Army Aviation Digest - Aug 1980

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AUGUST 1980 VOLUME 6 NUMBER 8

* *rigadier General Richard D. KenyonArmy Aviation OfficerODCSOPS, Headquarters,Department of the Army Brigadier General Carl H. McNair Jr .CommanderU.S. Army Aviation CenterFort Rucker, Alabama1 Aviation In The French Army, BG Maurice Cannet5 III Corps Aviation , CPT Robert V. Lambert7 2d Armored Division, MAJ Qdis J. Lambright8 1 st Cavalry Division Aviation, 1 LT Anthony W. Warren1 AVRADCOM's Aviation Life Support Developments,Robert A. Matthews12 6th Cavalry Brigade Plays Its Ace,MAJ Stephen J. Snow16 PEARL's19 Cobra Weapons Repair2 DES Report To The Field: Is It Standardization Or Is

t Technique?22 Check Plane, AI Hinton24 Recognition Quiz26 THREAT: Volatile: Small Arms And Helicopters DoNot Mix, CPT E. Gary Campbell31 OPMS Corner: Aviation Personnel Update,MAJ Jeremiah Q'Fihelly32 Europe's Helicopter Assembly Point, SP4 Patricia Butler34 One Flight, CW3 Michael F. Porter36 Reporting Final38 Wood Chopping Snake, James E. Boen4 Views From Readers41 Aviator Stress, CW3 William D. Watson44 The Bucking Bronco Syndrome, Ronald R. Simmons48 ATC Action Line: Specialist Or Professional?

Inside Back Cover: ATC AwardsCover: French Army's SA 342 Gazelle antitankhelicopter fires a HOT (high-subsonic-opticallyteleguided) missile. Story Aviation In The FrenchArmy begins on page 1

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page 44Richard K. TierneyEditor

The mission of the U.S Army Aviat ion Dlge t USPS 415-350) is to p rovideinformation of an operati onal, functional nature concerning safety and aircraftaccident prevention, training. maintenance, operations, research and deve lopment.avia t ion med ici ne and other related data.

This publication has been approved by The Adjutant General. HeadquarterDepartment of the Army , 25 Apr il 198 , in accordance with Army Regulatio310-1 .Active Army units receive distri bution under the pinpoint distri bu tio n systeas outli ned in AR 3 10-1 . Complete DA Form 12-5 and send directly to CDR, APublications Center , 28 Easte rn Boulevard , Baltimore , MD 2122 . For anchange in distr ibution requirements , initiate a revised DA Form 12-5.

The Dlge t is an off icia l Department of the Army pe riodical published monthlyunder the supe rvision of the Co mmanding Gene ral , U.S. Army Aviation Center.Views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Department of the A rmynor the U.S. Army Aviat ion Center. Photos are U.S. Army unless otherwisespecified. Use of the masculine pronoun is intended to include both gendersun less otherwise stated. Material may be reprinted provided cred it is given to theDlge t and to the author, unless otherwise indicated ,

Artic les, photos and items of interest on Army Aviation are invited . Directcommunication is authorized to: Editor , U.S, Army Aviation Dlge t, P,O. Drawerp, Fort Rucker, AL 36362 , ' Manuscripts returned upon request .

National Guard and Army Reserve un its under pinpoint distribution also shousubmit DA Form 12-5. Other National Guard units should submit requests througtheir state adjutant general.

