During the war in Southeast Asia, the leadership of the US Department of Defense came to the understanding that in order to support units performing special missions behind enemy lines, modified aircraft, different from those used in line units, were needed. Aviation units designed to support the actions of special forces were organizationally part of the Tactical Aviation Command. On February 10, 1983, the 23rd Aviation Command was formed to manage special aviation, and its headquarters were located at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. On May 22, 1990, the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) was formed. AFSOC is the supreme command and administrative body of the special forces that carries out operational planning and control of the combat use of special forces units and subunits within the Air Force. Its main command and control bodies and subordinate units of special forces are stationed at the Girlbert Field military base in Florida.
Tasks assigned to special aviation
In the 1980s, the 23rd Aviation Command was entrusted with the following duties: delivery and evacuation of special forces operating in enemy territory, illegal delivery of goods, aviation security of ballistic missiles, meteorological reconnaissance, parachute training of fighters. Currently, the aviation of the special operations forces has unique capabilities to support sabotage and reconnaissance actions, special reconnaissance, psychological, search and rescue and other operations. In addition to aviation formations, it has special tactical squadrons, the personnel of which are trained for direct participation in search and rescue operations, as well as for solving tasks of combat control, forward guidance of aviation, preparation of landing areas, and meteorological support.
Structure, strength and base of special aviation
According to American data, at present, the number of personnel of the Air Force MTR exceeds 15 thousand servicemen, of which 3 thousand are in reserve components. In service in 2017, there were 136 special-purpose aircraft and tiltrotors, including: 31 attack AC-130 and 105 multipurpose: 49 CV-22 and 56 MS-130. MTR aviation wings are based both on the continental United States and on forward air bases (Great Britain and Japan). Operationally, they are subordinate to the Joint Command of Special Operations Forces, whose headquarters are located at McDill Air Force Base, Florida.
As part of the 1st wing, assigned to the Girlbert Field airbase, there are 9 squadrons equipped with AC-130U, MS-130H, U-28A aircraft, CV-22 tiltrotors and armed MQ-9 drones.
The 27th Special Operations Aviation Wing is deployed at Cannon Air Base in New Mexico, which includes 7 squadrons armed with: MC-130J, AC-130W, HC-130J, U-28A, CV-22B, MQ-9. The following tasks are assigned to the personnel of the 1st and 27th acres: providing direct air support to special forces units, delivering reconnaissance and sabotage detachments to the enemy's rear, organizing logistics and evacuating special units after completing tasks, conducting reconnaissance, search and rescue crews of aircraft and helicopters in distress behind enemy lines, as well as other personnel in an emergency.
The 24th Special Operations Aviation Wing includes eight tactical squadrons, the main tasks of which are: control of aircraft combat operations during air strikes, interaction of the special forces aviation and ground forces, coordination of the evacuation of special forces from the combat area, navigation support using temporary beacons, selection and preparation of landing areas, meteorological support. Some of the personnel of special tactical squadrons are prepared for use in search and rescue operations.
The area of responsibility of the 352nd Special Operations Aviation Wing, stationed at the British Mildenhall Air Base, includes Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Two squadrons fly MC-130J and CV-22B, one more is tactical - that is, it is manned by military personnel with special training.
The 353rd Aviation Special Operations Group consists of three aviation squadrons, a maintenance squadron and a special technical squadron. It is intended for operations in the Asia-Pacific region with headquarters at the Japanese Kadena airbase. Until recently, the group was armed with MC-130H / P aircraft, and is now in the process of rearmament.
The 492nd Special Operations Aviation Wing, stationed at Girlbert Field, is in many ways a unique unit designed for operations in Third World countries and in the territories of the former Soviet republics. This aviation unit is the only one in the US Air Force where, as part of the 6th Special Operations Squadron, piston aircraft C-47T (DC-3), Soviet-made An-26, twin-engine C-41 (Spanish C-212), CN-235 are operated and medium military transport C-130E, as well as helicopters: UH-1H / N and Russian Mi-8/17.
Three more squadrons of special operations are armed with AC-130Н / U / W "gunships" and aircraft that support the actions of special forces MS-130Н / J. The 492nd Aviation Wing also participates in the training process for military personnel undergoing training at the United States Air Force Special Operations Training Center, located in Girlbert Field. Significant attention in the training of the Air Force MTR personnel is paid to operations at night in difficult weather conditions at low and extremely low altitudes. When performing special operations, particular importance is attached to achieving surprise and secrecy of actions.
