Aviation of the special operations forces of the US Air Force. Given the diversity and specificity of the tasks performed by the American special operations forces, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has a wide range of samples of various aviation equipment, among which there are very unusual samples. Of greatest interest in this regard is the 6th Special Operations Squadron of the 492nd Air Force Wing of the US Air Force's MTR, deployed at Girlbert Field in Florida. This unit, also known as the "custom aircraft squadron", provides special forces operations in countries with Russian / Soviet-made aircraft and helicopters, as well as in Latin America, Africa and Asia, where Western aircraft, produced for several decades, are still in operation. back. Moreover, over the territory of other states, the planes and helicopters of the 6th squadron often operate without identification marks and side numbers. In 2007, as part of the 6th squadron, the following were operated: aircraft C-47T, C-130E, CASA-212, An-26, helicopters: UH-1H / N, Mi-8/17. In addition to supporting the American special forces, the pilots of the "custom aircraft squadron" carried out special training for flight technical personnel and fighters of special units of friendly states. Prior to the formation of the 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron in 2007, this unit was the only unit in the US Air Force to train flight and technical personnel for the Iraqi Air Force.
Piston transport and passenger aircraft C-47T Skytrain
Until recently, 6th Squadron at Girlbert Field had the oldest aircraft operated by the US Air Force - the C-47 Skytrain piston passenger transport. The C-47, a militarized version of the passenger Douglas DC-3, made its first flight on December 23, 1941. Unlike the civilian version, it had more powerful motors and a reinforced structure. Externally, the military vehicle was distinguished by a large cargo door on the left side of the fuselage. According to American data, more than 10,000 C-47 aircraft of various modifications were built at three aircraft factories in the United States. In the course of mass production, various improvements were introduced into the design, which made it possible to extend the service life in combat units.
For its time, the S-47 had very good flight data. The aircraft of the С-47В modification had a power plant, which consisted of two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C Twin Wasp air-cooled piston engines with a capacity of 1200 hp. each. The aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 14,000 kg had a practical range of 2,410 km and could take on board 28 paratroopers. At an altitude of 2285 meters "Skytran" accelerated to 369 km / h, cruising flight speed - 298 km / h.
Although most of the C-47s in the US Air Force were retired shortly after the end of the Vietnam War, the modernized C-47Ts were relatively recently used by the 6th Squadron during covert operations in "third world countries", where piston engines can still be seen in the sky. C-47 and DC-3.
After a major refurbishment, the transport-passenger C-47T was adapted for special missions. The plane, whose age was at that time about 50 years, in the mid-1990s received modern communication and navigation equipment, once again updated in the 21st century.
Turboprop transport and passenger aircraft S-41A
Apparently, at the moment, the C-47T has been removed from service by the American special-purpose aviation and replaced by the Spanish CASA C-212 AVIOCAR twin-engine turboprop aircraft, which received the designation C-41A in the US Air Force. The transport and passenger CASA C-212 AVIOCAR was in serial production from 1972 to 2012. During this time, 477 vehicles were built. In 1998, a version with a "glass cockpit" and more powerful engines went into production.
The S-41A aircraft has good takeoff and landing characteristics and, thanks to its robust non-retractable landing gear, is capable of operating from poorly prepared unpaved strips. For takeoff with a full load, it needs 610 m, for landing - 462 m. With a maximum takeoff weight of about 8000 kg, with a full load, it has a range of 830 km. Ferry range - 2680 km. Two Garrett AiResearch TPE331-10R-513C turboprop engines with 900 hp. each, capable of accelerating in horizontal flight up to 370 km / h. Cruising speed - 300 km / h. Stall speed - 145 km / h. The S-41A is able to take on board a cargo weighing 2,700 kg, or 25 paratroopers. Armament weighing up to 500 kg can be placed on two points of the external suspension.
Although there are only a few C-41A aircraft in the American special purpose aircraft, these machines were very actively used in Afghanistan to deliver military cargo and supply small units operating in difficult terrain.
