In the early sixties at the Eglin airbase, intensive tests of air-launched cruise missiles were carried out. The apotheosis of these trials was Operation Blue Nose. On April 11, 1960, a B-52 from the 4135th Strategic Wing, taking off in Florida, headed for the North Pole, carrying two AGM-28 Hound Dog cruise missiles with non-nuclear warheads. After turning over the pole, the crew launched both missiles at a conditional target in the Atlantic Ocean. Everything went smoothly, and the circular probable deviation of the missiles turned out to be within the normal range. In total, the bomber spent 20 hours and 30 minutes in the air. The purpose of this operation was to confirm the operability of weapons placed on an external sling at temperatures below -75 degrees Celsius.
On June 8, 1960, the first launch of a McDonnell ADM-20 Quail decoy target was carried out from the B-52G. The folding delta wing aircraft was originally developed as an air target for testing the Boeing CIM-10 Bomarc unmanned interceptor.
After it became known about the massive deployment of mobile S-75 air defense systems in the USSR, the strategic aviation command took care of reducing the vulnerability of its own bombers. Two decoys weighing 543 kg each could be suspended under the wing of a strategic bomber. After the drop, the wings of the ADM-20 would unfold, and the flight was carried out along a preprogrammed route. A turbojet engine with a thrust of 10.9 kN provided a maximum speed of 1020 km / h and a flight altitude of 15,000 meters with a range of about 700 km. To increase the radar signature, special reflectors were mounted on the false target. In the internal volume, equipment could be placed that simulates the operation of the on-board radio technical systems of a bomber or a burner with a supply of gasoline to reproduce a thermal portrait of an aircraft.
In total, the strategic command air wings, equipped with B-52 bombers, received about 500 decoys. They were in service until 1978, after which they were shot during the exercises of the air defense forces.
In 1960, Eglin airbase became involved in covert CIA operations against Cuba. Here, 20 C-54 Skymaster transport aircraft from the 1045th air wing were based, on which cargo was delivered for anti-government Cuban formations. Aircraft participating in illegal missions were stationed at a secluded Duke Field site, near the training ground.
The flights were carried out by civilian pilots recruited by the CIA, or by foreign nationals. After the defeat of the 2506 brigade, which landed on April 17, 1961 in Cuba in the Bay of Pigs, the CIA operation at Eglin was curtailed.
On February 19, 1960, the first two-stage research rocket RM-86 Exos was launched from the territory of the test site. It used the Honest John tactical missile as the first stage, the Nike-Ajax anti-aircraft missile served as the second stage, and the third stage was originally developed.
The rocket with a launch mass of 2700 kg and a length of 12.5 m reached an altitude of 114 km. The purpose of the launch was to study the dustiness and chemical composition of the atmosphere at high altitude. In total, seven RM-86s were launched in Florida.
On September 27, 1960, the Nike Asp sounding rocket was launched at the Eglin test site. A rocket with a takeoff weight of 7000 kg, a diameter of 0.42 m and a length of 7.9 m rose to an altitude of 233 km. The launch and acceleration of the rocket was carried out using the first stage of a large diameter. The purpose of the launch was to study cosmic radiation, but due to the failure of the measuring equipment, the results could not be obtained.
On March 8, 1961, the first Astrobee 1500 sounding rocket was launched in Florida. A three-stage solid-propellant rocket with a take-off weight of 5200 kg, a diameter of 0.79 m and a length of 10.4 m could rise to an altitude of more than 300 km.
A series of launches of sounding rockets were carried out to study the ionosphere and collect information on cosmic radiation. In parallel with this, the calculations of the American radar systems of the NORAD system learned to detect missile launches.
In the second half of 1961, four Italian Fiat G.91 fighter-bombers were delivered to Eglin aboard a transport C-124. The American military became interested in a simple and inexpensive Italian combat aircraft, he was of interest as a close air support attack aircraft. After extensive testing, G.91 received a positive assessment, but under pressure from American aircraft corporations, it was abandoned.
In July 1962, several Canadian Canadair CP-107 Argus patrol aircraft arrived in Florida for testing in hot and humid climates. This vehicle, which appeared in 1957, was heavier and had a longer range than the American Lockheed P-3 Orion.
In 1962, tests began on the Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile. It was assumed that the American strategic bombers B-52 and the British Avro Vulcan will be equipped with ballistic missiles.