Those not eligible for official distribution or who desi re personal copies of thDlge t can orde r the magazine from the Superintende nt of Documents, U,Government Pri nt ing Office , Washington , DC 2 4 2 . Annual subscription rateare $17 . domesticand 21 .25 overseas,


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A TTG T lON Brigadier General Maurice Cannetn V 1 .n..1 11 Commander of ALATIN THE GFREN H-ARMY

T a c k g ~ o u n d And Present Organization.as 1939 the French Army started procuringas autoballoons and autogyros. Thewere rapidly scrapped as being inefficient andnot yet become operational by the timeWar II broke out.Actually, it was in 1943 that Aviation became a

our Army, with the operation of observation(provided by America) within our Africany. Since then ALAT (Aviation Legere de l ArmeeTerre has undergone three different organiza

The first was our light aircraft and helicopterwhich had the task of supplying all Armysupport in the main form of obser

and during the Algerian camtactical transport of Infantry units. The second was born at the close of our Algerianin 1961, when the possibilities of the helicopterfully recognized for combat missions. This resultedestablishment of our larger units which consistof some 40 helicopters at Corps and Division.groups (G ALeA and GALDIV) were made uplight helicopters employed for liaison and obser

to which we later added antitank and tacticalhelicopters. Our present organization dates back to 1977. tthe same time as the Army was reor

Accordingly, helicopters were separated into two GHL Groupe d Helicopteres Legers), with lightexclusively for executing liaison missions RHC(Regiment d Helicopteres de Combat), which

made up of a larger number of helicopters (72)

tactical situation. This is achieved by combining intelligence gathering, firing and movement obtained byvarious types of helicopters operating in coordinatedaction within th e same organization (Regiment) .JILAT Helicopters And Missions. Today, ALATemploys three types of helicopters: light, antitank

and maneuver.The Alouette II and Gazelle SA 341 come underthe light category. These are used by GHL for liaison,observation and small supplies transport. They arealso employed within the RHC units as scout heli

copters. For the latter mission they are equipped witha stabilized sight.Antitank helicopters exist only within the RHCunits. They are of the Alouette III type, equipped with

the SS 11 wire-guided missile. This year we will startemploying the SA 342 M which is a second generationhelicopter. It carries a HOT missile and various otherspecial equipment.Our Tactical transport helicopters are the SA 330Pumas. In service within our RHC units they carryout two types of missions. Their foremost purpose isto give airmobility to infantry; the second is to providethe Army with urgent logistical support.Combat helicopters as Fully Integrated WeaponsSystems. ALAT has several frontline or combat helicopters which are submitted to a considerable risk ofbeing destroyed by enemy fire. These helicopters,whether of the scout or armed types, must embodyvery special features to cope with enemy detectionand fire, and be so conceived internally that they caneasily adapt to the constantly more sophisticatedequipment that they will have to carry as technologyprogresses.Weare now in a given phase of the evolution of this

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type of helicopter. We note that other countries alreadyhave begun flying helicopters having airframes es-pecially designed for combat. The designers havetried to offer the greatest possible versatility. A typicalexample is the Soviet Mi-24 HIND.No doubt the coming years will witness the arrivalof helicopters of a new kind, carrying the most variedequipment and weaponry- and all designed for survival

in a hostile environment. We will certainly see manytypes appear, just as we saw many types of militaryaircraft appear between the two World Wars.Discussions will be centered around the helicopterssuitable for executing several different missions andthose that have been tailored to one specific task. Inthe 1936 to 1939 period there was a famous quarrelwhich opposed the multiseat twin engine fightersuitable for bombing, fighter and reconnaissance missions g inst the specialized single engine aircraft. Inthe field of military helicopters the same concepts arestill in opposition.

There is a need to design complete weapons systems.The first helicopters called upon to intervene duringcombat were utility aircraft combined with a weapon.This was the case for the gun helicopter, whetherthe Pirate used during the Algerian War or thegunship type used in Vietnam. This also was thecase of the Alouette Ill/SS-l .

The following generation, which included the AH-1 Cobra/TOW or the SA 342/ HOT already represented the beginning of integration. The weapon system

is mounted in a more logical manner: right from theconstruction stage, airframes are adapted to carryweapons; instrument panels are designed to accommodate weapons systems; and engines are delivered withreduced thermal signatures.These initial steps in the right direction are noenough. To exploit these helicopters to the fulles

and at the lowest cost, far more will have to be done notably designing the entire system including platformequipment and weapons as an integral system fromthe outset. Our manufacturers will have to give priorityattention to system conception and there will have tobe close harmony between the engineering departments in charge of designing airframes, engines, equipment and weapons.Does this mean, as is often said, that each su bsystemwill be designed solely with a military purpose inview, and that future combat helicopters will havenothing to do with civil ones? I do not believe so, aleast not for 20 or 40 years to come.

