US Air Force,
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE: A new radio installed in Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles is enhancing the fighter's ability to support the war on terrorism and homeland defense missions by enabling aircrews to communicate more effectively with ground troops and civilian aircraft.
The fleet is receiving ultra high frequency/very high frequency, or UHF/VHF, radios that allow aircrews to provide critical, time-sensitive and encrypted information to ground forces or helicopters regarding enemy locations and actions. That capability is proving to be a force multiplier.
“When troops on the ground need assistance, time is critical,” said George Spencer, director of the 912th Aeronautical Systems Group, which manages the F-15 program at the Aeronautical Systems Center here.
“By linking ground forces with F-15E aircrews, the VHF radio shortens the time from request to response,” Mr. Spencer said. “We are proud to support the addition of this critical capability.”
Units flying the F-15E express similar enthusiasm for the benefits the VHF radio provides.
“F-15E aircraft flying overhead can use airborne sensors to detect and track insurgents operating during the day or night, then communicate useful information to ground forces, other aircraft or commanders by using VHF radios,” said Lt. Col. James Jinnette, director of operations for the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. “F-15E VHF capability shortens the coordination chain and accelerates a commander's ability to engage the enemy using assets from all services.”
Alisa Miliner, the radio's program manager with the 912th AES, has received glowing feedback from aircrews using the radio in combat.
“I received an enthusiastic message from a pilot using the new VHF radio describing how it helped him guide ground forces to an enemy combatant hiding under a piece of plastic in a field,” Ms. Miliner said. “He was able to tell one of the troops that passed the guy and missed him by only about 10 feet to turn around and find him under the plastic.”
That tip resulted in four ground troops finding and capturing the enemy. Such events are not uncommon, thanks to the VHF radio.
“On several occasions, F-15E aircrews coordinated jointly with Navy and Marine Corps fighters, Army attack helicopters and Army and Marine ground forces to track fleeing insurgents attempting to hide from coalition ground forces after night-time terrorist attacks,” Colonel Jinnette said. “Working directly with the ground forces, F-15E aircrews successfully talked the troops right to the terrorists' locations, resulting in their capture.”
According to Colonel Jinnette, the capability of Strike Eagle aircrews to coordinate specifically with various coalition elements in this manner has prevented those terrorists from conducting subsequent attacks against coalition forces.
Along with aiding ground troops, the VHF radio is allowing F-15 pilots flying combat air patrol missions as part of homeland defense to communicate with civilian airliners to clarify intentions and convey instructions, when necessary.
The need for the radio in the F-15 fleet became evident shortly after the aircraft began flying homeland defense missions following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The aircraft were configured with dual UHF radios only, preventing pilots from communicating directly with civil aircraft.
“Shortly after 9-11, the Air Force was assigned the combat air patrol homeland defense mission of intercepting domestic airliners that are identified as or suspected of being under terrorist control, or acting in a suspicious way,” Ms. Miliner said. “This mission includes making visual contact with the suspicious aircraft and trying to determine its intent.
“Determination of an aircraft's intent by F-15 aircrews and clarifying any on-board situations is difficult without direct voice communications between military and civilian aircraft.”
Once the Air Force approved an urgent requirement to equip F-15 aircraft with the VHF radios, source selection took place in February 2004 and a $19.6 million contract was awarded to Rockwell Collins that same month. Deliveries began in April 2004, flight test was completed in September of that year, and radio installation began in January 2005. To date, 570 out of 583 radios have been installed.