According to the design data, the two-stage solid-propellant GAM-87 with a starting mass of slightly more than 5000 kg and a length of 11 meters, after being dropped from a bomber, should have had a launch range of more than 1800 km. The power of the W59 thermonuclear warhead was 1 Mt. Targeting was carried out using inertial and astronavigation systems. During the tests, it turned out that the guidance system requires refinement, and the rocket engines did not always work properly. As a result, the Air Force command became skeptical about the idea of adopting a ballistic missile launched from a bomber.
The gravedigger of the GAM-87 air-launched ballistic missile was the UGM-27 Polaris missile, deployed on nuclear submarines. The UGM-27 SLBM turned out to be more profitable from an economic point of view, since the combat patrol time of SSBNs was much longer, and the vulnerability compared to the B-52 was less. In addition, the Skybolt system competed with the LGM-30 Minuteman mine-based ICBM program. As a result, despite British objections, the program was closed in December 1962.
In October 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis, significant forces were concentrated on the territory of the airbase, preparing to strike Cuba. The 82nd Airborne Division and Transport Aviation arrived here. F-104Cs of the 479th Fighter Wing were redeployed from George Air Base in California. The B-52 and KS-135 of the 4135th strategic air wing were brought to increased combat readiness. Fortunately for all mankind, the crisis was resolved peacefully, and tensions eased.
As mankind conquered space, the Ellen airbase was involved in the American manned space program. In the interests of implementing the Boeing X-20 Dyna-Sor combat spaceplane program, flight tests were carried out on a specially prepared two-seat fighter NF-101B Voodoo. The launch of the X-20 was to be carried out using the Titan III launch vehicle.
It was assumed that the spaceplane will be used as a space bomber and reconnaissance plane, and will also be able to fight satellites. However, the X-20 project was closed due to the excessive cost and difficulty of practical implementation. Subsequently, the developments obtained in the X-20 program were used to create the X-37 and X-40 vehicles.
After the start of the Apollo program, the 48th Rescue Squadron was formed at Eglin, where SC-54 Rescuemasters search and rescue aircraft and Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibians were used to search for the descent capsules that splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
In October 1962, 65 km east of the main runway of the air base, on the edge of the air range, construction began on a stationary AN / FPS-85 radar. The main purpose of the phased array radar was to detect ballistic missile warheads in space from a southern direction. The need to control space in this direction was motivated by the appearance in the USSR of submarines with ballistic missiles that could be launched from any part of the world's oceans. The station went on alert in 1969. The delay in putting the radar into operation is due to the fact that the practically finished radar in 1965 was destroyed by fire at the stage of acceptance tests.
Next to the radar complex, 97 m long, 44 m wide, and 59 m high, there is its own diesel power station, two water wells, a fire station, living quarters for 120 people and a helipad.
The radar operates at 442 MHz and has a pulse power of 32 MW. The antenna is tilted with respect to the horizon at an angle of 45 °. Viewed sector 120 °. It was reported that the AN / FPS-85 radar can see about half of the objects in low-earth orbit. According to US data, radar in Florida is capable of detecting a metal object the size of a basketball at a range of 35,000 km.
From the very beginning, electronic computers with memory blocks on ferrites were used to process the received radar information and plot the flight paths of the detected objects. Since the commissioning of the station, it has been modernized several times. As of 2012, data processing was carried out by three IBM ES-9000 computers.
In the mid-90s, the AN / FPS-85 radar was re-profiled for other tasks. The station was focused on tracking space objects and preventing spacecraft from colliding with each other and space debris. Despite its considerable age, the radar copes well with its tasks. With its help, it was possible to detect, classify and compose the orbits of about 30% of objects in near space.
After the United States embarked on an adventure in Southeast Asia, many aircraft were tested and refined in Florida before being sent to the war zone. The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly became a specially designed light "anti-guerrilla" attack aircraft. The first YAT-37D, converted from the T-37 trainer, arrived at Eglin in October 1964. According to the test results, the car was modified, and the modernized version appeared the following year. Tests have demonstrated the aircraft's suitability for dealing with irregular formations that do not have heavy anti-aircraft weapons. But in the initial period of the Vietnam War, the Air Force command believed that all assigned tasks could be solved with the help of expensive jet combat aircraft created for the "big war" and the already existing piston shock Douglas A-1 Skyraider. Therefore, the fate of the attack aircraft was uncertain for a long time, and the first order for 39 A-37A was issued only at the beginning of 1967.