The performance that we demand of the helicopteitself is not really so different from that required bycivil operators. Only the organization of its equipmenand airframe geometry differ. We require the samereliability, easy maintenance and output of the enginesand dynamic units.Consequently, in the near future we except to seetwo helicopter categories proposed for the needs ofthe armed forces: Helicopters that are very close to civil helicop-

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behind the lines, especially liaisontransport.Helicopters with specially designed airframes buthaving the same components as earliernes, dynamic units and a considerablewill follow normal develop-lines as the differences in performance are stillt huge investments for totally

and separate development and production work.ALAT s Future n Modern Conflicts Airmobilityr exist or are being incorporated into nearlyground force systems.is usually the case when new weapons appear,ies have been coexisting for many years.the first , the tactical role of the helicopterlimited to aiding other combat branches.

the second, the helicopter would open the waya totally airmobile battle corps. No doubt, the truthsomewhere between these two extremes.2 years, the superior mobilityby the helicopters will provide a weighty ad-ge to Army forces who have them, but they willonly one among many combat components,

or the Engineer Corps. In someituations, when action is limited in time andperhaps win the day by them-

others they would only be one minor link inaction of various armed forces. Most often, how-the best results will be obtained when employed

in combination with the entire arsenal of the combatarms.For the requirements of our Army, ALAT is nowreaching a dimension that corresponds both with anoverall tactical concept and with our financial resources.Development will now stabilize from the quantitypoint of view. From the quality standpoint, however,we must prepare for significant changes because thesemachines will have to cope with an adversary that isquite different from the one encountered during thepreceding years.Armored and mechanized divisions now are equippedwith detection, support and firing systems which willendanger the relative impunity that the helicopter intact ical flight NOE) has enjoyed until now.First, armored divisions will be escorted by heli-copters carrying automatic guns with sophisticatedfire control equipment. These aircraft will cover andprotect the tanks, thereby enhancing their action,preventing any airmobility attacks in the form ofharassment or attrition maneuvers.At the same time thermal imagery and high frequencyradars will be used to detect helicopters more accuratelyand at greater distance than can be done with presentoptical devices. New infrared missiles will be a seriousthreat to any helicopter whose infrared signature willnot have been decreased below the lower limit of sen-sitivity of these missiles.Ground combat forces have already entered an evol-utionary phase. It will not immediately make present

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helicopters obsolete. Our second generation antitanksystem the SA 342 HOT with its small size excellentNOE characteristics and the performance of its weaponsystem will remain highly effective against tank unitsfor another 5 years or so; for as long as it is not con-fronted by helicopters armed with guns.OUf own gun helicopter the Puma which carries a20 millimeter gun is no longer adapted to presentcombat conditions and must soon be phased out infavor of second generation systems.ALAT must start thinking about such future heli-copters. This would remain little more than a dreamif we did not take two imperatives into account fromthe outset: Financial constraints not only with regard to thepurchasing price of new aircraft but with regard tolife cycle costs.