AFSOC's operational reserve and training center is the 919th Air Wing, stationed in the vicinity of Eglin Air Base, at Herzog Field Airfield (Auxiliary Field No. 3). Pilots from two squadrons of the 919th acre fly the C-145A, U-28A and C-146A. Another squadron is equipped with the MQ-9 UAV.
The 193rd Special Operations Wing of the National Guard Air Force, deployed at Garisberg Air Base in Pennsylvania, is designed to solve information support tasks for combat operations. The two squadrons of this wing are armed with psychological warfare aircraft EC-130J Commando Solo III and passenger C-32В (Boeing 757) with air refueling equipment. Also, the Air Force MTR has separate subdivisions of logistical, medical and meteorological and navigation and communication support.
Special-purpose aircraft based on the military transport C-130 Hercules
The Air Force SOO is armed with specially modified aircraft, helicopters, converters and UAVs. Their common design differences from standard samples are: the use of more powerful engines, equipping with systems for reducing visibility, an increased fuel reserve and the presence of an air refueling system.
The most famous AFSOC aircraft are undoubtedly the gunships built on the basis of the C-130 Hercules four-engine turboprop aircraft. Currently, the USA operates the AC-130U Spooky (17 units), AC-130W Stinger II (14 units) and AC-130J Ghostrider (32 aircraft are planned to be purchased). The last AC-130H was decommissioned and sent to Davis Monten Storage Base in 2015.
AC-130J Ghostrider
The combat biography of the "gunboats", created on the basis of various modifications of the military transport "Hercules", is very rich. The first modifications of the AC-130 were used during the Vietnam War. Then the Hanships took part in US military operations around the world. In 1983, they were noted during the American invasion of Grenada. From 1983 to 1990, the AC-130N, based in Honduras, secretly attacked guerrilla camps in El Salvador at night. In 1989, during Operation Just Cause, the headquarters of the Panama Defense Forces was destroyed by 105-mm aircraft guns. Ganships were actively used during two campaigns against Iraq. In January 1991, the AS-130N operating during daylight hours was hit by the Strela-2M MANPADS, all 14 crew members on board were killed. This was the first and last loss of a flying gunboat since the war in Southeast Asia. Subsequently, the AC-130 of various modifications was actively used in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, in Somalia and Afghanistan. As of July 2010, eight AC-130Hs and 17 AC-130Us were in military service. By September 2013, 14 MC-130W Dragon Spear aircraft were urgently converted to AC-130W Stinger IIs. These aircraft were intended to replace the aging AC-130H in Afghanistan. The AC-130U decommissioning process began in 2019.
In addition to cannon armament, special forces support aircraft converted into "gunships" received the opportunity to use laser-guided aviation ammunition. The avionics included additional infrared and electro-optical sensors, and it became possible to suspend 250-pound bombs under the wing. The main armament of the AC-130U Spooky II is a five-barreled 25mm automatic cannon, a 40mm L / 60 Bofors cluster-loading automatic rifle and a 105mm M102 howitzer. The more modern AC-130W Stinger II are armed with a 30mm GAU-23 / A cannon, and the AC-130J Ghostrider with a 30mm automatic cannon and a 105mm howitzer. In the fuselage of the new "gunships" are installed tubular launchers for guided ammunition AGM-176 Griffin and GBU-44 / B Viper Strike. AGM-114 Hellfire ATGM, GBU-39 and GBU-53 / V guided bombs can be suspended under the wing.
To reduce the vulnerability of a large and slow aircraft from air defense systems, a countermeasures complex has been installed. It includes an AN / ALR-69 radar radiation receiver, AN / AAR-44 missile attack warning equipment, AN / ALQ-172 and AN / ALQ-196 jamming stations, and a system for shooting heat and radar traps. Great hopes are pinned on the AN / AAQ-24 Nemesis laser equipment, which is supposed to suppress the IR-seeker of the missile attacking the aircraft. All equipment of the defense complex is controlled by a single computer system operating in automatic or semi-automatic mode. Taking into account the fact that the "gunships" are intended mainly for work in the dark, the use of modern self-defense equipment should guarantee their invulnerability.