After successful military tests in the combat zone in May 1968, the A-37V went into production with more powerful engines, enhanced protection and an air refueling system. The aircraft was in production until 1975, in the 11 years that have passed since the appearance of the first prototype, 577 aircraft were built. "Dragonfly" was actively used in numerous counter-guerrilla operations and demonstrated high efficiency.
The aircraft was armed with a six-barreled GAU-2B / A rifle caliber machine gun. A combat load weighing 1860 kg could be placed on eight suspension points. The range of weapons included: NAR, bombs and incendiary tanks weighing 272-394 kg. The maximum takeoff weight was 6350 kg. Combat radius - 740 km. The maximum speed is 816 km / h.
Eglin Air Force Base is the birthplace of the first American gunship, the AC-47 Spooky. Tests of the aircraft with three 7.62-mm six-barreled M134 Minigun machine guns at the test site confirmed the efficiency of the concept of an armed transport aircraft for use in counterinsurgency hostilities. The combat debut of the AC-47 in Vietnam took place in December 1964.
Indochina became the first place of combat use of the Ryan Model 147B Firebee (BQM-34) drone, created on the basis of the Ryan Q-2A Firebee unmanned target. Reconnaissance drones were launched and controlled from a DC-130A Hercules aircraft. Tests of UAVs and aircraft carrier equipment began in May 1964, and in August they already arrived in South Vietnam.
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With the help of AQM-34Q (147TE) drones, it was possible to record the operating modes of the guidance station of the SA-75 "Dvina" air defense missile system and the remote detonation system of the warhead. Thanks to this, the Americans were able to quickly create suspended electronic warfare containers and reduce losses from anti-aircraft missiles. After the end of the Vietnam War, American experts wrote that the cost of developing the BQM-34 UAV was more than offset by the intelligence obtained.
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For the air launch of the BQM-34, the DC-130A Hercules and DP-2E Neptune carrier aircraft were used. Also, drones could start from a towed ground launcher using a solid fuel booster, but the flight range was shorter.
An unmanned vehicle weighing 2270 kg could cover a distance of 1400 km at a speed of 760 km / h. In addition to reconnaissance, there were shock modifications with a bomb load or with an anti-radar missile. In the case of installing a high-explosive warhead, the drone turned into a cruise missile. In total, more than 7000 BQM-34 UAVs were built, of which 1280 were radio-controlled targets.
The use of strategic bombers in Vietnam, previously focused primarily on delivering nuclear strikes, required special training of crews, refinement of navigation equipment and bomb sights. On June 18, 1965, before the start of raids in Southeast Asia, B-52F crews from the 2nd Bomber Wing, taking off from the Barksdale airbase in Louisiana, worked out bombing with conventional high-explosive bombs at the Florida training ground.
Faced with the developed air defense system of the DRV, the American Air Force was forced to improve the electronic warfare and reconnaissance systems and speed up the creation of high-precision aviation ammunition. The first American specialized "radar hunter" was the F-100F Wild Weasel I. On the two-seat modification of the Super Saber, broadband equipment for fixing radar exposure was installed, with sensors that allow determining the direction in which the ground-based radar station and the suspended EW container are located.
The first four F-100F Wild Weasel Is began testing at Eglin in early 1965. In November, they were transferred to the 338th Fighter Wing, operating in Vietnam. Soon one plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.
At the beginning of 1965, the B-52G bombers of the 4135th strategic air wing left Eglin airbase. Soon, the vacated air spaces were used to accommodate the latest McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II fighters at the time, which were undergoing evaluation operational tests at the airbase, and weapons and an aiming and navigation system were being worked out at the test site. In 1966, they were replaced by the F-4D of the 33rd Tactical Wing. It was the Phantoms, based at the Eglin airbase, that became the first combat vehicles on which laser-guided bombs were tested.
During 1965, as part of the Sparrow Hawk project, several Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter light fighters were evaluated at Eglin. After the American military aircraft encountered light and maneuverable MiGs in Vietnam, it became clear that the adopted concept of air combat using only missile weapons was not consistent. In addition to high-speed high-altitude interceptors designed to fight long-range enemy bombers, light, maneuverable tactical fighters armed with melee missiles and cannons are also needed. After evaluating tests of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and Fiat G.91, which were quite satisfactory to the military as light attack vehicles, experts came to the conclusion that specially designed fighters with better maneuverability and rate of climb were required to win aerial combat. In addition, US allies have expressed a desire to obtain an inexpensive replacement for the aging Saber.
