Advanced Threat Replication Flight wins Outstanding Unit Award

Published Dec. 31, 2024
53rd Wing Public Affairs

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The 53rd Test Support Squadron’s Advanced Threat Replication Flight at Tyndall Air Force Base won the Association of Old Crows' 2024 Outstanding Unit Award. The squadron received the honor during a ceremony on Dec. 13 at the association’s annual symposium in National Harbor, Maryland.

Each year, the Association of Old Crows recognizes individuals and units for outstanding contributions to U.S. and allied Electronic Warfare (EW), Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO), Cyber-Electromagnetic Activity (CEMA), and Information Operations (IO).

“This is a huge win for the 53rd TSS,” said Col. Daniel Lehoski, 53rd Wing commander. “Their innovative contributions to electronic warfare are impressive, and this team truly deserves the recognition.”

The Advanced Threat Replication Flight plays a key role in supporting training, testing, and acquisition programs by developing realistic targets that simulate adversary forces. The team primarily designs and programs electronic warfare payloads for targets.

“We design all our systems to challenge U.S. aircraft with realistic electronic signatures, simulating what they might face in combat,” said John Schutes, 53rd TSS chief engineer. “This allows pilots to encounter these threats before they face them in actual operations.”

The flight led the development of multiple first-time organic jamming systems which directly supported airborne fighter aircraft weapon system testing, Air Combat Command’s Combat Archer air-to-air missile weapon system evaluation program (WSEP), and Command and Control testing and training. The execution of these initiatives marked a significant milestone in the flight’s efforts to ensure readiness and resilience in complex electromagnetic environments.

“We built our own electronic warfare package that delivered extremely effective results,” said Andrew Kay, 53rd TSS technical advisor. “Creating the jammer in-house gave us the flexibility to tailor it exactly to our needs, rather than relying on external sources.”

Kay and Schutes noted that this approach reflected the team’s broader commitment to balancing innovation with safety. They emphasized their dedication to pushing boundaries while managing risk effectively.

“We’re in a continuous loop of pushing our designs to the limit while managing risk,” said Schutes. “A significant amount of effort goes into reprogramming and reconfiguring the pods to meet our goals safely.”

The flight’s electromagnetic warfare specialists contributed countless hours to enhancing threat realism for multiple organizations and supporting two large-force exercises. The team has successfully impacted higher-level Department of Defense missions, often within a compressed timeline.

“We’ve achieved a tremendous amount of work and test support in the past few years, especially considering the size of our integrated team of DoD civilian and active-duty engineers and technicians,” Kay said. “Our success is largely due to the creativity and innovation of the team members here.”