In the 21st century, American Hanships were noted in Afghanistan (from 2001 to 2010 - Operation Enduring Freedom), in Iraq (from 2003 to 2011 - Operation Iraqi Freedom). In 2007, US Special Operations Forces also used the AC-130 to target Islamic militants in Somalia. In March 2011, the Air Force deployed two AC-130U gunboats to participate in Operation Dawn of the Odyssey against Libya. In November 2015, in Syria, the Ganship and a link of A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft during Operation Tidal Wave II destroyed more than 100 oil tankers and armed pickup trucks of radical Islamic militants. On the night of February 7-8, 2018, AC-130, interacting with F-15E fighter-bombers, MQ-9 UAVs and AN-64 fire support helicopters, struck the Syrian government forces trying to take control of the gas processing plant and the Hasham gas field, in the province of Deir ez-Zor. According to a number of sources, Russian citizens were also injured during the airstrike.
The MC-130H Combat Talon II / MC-130J Commando II / MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft are much less well-known, but no less important in comparison with the "gunships" for the American special forces. Like the AC-130, the family of aircraft designed to support the actions of special forces was created on the basis of the "Hercules". The main tasks of the multipurpose MS-130 are covert penetration into enemy territory. This vehicle is designed to supply MTR units, search and evacuate reconnaissance and sabotage groups behind enemy lines, refuel helicopters and aircraft, including over its territory.
The oldest in the family of special vehicles and tankers are the four MC-130P Combat Shadows, which were put into service over 40 years ago. These aircraft are designed to search for crews of downed aircraft, to be used as an air command post during search and rescue operations and to refuel rescue helicopters in the air. The last of 24 MS-130E Combat Talon I built during the Vietnam War was decommissioned in 2015.
Designed to replace these vehicles, the MS-130H Combat Talon II entered service in 1991. The features of the MC-130H include the ability to non-stop evacuation of people and property using the Fulton system, landing on poorly prepared unpaved sites, airborne cargo using the JPADS precision release system and the use of bombs - GBU-43 / B MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast - heavy ammunition of an air explosion) weighing 9.5 tons. The MOAB bomb is equipped with the KMU-593 / B guidance system, which includes inertial and satellite navigation systems.
The MS-130N, in contrast to the transport C-130N, is equipped with an in-air refueling system, explosion-proof fuel tanks, a low-altitude landing system at high flight speeds and more advanced electronic equipment. The AN / APQ-170 radar and the AN / AAQ-15 IR station provide the aircraft flight in the mode of following the terrain and flying around obstacles. The radar can also operate in high-resolution terrain mapping and weather reconnaissance modes. The weight of the empty aircraft in comparison with the C-130N has increased by about 4000 kg and is about 40.4 tons (maximum takeoff 69 750 kg). Due to the installation of the radar nose cone, the length compared to the C-130N transporter increased by 0.9 m. The MS-130N can transport 52 fully equipped paratroopers.
Currently, the MS-130N is already considered obsolete, mainly involved in secondary tasks and routine transportation. In the next 10 years, the MC-130N should be supplanted by the MC-130J. However, due to the fact that the creation of the MC-130J was delayed, and the aircraft itself was very expensive, the command of the Air Force MTR decided to replace the decommissioned MC-130E / P with a modification of the MC-130W Combat Spear. The first MC-130W was transferred to AFSOC in 2006. In 2010, all 14 ordered vehicles reached operational readiness. The aircraft were built on the basis of the 1987-1991 C-130H, which were purchased from the US Air Force Reserve Command and the National Guard Air Force. This saved about $ 8 million on each purchase. MS-130W received a standard set of special purposes: satellite communications using packet data transmission, satellite and inertial navigation systems, meteorological and navigation radar AN / APN-241, electronic warfare systems and devices for shooting heat traps and dipole reflectors, equipment allowing to receive and transmit aviation fuel in flight. At the same time, the MS-130W is deprived of the ability to fly at extremely low altitudes in poor visibility conditions and at night, which limits the scope of this machine.
The campaign that had begun to combat "international terrorism" demanded an urgent replacement of the badly worn-out AC-130N "gunships". In this regard, in May 2009, AFSOC began a program to transform MC-130W aircraft into "air gunboats".
