391st Fighter Squadron, Aircraft Maintenance Unit set another first

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samantha S. Crane
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho (ACCNS) --  While preparing for its second deployment to Afghanistan, the 391st Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit set another historic first by fielding new satellite-based communications systems to improve airborne combat capability.

With the new systems, war fighters in the air and on the ground will no longer be limited by line of sight communication, meaning aircrews can now talk to people on the ground anywhere in the world.

Currently in deployed locations, when friendly ground forces need F-15E Strike Eagle aerial support, line of sight is necessary for uninterrupted communication, which means the antenna on the radio must be in the jet antenna's sight.

If there is no line of sight, communication capability is greatly decreased and at times, impossible to establish. But with the new technology the 391st AMU recently received, that will become a thing of the past.

"We can bounce radio signals off satellites in orbit, which lets us communicate anywhere on the planet," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Catterlin, 391st AMU avionics specialist. "Jets over in Afghanistan can communicate with stations here or wherever they need to reach. It improves communication times a thousand percent and gives us another way to communicate with people on the ground."

With some battlefields featuring mountainous terrain full of nooks and crevices nearly impossible to see without eyes on the ground, this new communication capability gives aircrews a greater advantage against enemy forces while preventing collateral damage.

"We are fighting in very rugged territory in Afghanistan and the bad guys do a really good job of hiding in it," said Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Livingston, 391st AMU superintendent. "With the satellite capability, we can pick targets in between things we don't want to take out, which also reduces collateral damage."

With the improved communication, aircrews are better prepared to successfully complete a variety of missions, which were originally completed by A-10 and OA-10 Thunderbolt II air-to-ground aircraft.

"The F-15E's primary mission is air to ground," said Chief Livingston. "But because of all the recent conflicts -- primarily in Afghanistan where the bad guys are in little holes in very rugged territory -- the role of the F-15 has changed to include close air support."

The Strike Eagles and their enhanced communications systems seek to prove themselves perfect for the job.

"The primary reasons the F-15 has taken over these missions are its weapon load capabilities, speed and range," said the chief. "We can get anywhere. Our only limiting factor is keeping the aircrews airborne for long periods of time."

Aircrews and maintainers from the 391st FS and AMU will continue flying with the new capability in preparation for upcoming deployments.

"We'll continue to fly with them until we depart," said Chief Livingston. "While pilots have to learn to operate the radios, their learning curve is not as big as the maintainers because they have to know how to fix it if it breaks."

Overall, this new capability will give aircrews the upper hand, according to the chief.

"With this capability, we know we can get to good guys on the ground if they need help," he said. "The pilots have to know they are hitting the right target to prevent collateral damage. If they don't know exactly what they're hitting, they won't drop it. With this technology, we have the latest to deliver to the war fighter on the ground."