Turboprop military transport aircraft An-26
The US Air Force Special Operations Command has officially recognized that until recently at least one Soviet-made An-26 military transport aircraft was operated in the 6th Special Forces Squadron.
The aircraft, painted white, does not have identification marks in the existing photographs to identify it as an aircraft belonging to the United States Air Force. Most likely, the An-26, built in the USSR, was received by the Americans from one of the countries of Eastern Europe, or from an "independent" republic that was part of the USSR.
On the switch panel and dashboard, the inscriptions in Russian are duplicated in English. Information about what missions this vehicle performed in the past, and where the American crew was trained, was not disclosed.
Helicopters UH-1H / N
In addition to transport and passenger aircraft, the "non-standard aircraft squadron" also operates helicopters. The 6th Special Forces Squadron is probably the only unit in the US Air Force where Vietnam War veterans UH-1H Iroquois can still be in flight condition. According to American sources, two of these helicopters were used until recently to train foreign crews.
Another rare model is the UH-1N Twin Huey. This machine is equipped with a 1250 hp Pratt & Whitney Canada T400-CP-400 power plant. With a maximum takeoff weight of 5080 kg, the helicopter usually takes 8 armed fighters or 1800 kg of cargo in the cockpit. The maximum speed is 259 km / h. Flight range - 460 km. There is information that the UH-1N has in the past supported the operations of American special forces in Central America. In particular, at the beginning of the 21st century, vehicles of this type belonging to the US Air Force MTR moved American advisers during the fighting against the rebels in Colombia.
Helicopters Mi-8 / Mi-17
In 2002, Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters appeared in the 6th Special Purpose Squadron. At the first stage, these were vehicles received from the countries of Eastern Europe, which, after joining NATO, switched to Western-style equipment and weapons.
Judging by the images available in the public domain, the pilots of the "non-standard aircraft squadron" had various modifications of Soviet and Russian-made helicopters at their disposal.
As of 2013, several contracts were concluded between the United States and Russia with a total value of about $ 1 billion. The agreement provided for the supply of 63 Mi-17V-5 helicopters (export version of the Mi-8MTV-5), consumables and spare parts, as well as their complex service. Apparently, the US Air Force Special Operations Command left at its own disposal several new Mi-17V-5 helicopters purchased for Afghanistan.
In the past, Russian-made rotary-wing aircraft have been repeatedly spotted during the training of US Special Forces soldiers and in the same formation with the American Iroquois during training flights in the vicinity of the Girlbert Field air base and at the Eglin air range.
Turboprop military transport aircraft C-144A
The 427th Special Forces Squadron, based at Pope Field in North Carolina, is armed with C-144A twin-engine turboprop aircraft.
This designation in the US Air Force received the Spanish CN-235-100M. The turboprop military transport aircraft was developed by the Spanish company CASA with the participation of the Indonesian company Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara and produced by Airbus Military.
By its characteristics, the CN-235 is a typical light military transport aircraft developed in the 1980s. With a maximum weight of 16,500 kg, it can take on board 6,000 kg of cargo or 46 paratroopers. Two TVD General Electric CT7-9C with a capacity of 1750 hp each provide a cruising speed of 450 km / h. Ferry range - 4355 km, flight range with load - 1500 km.
According to information published in open sources, the US Air Force MTR has two C-144A aircraft. In total, the US military department acquired thirteen aircraft, 15 more vehicles of the patrol modification EADS CASA HC-144 Ocean Sentry were purchased by the coast guard. In 2015, the cost of the new CN-235 was $ 16 million. At the moment, about 300 light transport vehicles have been built. Although the fleet of CN-235 aircraft is small by American standards, as of September 2017, they have spent more than 100,000 hours in the air.
The S-144A aircraft of the 427th squadron are used to deliver personnel, special cargo and equipment where the carrying capacity of the four-engine Hercules transport is excessive, or when the American leadership for some reason does not want to clearly demonstrate the presence of its military. As you know, aviation equipment of special operations forces often does not bear identification marks.