The modification, armed with a 30-mm GAU-23 / A cannon, guided by GBU-44 / B Viper Strike or AGM-176 Griffin ammunition, as well as the AGM-114 Hellfire ATGM, received the designation MC-130W Dragon Spear. Also, additional search and reconnaissance and sighting equipment was installed on the plane.
The first MC-130W Dragon Spear arrived in Afghanistan at the end of 2010 and was very successful. Based on the results of combat use, they decided to convert all MC-130Ws into an armed version, renaming the MC-130W Dragon Spear AC-130W Stinger II. The success of the MC-130W Dragon Spear was a decisive argument for the implementation of the new generation AC-130J Ghostrider gunship program.
In the mid-1990s, the Air Force MTR command began to express concern that the existing MS-130s were highly vulnerable to modern air defense systems, including MANPADS. Despite these concerns, the US Air Force decided to continue modernizing special-purpose vehicles based on the Hercules turboprop. At the same time, the stake was made on low-altitude night flights with rounding the terrain, and equipping aircraft with the most advanced means of countering air defense systems. A 2006 US Department of Defense report, based on an analysis of the use of MTR aircraft, highlighted concerns that the US Department of Defense "should expand capabilities to support, deploy, and evacuate special operations forces into restricted areas at strategic distances." Despite these concerns, the US Air Force decided to continue modernizing its current forces. Air Force officials have decided to build 37 new MC-130Js to replace their MC-130E and MC-130P built over 40 years ago.
The MC-130J Commando II aircraft is based on the KS-130J flying tanker operated by the USMC. The KS-130J multipurpose tanker aircraft, which is also capable of carrying weapons, was in turn designed on the basis of the new C-130J military transport aircraft with an elongated fuselage and more efficient 4591 Rolls-Royce AE 2100 D3 engines with six-blade increased thrust propellers. Compared to the MC-130N, the new MC-130J, due to the larger fuel tanks and lower specific fuel consumption, has increased its flight range from 4300 km to 5500 km.
In addition to the cockpit with modern avionics and equipment for receiving and transmitting fuel borrowed from the KS-130J, the new spetsnaz aircraft received a reinforced wing, more suitable for low-altitude flights in conditions of increased turbulence. Also, the MC-130J was equipped with advanced handling equipment. The aircraft received communication, navigation and self-defense equipment, as on the new AC-130J gunship. The difference from the AC-130J and KS-130J is the presence on board of a system that allows, in conditions of poor visibility, to perform flights with a rounding of the terrain and a set of equipment that allows you to operate from unprepared sites. Considering that the MC-130J can operate at low altitude above enemy territory, the cockpit and the most vulnerable units are covered with armor, and the protected tanks are filled with neutral gas. In addition to the elongated fuselage and turboprop engines with six-blade propellers, the MC-130J can be visually distinguished from other MC-130 modifications by the small spherical "beard" of the AN / AAQ-15 optoelectronic survey system in the nose of the aircraft.
The first MC-130J, which entered the 522th Special Operations Squadron from the 27th Aviation Wing, reached operational readiness in September 2011. In total, AFSOC ordered 37 MC-130Js, which have already begun to replace other MC-130 variants at forward bases in Japan and the UK.
Due to the fact that MC-130 aircraft often perform low-altitude flights and land on unequipped runways, their losses are higher than that of other MTR aircraft built on the basis of the S-130. In the 21st century alone, 5 aircraft were lost. In Afghanistan, in 2002, two MC-130P and MC-130N aircraft were destroyed. Moreover, according to information released in 2018, the MS-130N, which was officially listed as crashed as a result of a flight accident, was actually blown up by militants at a field airfield in the vicinity of Gardez. In this case, two crew members and a passenger of the aircraft were killed. In August 2004, the MS-130N crashed, which was flying at night in difficult meteorological conditions. 9 people were buried under its rubble. In December 2004, the US Air Force command in Iraq gave the order to destroy the MS-130N damaged near Mosul. This was done to prevent the compromise of classified airborne equipment. At the end of March 2005, the MS-130N crashed into a mountain 80 km southeast of Tirana during a night flight. Fourteen people on the plane were killed.
