Fort Bliss ADA Soldiers contribute to modernization
during Patriot missile test
by Major Brent L. Davis, Air Defense Artillery Test
Division, Fires Test Directorate, U.S. Army Operational Test Command
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, New Mexico -- Fort Bliss,
Texas Air Defense Artillery Soldiers engaged one
tactical ballistic missile here, with a PAC-3 Missile
Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor and a PAC-3 Cost
Reduction Initiative (CRI) interceptor.
The operational test of the
Patriot Guided Missile System Oct. 30 to Nov. 20
assessed a new design built to engage and intercept
threat aircraft or tactical ballistic missiles under all
weather conditions.
Handled by the U.S. Army
Operational Test Command's Air Defense Artillery Test
Directorate at Fort Bliss, Texas, the test involved
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery
(ADA), 11th ADA Brigade for a little over 15 months.
"Participating in this operational
test provides us a unique training experience," said 1st
Lt. John Maksimik, a tactical director with 3-43 ADA.
"Most ADA units do not get the opportunity to experience
live engagements; not to mention we get to play with the
Army's brand new toys."
One communication specialist in
3-43 ADA said he appreciated getting to know the system
better. Spec. Tyler Morrison said he "got to know more
in-depth how the system functioned from a communications
perspective."
According to Chief Warrant Officer
5 Anson Seebeck, a Patriot military test evaluator for
the U.S. Army Evaluation Center, the Patriot operational
test provides many training benefits for Soldiers of the
test unit.
"These guys get to improve on
their mission essential tasks, such as detecting and
defeating more advanced electronic attacks," he said.
"They also get to work better as a team on a real
missile system, rather than a simulator; things like
march orders and missile battery emplacement missions."
Another advantage the Soldiers
experience is performing the test against a realistic
scenario.
"They are able to engage a
realistic enemy threat with multiple live-fire
engagements," said Seebeck. "For the first time, many of
these Soldiers are facing a large number of aircraft,
while at the same time conducting joint tactical
operations with Marine Corps air and ground assets."
A Patriot System maintainer with
3-43 ADA, Spec. Endy Lorenzo, said he enjoyed getting
the opportunity to work on the Radar, Engagement Control
Station, and Information and Coordination Central
portion of the Patriot.
Before testing, Lorenzo only had
the opportunity to work on Patriot launchers.
Training opportunities for the
Soldiers using an actual Patriot system provided
advantages that are impossible while using a training
simulator.
"We got to perform all steps that
would normally be followed during war," said Sgt. James
Jantti, a launcher enhanced operator/maintainer with
3-43 ADA.
"Training does not allow us to
perform certain steps, but the test environment allows
us to perform maintenance and safety checks on live
missiles."
~~
About the U.S. Army Operational
Test Command:
The U.S. Army Operational Test
Command's mission is to make sure that systems developed
are effective in a Soldier's hands and suitable for the
environments in which Soldiers train and fight.
Operational tests also provide an added benefit to
Soldiers by offering unique training opportunities not
always received in standard training environments.
|
Source: www.army.mil,
December 14, 2017 |
|
OTC Home
:: News |
|