317th AG reaches new heights during JPADS training

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Charles V. Rivezzo
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The 317th Airlift Group successfully dropped two Joint Precision Airdrop System bundles from 15,000 feet Dec. 3 during Joint Airborne Air Transportability Training at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Previously, precision airdrops were limited to lower altitudes due to range and training restrictions. However, the 317th AG reached for new heights and pushed the envelope by successfully completing the 15,000-foot drop, achieving a significant milestone in future of mobility airdrops.

JPADS is an airdrop system that uses Global Positioning Satellite, steerable parachutes and an onboard computer to steer loads to a designated point of impact on a drop zone - similar to joint-direct-attack-munitions.

Through collaboration with Nellis' 820th Red Horse Squadron, the 317th AG aircrew was able to execute the precision airdrops from a higher altitude utilizing the Nellis Test and Training Range, which offers a much larger airspace than traditional training lines.

Unlike operations in the area of responsibility, where precision airdrops are normally conducted from as high as 25,000 feet, in the continental U.S., aircrews must abide by training restrictions in order to protect assets on the ground, limiting the altitude from which they can drop.

"Due to vast airspace available at the Nellis range, we weren't as constrained to the lower altitudes we normally are on our local training lines," said Capt. Aaron Webb, 39th Airlift Squadron. "We receive great training on our local training range because it teaches us to work in a tight airspace, but the Nellis range was unique because it gave us the ability to drop from a much higher altitude, mimicking what we do in theater."

JPADS offer Air Force officials the capability to drop cargo with pinpoint accuracy in even the most hostile environments, making training crucial for employing this airdrop method.

"When you are training at home station, it's very important for you to train as close to what you will do in the theater as you can," Webb said. "We want to make training harder than actual war. By doing things just like we perform them in the AOR, we're better preparing our warfighters to excel when they are in the moment."

What makes these airdrops different from the standard Container Delivery System or Low-Cost Low-Altitude airdrops is that aircrew must wear oxygen masks due to the unpressurized environment at altitudes higher than 10,000 feet.

"It's not normal to wear a mask on most airdrops, and by training our aircrews with them on, I can make them more comfortable when they have to do it for real," Webb said.

These GPS-guided airdrops offer several benefits, including an increase in the number of available drop zones and an increase in the cargo's precision. Furthermore, they increase the survivability of the aircraft and its crew by being able to complete standoff deliveries.

"When it comes to protecting the guys on the ground, I try and put my eyes in their eyes and my feet in their boots," Webb said. "When ground troops have to secure a drop zone they have to establish a security footprint on the ground, spreading them out. The longer they have to stay there or the farther they have to go get a bundle increases their exposure to get hit by the enemy.

"If I can drop a bundle with precision time and time again within 25 meters or inside their forward operating base, I can protect them and hopefully save lives," Webb added. "We want to one day literally drop it on their back door, just like FedEx."

Throughout the last few years, the 317th Airlift Group has been on the cutting-edge of innovation in terms of mobility airdrops. Beginning as the hub of testing and training for LCLA airdrops in 2009 to furthering the development of JPADS, the future has never been brighter for this premier airlift group.

"I think with increased attention comes innovation," Webb said. "Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Outliers, once wrote, 'it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert and really excel at something.' I think it may take us 10,000 hours to find and develop the perfect airdrop system, but we are well on our way to achieving that goal. Everyday Dyess is training to make this system better."