OTC tests latest Apache
helicopter radar signal detecting set
by Maj. Matthew Miskowski, Rotary Wing Aircraft
Division, Aviation Test Directorate, U.S. Army Operational Test Command
101st Attack
Reconnaissance Battalion pilots fill out
post-mission surveys (nearest to
furthest): Capt. Aaron Hooper (Company
Commander), Chief Warrant Officer 3
Lance Mundo (Safety Officer), Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Ryan Swets (Pilot),
and 1st Lt. Zachary Bell (Platoon
Leader). Soldiers generate the data
gathered by U.S. Army Operational Test
Command for analysts to provide reports
to the Army Evaluation Center that
ultimately informs the Army's
acquisition leadership.
(Photo Credit: Tad Browning, US Army
Operational Test Command Public Affairs)
Test Soldiers
for the AN/APR-39D(V)2 RSDS FOT are
(left to right, Bravo Company, 1-101st
Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 101st
Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort
Campbell, Kentucky): Chief Warrant
Officer 3 Lance Mundo (Safety Officer),
Spec. Kevin Beaulier (Crew Chief), Spec.
Matthew Baird (Crew Chief), Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Joseph Ryan (Pilot),
also holding Elvis statue ('Elvis Lives'
is the Company's motto), Sgt. Charles
Speck (Intel Analyst), Chief Warrant
Officer 5 Scott Moore (served as
Operations Officer), Chief Warrant
Officer 3 Eric Carver (Standards
Instructor Pilot), Chief Warrant Officer
2 Ryan Swets (Pilot), Capt. Aaron Hooper
(Company Commander), 1st Lt. Zachary
Bell (Platoon Leader), and Staff Sgt.
Adam Hahn.
(Photo Credit: Tad Browning, US Army
Operational Test Command Public Affairs)
Pilots from
1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion,
101st Combat Aviation Brigade depart
Inyokern Airport for their day-time
mission on Electronic Combat Range (ECR)
at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS)
China Lake, California.
(Photo Credit: Tad Browning, US Army
Operational Test Command Public Affairs)
INYOKERN,
California -- Thirty of U.S. Army's finest accomplished
the Follow-on Test (FOT) of the AN/APR-39D(V) Radar
Signal Detecting Set (RSDS) here, both increasing unit
readiness and informing acquisition fielding decisions
for the Army.
Bearcat Co., of the 1st Attack
Reconnaissance Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade,
planned their war fighting missions in a hangar at the
Inyokern public use airport, co-located with four Apache
attack helicopters.
Each of the 16 attack and
reconnaissance missions were conducted on the Electronic
Combat Range (ECR) at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS)
China Lake, California.
The ECR is a great training
facility and test location, according to Larry Hood, an
Aviation test officer from U.S. Army Operational Test
Command (OTC), based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Hood suggests units to consider
the ECR for future training opportunities.
Scott McLendon, a retired Chief
Warrant Officer 5 Apache pilot serving on the test as an
OTC Aviation operations officer, reflected on the
opportunity given to 1-101 ARB and the rest of Army
Aviation.
"This training would benefit all
aviators in the Army," he said. "This test has given the
Bearcat Co. an opportunity that other units will likely
not experience, to exercise and perfect their tactics,
techniques and procedures against real world threats,
and not worrying about being shot down while they
perfect their aviation skills against those threats."
The six Bearcat pilots planned,
briefed and executed assigned missions according to
operational vignettes that either represented threats as
autonomous or an integrated air defense system.
Additionally, Lt. Col. Scott
Kruse, also an Apache pilot serving as the Rotary Wing
Aircraft Division Chief, said, "Bearcats will be the
Army's experts at using the AN/APR-39D(V)2 for detecting
and reacting to radio frequency (RF) threats."
During the 15 days of test, data
was collected to support the analysis of the operational
effectiveness, suitability and survivability of the
AN/APR-39D(V)2 for the materiel-release decision in
fourth quarter fiscal year 2018.
The AN/APR-39D(V)2 RSDS's next
significant events are the cybersecurity testing and log
demonstrations, to occur prior to a fielding decision in
fiscal year 2018.
~~
As the Army's only independent
operational tester, OTC tests and assesses Army, joint,
and multi-service war fighting systems in realistic
operational environments, using typical Soldiers to
determine whether the systems are effective, suitable,
and survivable. OTC is required by public law to test
major systems before they are fielded to its ultimate
customer -- the American Soldier.