"Freedomfighter" with a maximum take-off weight of 9380 kg could initially carry a combat load weighing about 1500 kg, the built-in armament consisted of two 20-mm cannons. Combat radius of action in the variant with two AIM-9 air-to-air missiles is 890 km. The maximum speed is 1490 km / h.
The tests in Florida were successful, but due to a pilot error, one plane crashed. Based on the results of tests on the F-5A, changes were made to the composition of the avionics, the most vulnerable spots were covered with armor and air refueling equipment was installed. After that, 12 fighters went to South Vietnam, where they fought as part of the 4503rd tactical fighter squadron. F-5A flew about 2,600 sorties over South Vietnam and Laos in six months. At the same time, nine aircraft were lost: seven from anti-aircraft fire, two in flight accidents. Subsequently, F-5 fighters were repeatedly modernized and widely used and participated in numerous local conflicts. A total of 847 F-5A / B and 1399 F-5E / F were built.
In 1965, the US Air Force command initiated the development of inexpensive laser-guided bombs. The key element of the guidance system for guided aircraft munitions is the suspended container laser target designation equipment. The secret Pave project was carried out at Eglin Air Force Base by the Air Force Laboratory, Texas Instruments and Autonetics.
As a result, tactical aircraft received an AN / AVQ-26 suspended container and KMU-351B, KMU-370B and KMU-368B laser-guided ammunition. The combat use of laser-guided bombs took place in Vietnam in 1968. They have demonstrated high efficiency when striking stationary objects. According to American data, from 1972 to 1973 in the region of Hanoi and Haiphong, 48% of the dropped guided bombs hit the target. The accuracy of free-fall bombs dropped on targets in this area was just over 5%.
In the summer of 1965, the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye AWACS aircraft, created by order of the Navy, was tested in Florida. The aircraft turned out to be crude and required improvement, but the specialists of the flight test center noted that if the deficiencies were eliminated, the aircraft could be used from forward airfields in conjunction with tactical fighters. It was not immediately possible to bring the Hokai's equipment to an acceptable level. The Westinghouse AN / APY-1 radar with a rotating dish-shaped antenna showed low reliability and gave false serifs from objects on the ground. In windy weather, swaying tree crowns were perceived as low-altitude targets. To eliminate this drawback, a very powerful computer by the standards of the 60s was required, capable of selecting targets and displaying only genuine air objects and their real coordinates on the screens of operators. The problem of stable selection of air targets against the background of the earth for the deck E-2C was solved only after 10 years. However, the Air Force leadership was not interested in the Hawkeye; in the 60s, the Air Force had a significant number of heavy EC-121 Warning Star at its disposal, which replaced the E-3 Sentry of the AWACS system in the mid 70s.
In 1966, the third prototype of the Lockheed YF-12 arrived at the airbase to test Hughes AIM-47A Falcon air-to-air missiles. During flight tests, the YF-12 set speed records - 3331.5 km / h and flight altitude - 24462 m. The YF-12 was developed as a heavy long-range interceptor equipped with a powerful Hughes AN / ASG-18 radar, a thermal imager and a computerized fire control system. The total weight of the equipment exceeded 950 kg. According to preliminary calculations, a hundred heavy interceptors could guaranteed to cover the entire continental United States from bombing attacks and replace existing fighters involved in NORAD.
According to the reference data, the AN / ASG-18 pulse-Doppler radar could detect large high-altitude targets at a distance of more than 400 km and was capable of selecting targets against the background of the earth. The crew of the YF-12 consisted of a pilot and an OMS operator, who was also assigned the duties of a navigator and radio operator. From the reconnaissance Lockheed A-12 used by the CIA, the YF-12 interceptor differed in the shape of the bow. The standard armament of the interceptor consisted of three AIM-47A missiles, which were located on the internal suspension in special compartments in the fuselage influx.
Tests of the AIM-47A in Florida demonstrated the operability of the fire control system and the missile itself. Seven missiles launched at targets hit 6 targets. One rocket failed due to a power failure. During the last test, a rocket launched from a carrier flying at a speed of 3, 2M and an altitude of 24,000 m, shot down the Stratojet, which had been converted into a radio-controlled target. At the same time, the QB-47 flew at an altitude of 150 meters.