Turboprop military transport aircraft C-27J Spartan
In September 2008, the US Air Force took over the first military transport aircraft, the Alenia C-27J Spartan. This aircraft was jointly developed by Alenia Aeronautica (later Leonardo-Finmeccanica) and Lockheed Martin based on the G.222 aircraft. The C 27J Spartan is equipped with the cockpit equipment and engines used on the modern version of the C 130J Super Hercules, which made it possible to increase the flight range by 35% and cruise speed by 15% compared to the G.222. Due to the high degree of unification of equipment and systems, the C 27J Spartan with the C 130J Super Hercules also received the name Half Hercules (half Hercules).
The aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 30,500 kg is capable of transporting payloads weighing up to 11,500 kg. The cargo hold can accommodate up to 46 fully equipped paratroopers, or 36 wounded on a stretcher with 6 escorts. Two Rolls-Royce AE2100-D2A theaters with a capacity of 4640 hp each. each is powered by two Dowty six-blade propellers with a diameter of 4, 15 m, and are capable of providing a maximum speed in level flight of up to 602 km / h. Cruising speed - 583 km / h. The minimum evolving speed is 194 km / h. Flight range with a load of 6,000 kg - 4,130 km. Ferry range - 5850 km.
In the US Air Force, the C 27J was supposed to replace the light transport and passenger aircraft C-23 Sherpa, C-12 Huron, C-26 Metroliner and partially the early modifications of the C-130 Hercules. Initially, the American military department planned to purchase 78 "Spartans" in the amount of $ 2.44 billion for transport squadrons, in which the C-130E depleted of their service life was written off. Approximately the same number of C 27Js were required by the US Air Force Special Operations Command and the Air National Guard.
In July 2008, the US Air Force had four C 27Js that were used for crew training. Combat deployment of "Spartans" took place in August 2010,when the crews of the 164th Airborne Squadron of the Air National Guard from the 179th Transport Air Wing delivered the first cargo to the Afghan Kandahar airbase.
In total, C 27J from the 179th and 175th transport air wings, having completed more than 3200 flights, transported more than 25,000 passengers and about 1,450 tons of cargo to Afghan airfields. The command of the American forces in Afghanistan highly appreciated the transport capabilities of the C 27J aircraft and noted their ability to operate from poorly prepared unpaved airfields. This made it possible to reduce the costs of the transfer of personnel and the delivery of military cargo, as well as to more efficiently use the resource of heavy military transport helicopters.
Nevertheless, already in January 2012, the leadership of the US Air Force announced its intention to withdraw from service all 38 C 27J Spartan aircraft available by that time. The official reason for this decision is the higher life cycle cost compared to the newest four-engine military transport C 130J Super Hercules. It was stated that, with a service life of 25 years, it is allegedly necessary to spend $ 308 million on the maintenance of the C-27J, and $ 213 million on the C-130J.
The decommissioned "Spartans" decided to sell abroad and convert them into patrol aircraft of the coast guard HC-27J. Seven C-27Js were transferred to the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. According to unconfirmed information, all C-27Js in the US Air Force MTR are assigned to the 427th Special Forces Squadron at Pope Field in North Carolina.
Before the US Air Force decided to abandon the C-27J, the Special Operations Forces intended to create an AC-27J Stinger II gunship based on it. The shock modification was supposed to be equipped with a 30 or 40-mm automatic cannon in the doorway, an AGM-114 Hellfire ATGM, AGM-176 Griffin and GBU-44 / B Viper Strike high-precision ammunition, as well as an all-day optoelectronic sighting search system.