Human factors in that the Army cannot employpersonnel having the same high qualifications as thecaptains of intercontinental transports or cosmonauts.There can be no question of abolishing what alreadyexists and building a kind of abstract ALAT for the

year 2000. Its heritage in the form of equipment andpersonnel must be gradually modified starting withwhat is most urgent.ALAT is now analyzing what the best possiblepolicy for the future will be. A compromise betweentactical needs financial resources and technical out-looks should make it possible to devise a general planorienting the work of our industry.4

The few indications that I can give at this time arextremely general:8 We have no urgent problem with regard to lighhelicopters. The Gazelle will gradually replace thAlouette II The question of combat helicopters concerns abranches of the armed forces and hence our own

Our late start compared to the United States and thUSSR should make it possible for us to avoid thpitfalls that trailblazers fall into. For our new helicopters we will have to conceive an organization of theiequipment that will enable them to fly their missionunder the environmental conditions already describebut at a cost that could be coped with by the budget othe Army. Optronics open fascinating new roads we succeed n specifying the tactical objective thawe might reasonably hope to achieve. We will banalyzing this subject jointly with the German ArmeForces and there are manycomplex options open. Theguideline for any meaningfulchoice would always have tobe a perfectly clear and co-herent conception of militaryapplication. We in ALATareconvinced that solutions willbe found that are tacticallyefficient and financially real-istic and that is the purposeof present studies.

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The battle is not limited to the front lines. Aviationunits of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 2d ArmoredDivision attack and secure bypassed strongholds withair assault infantry and attack helicopter teams.Medical evacuation aircraft from the 3d Platoon,S07th Medical Company AA) pick up woundedthroughout the sector. CH-47 Chinooks of CompanyD, 34th Support Battalion bring in a continuous supplyof ammunition and fuel to F ARPs and to supply basessu pport ing units on this rapidly shifting battleground.

The 16th Air Traffic Control Battalion, with itsFOC and FCCs, continuously coordinates, directs andmonitors the crowded airspace, while the 57th SignalBattalion aerial relays provide a vital C3I link to thefront. Maintenance teams scattered throughout thesector work around the clock to repair and serviceairframes to fight the next battle.The scenario above presents a complex, high intensity battle with rmy A viation as an integral part of

the combined arms team.Combat units at III Corps and Ft. Hood, TX havethe unique opportunity, unequaled anywhere, to trainfor such combined arms operations. Operating at Ft.Hood are: Two maneuver divisions with their organic aviationassets. The 6th Cavalry Brigade Air Combat, the firstunit of its kind in the free world see January 1980Aviation Digest . Corps support aviation including military intelligence/ counterintelligence, medical evacuation, signaland supporting units for TC and aircraft maintenance.

There are 206 square miles of maneuver area onthe military reservation and more than 400 aircraf t in

20 company/ section-size units with a dozen differentmissions. It can be easily seen that aviation is active atFt. Hood. More than 700 aviators assigned logged inexcess of 57 ,000 flight hours in combined arms andindividual TM training in FY 1979. This total doesnot include some 9,800 hours logged on the localSFTS.Aviation activities at Ft. Hood are continuouslyevolving to meet the demands of the modem battlefield,wherever it may be. Coordination, plans and procedures are reviewed, updated and streamlined to matchtechnological and doctrinal developments. Some ofthe goals at III Corps and Ft. Hood are: Complete reorganization to full-strength aviationassets in accordance with ARCSA III concepts. Direct interface and training with National Guard/United States Army Reserve aviation units. Application of new aircraft with their advancedcapabilities such as improved AH-IS, AH-64, UH-60,CH-47D and OH-58C with followon ASH). Closer integration and interoperability with NATOand Allied operations and tactical deploymen t. Development of24-hour, minimum weather operations. Application of doctrine developed in exercisesand tests such as T SV L and JAAT. Development of a corps level airspace and airdefense management system to maximize both thebattle force and self-defense.

The aviation and aviation support community atIII Corps and Ft. Hood are highly diversified andexperienced. Through intensified, multilevel combinedarms training they are demonstrating an undeniableplace on the current and future battlefield. Thefollowing articles, plus those that will appear inSeptember and October, clearly show this.