Another aircraft operating in the interests of the MTR is the HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft. This vehicle replaced the obsolete HC-130P / N Combat King in search and rescue squadrons. The HC-130J is capable of simultaneously refueling two other aircraft in the air and refueling itself in flight with boom tankers such as the KC-135, KC-10 and KC-46.
On board the HC-130J, equipment is installed that allows it to be used as a command post during a search and rescue operation, as well as to take bearings of the location of emergency beacons and establish communication with the radios included in the emergency kit. To perform takeoff and landing at night, the crew has night vision goggles and an IR observation station at their disposal. There is enough space in the plane to accommodate parachutists-rescuers and rescue boats dropped by parachutes.
The first HC-130J was transferred on November 15, 2012 to the 563rd Rescue Team stationed at Davis-Montan AFB, Arizona. In total, the US Air Force plans to purchase 78 HC-130J search and rescue aircraft. Unlike the AC-130 and MS-130, they are planned to be used not only in the aviation of the special operations forces, but also in the Reserve Command of the Air Force and the US Air National Guard.
In many ways, the unique aircraft based on the Hercules is the EC-130J Commando Solo III. This machine replaces the EC-130E Commando Solo II, which was decommissioned in 2006. The use of the C-130J as a base for an "electronic" aircraft is good because the transport aircraft has large, significant internal volumes to accommodate equipment and operator workstations, as well as a fair amount of power in the power plant. The spacious fuselage can accommodate a wide range of equipment and provide comfortable working conditions for the service personnel, and the power reserve can be used to generate electricity for very "gluttonous" transmitting stations.
The EC-130J outwardly differs from other machines of the C-130 family by the presence of antennas on the keel. Six transmitters operating in the frequency range from 450 kHz to 350 MHz transmit signals using 9 transmitting antennas installed in different parts of the aircraft. The longitudinal antenna above the fuselage provides maximum radio broadcasting power in the lateral directions, and the complex of four television antennas on the keel - to the sides downward. A variable length transmitting antenna ejected from the tail section is designed to operate at a variety of frequencies. There are eight radio receivers on board that receive signals in the 200 kHz - 1000 MHz range. The radiation caught by them goes to the frequency spectrum analyzers, which determine the parameters of the received signals and allow you to tune your own transmissions with high accuracy to the frequency of the enemy's radio and television transmitters. In-flight refueling equipment allows you to stay above the broadcasting area for 10-12 hours continuously.
The avionics also include communication HF and VHF radio stations, satellite communications equipment, inertial and satellite navigation systems, warning equipment for radar exposure and electronic warfare, devices for shooting heat traps and dipole reflectors. Specialized equipment allows the aircraft to broadcast radio and transmit color television signals of various standards in different frequency bands. In addition to its direct purpose - conducting psychological operations - the EC-130J can be used as an electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft, to disrupt the operation of enemy radars, communication systems, television and radio broadcasting. Aircraft of "psychological warfare" may well be used for purely civilian purposes - providing local broadcasting in the event of natural disasters and catastrophes, conveying instructions and recommendations for evacuation to the affected population, temporarily replacing regional television and radio stations, or expanding their broadcast spectrum.
In most cases, "flying television stations" arrived in the zone of imminent conflict even before the beginning of the military phase, in order to calmly determine the operating frequencies of the enemy's military communication lines and broadcast television and radio stations. After studying local characteristics, a general strategy of psychological operations was formed, and specific transmissions aimed at specific social groups were prepared in ground-based studios. They were then broadcast in all languages spoken in the region. In the past, in a number of cases, before the start of broadcasting on television and radio broadcasting centers of the enemy, strikes were delivered with high-precision weapons.
The EC-130J is usually broadcast from maximum altitude, flying in a closed elliptical path. This achieves the best signal "coverage" since the most powerful radiation is directed downward and away from the aircraft. In the event of possible fire resistance, the broadcasting zones were located along the borders, out of the reach of air defense systems. In the absence of a threat, aircraft can operate directly over the territory of the country. Having occupied an echelon in the zone, the EC-130J turns on the receivers and releases the tail antenna. After fine tuning to the bands used by the army, local radio broadcasting and television, the broadcast of their own programs begins, and at once on different frequencies. Broadcasting is carried out live, recorded or in retransmission mode. As one of the officers of the 193rd Wing said: "We can receive the President's speech from the White House via satellite and immediately broadcast it live."
