98th Range Wing provides training to ensure no enemy is safe

Published Sept. 9, 2009
By Senior Airman Ryan Whitney
Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- How do Air Force aircrews train to destroy a speeding vehicle?

Until recently, they didn't.

But this lack of training became a deficiency that was felt in Middle-East operations, and "high value targets" were escaping in vehicles traveling at high speeds. Addressing this deficiency was so important, U.S. Central Command issued an "urgent operational need" to Air Combat Command.

ACC challenged the best and brightest minds at the 98th Range Wing to quickly find the solution.

In 2004, the 98th Range Wing was challenged with a similar objective, training aircrews to find, identify, track and target a moving vehicle in an urban environment. Called the Dynamic Target System, or DTS, the target vehicle is a low-speed, remotely controlled sport utility vehicle, which drives several predesignated routes on the streets of the Nevada Test and Training Range's urban target complex, a completely different objective than engaging a speeding vehicle while flying miles above the Earth.

The DTS can't be bombed, but is fitted with a laser detection and feedback system that notifies pilots through audible feedback that the simulated attack was either a hit or miss.

"While a good training tool, it didn't give the pilots the actual feel of releasing ordnance and getting visual feedback of how accurate their bombs were," said Mr. Larry Prince, 98th Operations Support Squadron Operations plans chief.

Since the Dynamic Target System could not satisfy the speed required in CENTCOM's Urgent Operational Need, the 98th Range Wing provided the answer."Fast Track," also known as the High Speed Moving Target, is a three-mile long track was built on a dry lake bed in the Nevada Test and Training Range to allow pilots to bomb remotely controlled SUVs capable of driving at speeds of up to 70 mph.

For targets, ACC provided a cadre of 27 SUVs and trucks modified to 98th Range Wing specifications. Although these vehicles didn't have much left to offer as viable transportation, they could still serve as a very useful training tool as the only military target of its type in the world.

To meet environmental requirements, the vehicles were stripped of all nonessential harmful materials including seats, carpet and glass. All oils were drained from the engine, transmission and rear end, and replaced with vegetable oil. The vehicles are also fitted with microwave transmitters so range wing contractors can control the vehicles them from a safe area 10 miles away using two cameras mounted inside the vehicles.

Various types of ordnance are used against the vehicles, including missiles, aircraft cannons, and live and inert bombs. Most targets are useful for three to five runs before they are damaged beyond repair or destroyed.

"These targets are completely expendable assets only capable of driving about 50 miles using the vegetable oil, which is enough for us to get several passes on them before they are completely destroyed," said Mr. Prince. "As long as the cameras are in place and the vehicles will move, we will continue using them as a target. For something we are planning to blow up anyway, it doesn't really matter much if it has a giant hole from inert ordnance passing through it as long as it still moves."

The ability to use the target multiple times comes from most aircraft using inert bombs, which are the same size and weight of live weapons, without the explosives. Even though they don't detonate on impact, just seeing if the inert bomb is within the bomb's kill zone of the vehicle is enough to let the pilots know whether they need to improve on acquisition and engagement of the vehicle.

"Most of the time, the pilots are so accurate that the inert bombs hit the vehicle, which is very impressive based on the numbers involved," said Mr. Prince. Due to speeds of the aircraft, the ordnance is usually released miles away from the target.

In its year-and-a-half life span, weapons ranging from Maverick missiles, joint direct attack munitions, laser guided bombs and 20mm and 30 mm cannon strafing fire have been used on more than 100 test and training missions.

"This is a skill that is vital to our aircrews flying in the Middle-East," said Lt. Col. Scott Sturgill, 98th Range Squadron director of operations. "The feedback that we have gotten has been through the roof; pilots just can't get enough of the training that we offer, because it is so realistic to what they are experiencing when deployed. The 98th Range Wing's job is to provide the training environment to ensure no enemy target is safe, and the Fast Track does that."