Now the American company ATK is promoting the concept of a universal "gunship" MC-27J with quick-mount weapons. The armament will be based on the GAU-23 30-mm automatic cannon. The ammunition cannon is housed on a standard 463L cargo pallet and is mounted in the cargo compartment for firing through the cargo door from the port side. The installation of the artillery mount should take no more than four hours. In front of the cargo compartment there is a stabilized platform L-3 Wescam MX-15Di with optoelectronic and infrared equipment, a Link-16 data transmission system and advanced communication equipment Selex ES with the ability to encrypt transmitted information.
Particular attention is paid to protecting the aircraft from MANPADS. The AN / AAQ-24 Nemesis laser equipment is intended for this. Automatic laser jamming station creates coded multispectral jamming radiation in a wide optical range. It leads to the illumination of the missile seeker and the formation of a false signal deflecting the rocket rudders, which leads to the failure of the missile guidance to the selected target. In the future, the MC-27J should receive a multi-mode radar of the SAR / ISAR type (with a synthetic aperture / with an inverse synthetic aperture), selection of ground moving targets and an aerial photography system, a radio interception and electronic reconnaissance system, satellite communications. The fire support aircraft is also planned to be armed with guided high-precision aviation ammunition. All weapons and new equipment are planned to be made quick-detachable for converting the MC-27J into a transport aircraft.
Light multipurpose turboprop aircraft U-27A
U-27A single-engine turboprop aircraft were spotted at Pape Field airbase among the military transport C-144A and C-27J belonging to the 427th squadron. For the first time information about this machine, created on the basis of the light cargo-passenger aircraft Cessna 208 Caravan, was made public in the late 1980s.
The military version, designated C-16A, was used during covert operations in Latin America. In addition to transporting cargo and passengers, this aircraft could be armed with blocks with a 70-mm NAR and a 7.62-mm six-barreled GAU-17 machine gun or a 12.7-mm three-barreled GAU-19 in the doorway. Subsequently, the "transport" designation C-16A was replaced by the "multipurpose" U-27A, which better reflected the purpose of the aircraft.
The base Cessna 208 Caravan has relatively high performance at a relatively low cost and low operating costs. Strong and high non-retractable landing gear in combination with a mechanized wing with an area of 25, 96 m 2 allow taking off and landing from unequipped unpaved areas of limited length. The aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 3538 kg has a cabin volume of 9.6 m³, can carry up to 13 passengers or a cargo weighing 1300 kg. The flight range with 9 passengers on board is up to 1900 km. Maximum flight speed - 352 km / h, cruising speed - 340 km / h. Stall speed - 112 km / h. Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A -114A 675 hp engine drives a three-blade McCauley propeller. The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan with an extended fuselage is equipped with a Honeywell TPE331-12JR-704AT turbofan with a capacity of 1000 hp. Since 2008, new Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft have received Garmin G1000 avionics.
Since 1984, more than 2,600 aircraft of the Cessna 208 Caravan family have been sold, which to date have flown more than 20 million hours. In January 2019, the new civilian Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX in the United States cost $ 2.685 million. The military modification of the U-27A with special navigation, communications and night vision equipment could cost about $ 4.5 million, and the attack AC-208 Combat Caravan - over $ 15 million
Since 2013, the assembly of the Cessna 208B has been carried out in China. Although the Cessna 208 Caravan has been in serial production for more than 30 years, this versatile aircraft, due to its simplicity, reliability and undemanding runway quality, is still in demand in special aviation. The range of its application is quite wide, and an aircraft with a shortened takeoff and landing is capable of delivering and supplying small detachments, removing the wounded, and, when installing special equipment, patrolling, reconnaissance and relaying radio signals.
In the United States, ATK has created a reconnaissance and strike modification of the AC-208 Combat Caravan, which was first used by the Iraqi Air Force against the Islamists in January 2014 in Anbar province. The aircraft is equipped with optoelectronic systems that allow monitoring the area day and night. Hellfire ATGMs can be used to strike targets on the ground. The delivery of the AC-208 Combat Caravan is planned for Afghanistan, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso, but it is not known whether such aircraft exist in the US Air Force's MTR.
