and
Special Operations Test Directorate, U.S. Army Operational Test Command
Public Affairs
A Yamaha FX SHO
Advanced Rescue Craft (ARC) rigged and ready for waterborne airdrop
operational testing. (Photo Credit: Mr. Barry Fischer, Audio Visual
Production Specialist, Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate,
U.S. Army Operational Test Command)
Master Sgt. Sean
McBride, Silver Flight NCOIC, 306th Rescue Squadron, recovers the Yamaha
FX SHO Advanced Rescue Craft (ARC) after a successful airdrop test.
(Photo Credit: Mr. Barry Fischer, Audio Visual Production Specialist,
Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate, U.S. Army Operational
Test Command)
FORT BRAGG,
N.C. -- Pararescue and support Airmen of the 306th
Rescue Squadron (Air Force Reserve) from Davis-Monthan
Air Force Base, Ariz., rigged, recovered, and operated
the Yamaha FX SHO Advanced Rescue Craft (ARC) during
operational testing here and at Oak Island, N.C.
According to Sgt. 1st Class Joseph
Kress, a test non-commissioned officer with the Airborne
and Special Operations Test Directorate, the Yamaha FX
SHO ARC test was a great opportunity to work with
multiple services in a realistic operational environment
and collect data to determine its suitability,
reliability, and survivability when conducting airdrop
operations.
During the test, 306th Airmen
spent four days working with the Senior Mechanical
Engineer from the Natick Soldier Research, Development,
and Engineering Command (NSRDEC), Natick, Massachusetts,
in developing rigging procedures for the Yamaha FX SHO
ARC for a Simulated Airdrop Impact Test (SAIT) at Kiess
Lake on Fort Bragg and three airdrops at Oak Island.
The U.S. Coast Guard at Oak Island
Station assisted in the recovery operation on all air
drops.
"All of us here at Motor Life Boat
Station Oak Island are proud to work with the Army and
Air Force," said Boatswain's Mate Senior Chief Petty
Officer, Josh Meyer, officer-in-charge at the Oak Island
Station.
"Training operations like this one
ensure that we are always ready to answer the call with
any and all services."
Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Brown,
ABNSOTD Yamaha FX ARC Project NCO, said the development
of rigging procedures and conducting a SAIT is vital in
determining the survivability of the Yamaha FX ARC
during airdrop operations.
Tech. Sgt. Joshua Gonzales of the
306th said, "It is great to work with the Airborne and
Special Operations Test Directorate, with the
operational test, and the airdrop certification process.
Master Sgt. Sean McBride, also of
the 306th, said, "It is great to know that we can provide
the operator's perspective on our airdrop capability
needs to meet our rescue mission requirements."
"Operational testing is OTC's
opportunity to contribute to readiness; anything less
compromises the Army's ability to provide the forces
that fight and win the Nation's wars," said Lt. Col.
Greg Oquendo, Test Division Chief for the ABNSOTD.
"We test and assess Army, Joint,
and Multi-service warfighting systems in realistic
operational environments, using typical users to
determine whether the test item is effective, suitable,
and survivable," said Col. Brad Mock, Director of
ABNSOTD.
~~
About the U.S. Army Operational
Test Command:
The U.S. Army Operational Test
Command is based at West Fort Hood, Texas, and its
mission is about making sure that systems developed are
effective in a Soldier's hands and suitable for the
environments in which Soldiers train and fight. Test
units and their Soldiers provide feedback, by offering
input to improve upon existing and future systems with
which Soldiers will ultimately use to train and fight.
The Fort Bragg, N.C.-based ABNSOTD
plans, executes, and reports on operational tests and
field experiments of Airborne and Special Operations
Forces equipment, procedures, aerial delivery, and air
transportation systems in order to provide key
operational data for the continued development and
fielding of doctrine, systems, or equipment to the
Warfighter.