UR AIM-47 Falcon structurally in many respects repeated the AIM-4 Falcon. The Lockheed liquid-jet engine provided a range of 210 kilometers and a speed of 6M. But later the military demanded to switch to solid fuel, which reduced the speed to 4M, and the launch range to 160 km. Guidance of the missile in cruise flight mode was carried out by a semi-active radar seeker with illumination from the AN / ASG-18 radar. When approaching the target, the IR seeker was activated. Initially, two types of warheads were envisaged: a fragmentation warhead weighing about 30 kg or a nuclear W-42 with a capacity of 0.25 kt. The rocket with a length of 3, 8 meters, after preparation for use, weighed 360 kg. The rocket diameter was 0.33 m, and the wingspan was 0.914 m.
Due to the excessive cost, only three experienced YF-12s were built. At the end of the 60s, it became clear that the main threat to the territory of the United States was not the relatively small number of Soviet long-range bombers, but ICBMs and SLBMs, which in the USSR became more and more every year. Simultaneously with the heavy interceptor, the AIM-47 Falcon rocket was buried. Subsequently, the obtained developments were used to create the AIM-54A Phoenix long-range missile launcher.
On August 14, 1966, during an unsuccessful landing at Eglin airbase, an experienced YF-12 was seriously damaged and caught fire. The firefighters managed to defend the rear of the aircraft, which was later used for static tests of the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft.
In the second half of 1966, in the interests of aviation units fighting in Vietnam, 11 C-130 Hercules were converted into search and rescue HC-130Ps. These vehicles could also be used for air refueling of Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters.
In Vietnam, there were frequent cases when pilots of aircraft knocked out by anti-aircraft guns ejected over the sea. Having found pilots in distress, the HC-130P, which possesses an impressive supply of fuel, was able to direct and refuel the SH-3 rescue helicopter. Such a tandem made it possible to multiply the time spent in the air of the Sea King helicopters. On June 1, 1967, two SH-3s, with multiple mid-air refueling from the HC-130P, crossed the Atlantic and landed near Paris, spending 30 hours, 46 minutes airborne and covering a distance of 6,870 km.
In April 1967, at the Harburt airfield, which is not far from the main base Eglin, on the basis of the 4400th special squadron, a training center for the Special Operations Aviation Command was established. During the Vietnam War, the method of counter-guerrilla actions was worked out here on specially designed aircraft, and flight and technical personnel were trained. The first pilots trained for jungle warfare trained in the piston T-28 Trojan, A-1 Skyraiders and B-26 Invader.
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Later, the crews of "gunship" were trained here: AC-47 Spooky, AC-119G Shadow, AC-119K Stinger and AC-130. Spotters, scouts and light attack aircraft: OV-10A Bronco, O-2A Skymaster, QU-22 Pave Eagle.
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Tests of the first AC-130A Specter as part of the Gunship II project lasted from June to September 1967. Compared to the AC-47 and AC-119K, the Spektr had more powerful weapons and could stay in the air for longer.
In addition to the "Gunships", specialists from the US Air Force Central Weapons Laboratory equipped two NC-123K Providers, also known as AC-123K, in 1967 to fight vehicles on the Ho Chi Minh Trail at night.
From the transport C-123, the modified vehicles differed in an elongated nose section, where a radar from an F-104 fighter and a massive spherical fairing with optoelectronic thermal imaging cameras and a laser rangefinder-designator were installed. Also, the avionics included the AN / ASD-5 Black Crow equipment, which made it possible to detect the operation of the car ignition system. The aircraft did not have small arms and cannon weapons, the destruction of targets was carried out by dropping cluster bombs from the cargo compartment. The bombing was carried out according to the onboard computer system.
After the completion of field tests, in the summer of 1968, both aircraft were transferred to South Korea. It was assumed that the NC-123K will help the South Korean special services to detect high-speed small boats on which saboteurs were delivered from the DPRK. From August to September, the aircraft made 28 patrols in the territorial waters of South Korea, but no one was found. In November 1968, the aircraft were transferred to the 16th Special Operations Squadron based in Thailand, where they served from late 1969 to June 1970. During combat service, it turned out that the "sophisticated" on-board equipment did not work reliably in conditions of heat and high humidity, and more aircraft of this modification were not built.