GlossaryARCSA III Aviation Require- DRS Division Restructure NATO North Atlantic Treatyments for the Com- Study Organizationbat Structure of EW electronic warfare Reforger Redeployment ofthe Army FARP forward arming and Forces toADA air defense artillery refueling point GermanyASH advanced scout heli- FCC flight coordination SFTS synthetic flight train-copter center ing systemFOC flight operations TACFIRE tactical fire directionATC air traffic control center systemATM aircrew training man- FORSCOM U.S. Army Forces tactical airc raft effee--ual Command TASVALFY fiscal year tiveness and survi-C31 eCCC command, vability in close aircontrol, communi JAAT joint air attack team support antiarmorcations and intelligence MASSTER Modern Army Selee-- operationsted System Test, TRICAP triple capabilityCONUS continental United Evaluation and Re-States view VHF very high frequency

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ar page 6 ajor Odis J LambrightAssistant Aviation Officer

2d rmored Division

o RMOREDIVISIONO E R N COMBAT mobility, coupled withmore accurate and lethal weapons thanyesterday 's, has greatly enhanced the capa-

of ground maneuver element commanders atis certainly true of an armored division, mechanized infantry andartillery. At the same time the opposingcan thereforent on the battlefield. Army

can help alleviate that restriction by lettingground commander know what lies ahead.Army Aviation is an important part of 2d Armored, with the aviation assets beinged among four units.Company A, formerly the 2d Aviation Company, ison aviation company and was activated lastober as the first unit of the division's S02d AviationThat battalion will continue to be developed(see page 3 August 978 Aviation

concept during FY 1981.Using OH-S8 Kiowas and UH-IH Hueys, Companys have flown more than 26 ,000 accident-freeover the past 8 years, including an incident-freelast year. They have received the FORSCOM's Plaque for Aviation Safety for the past

Missions for the unit include providing helicopterfor the commanding general and other, division field exercises, the Air Forceair controller training program, medical, troop lifts and resupply; and furnishing a

and control platform aerial observer, radio relay and courier service for artilleryAs an air cavalry unit, Troop D, 2d Squadron, 1st, serves as the division commander's eyes and

of the ground units through its aerialThose include the OH-S8 Kiowa scouts whichas team leaders in JAAT missions, AH-l G Cobra

the aeroscouts, and UH-IH helicopters which give aground reconnaissance capability and a quick reactionforce for special missions.A unique aviation unit of the 2d Armored Divisionis the Quick Fix platoon assigned to Headquartersand Operations Company, S22d Military IntelligenceBattalion. This is the only unit of its kind in thecontinental U.S. Army. Its EH-l Hand JU-IH aircraftprovide an electronic warfare capability since theyare designed to be targeted against enemy tacticalVHF voice communications. The system can effectively hinder threat voice communications normallyfound at division level and below. One of the mostadvantageous uses of the Quick Fix aircraft is theiremployment when the division's ground-based collection or jamming assets are on the move or situatedin a locale that renders them ineffective. Quick Fix canbe used independently or in conjunction with otheravailable EW units.Because of the platoon's unique nature it has supported major field exercises at Ft. Lewis, W A; Ft.Carson, CO ; Ft. Bragg, NC; Ft. Drum, NY ; and Ft.Irwin, CA, as well as 3 years of the overseas Reforgerexercises.Company F, 124th Maintenance Battalion, handlesthe division's aviation intermediate maintenancesupport. It assists the aviation units in maintainingtheir aircraft in the highest state of operational readiness.Plans are for this company to be reassigned to thedeveloping S02d Aviation Battalion. Other units to bein the battalion are a headquarters company, twoattack helicopter companies with AH-IS Cobras anda combat support helicopter company with UH-60Black Hawks.Army Aviation is a valuable asset to the combinedarms team and has added new dimensions to thebattlefield mobility of the 2d Armored Division. Withthe complete activation of an aviation battalion, therole of aviation in Hell on Wheels is certain tobecome even more important in the future. -.:::r

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HEN THE 1ST CavalryDivision dismountedfrom horseback to enter

World War II, it no longer perform-ed a unique mission by virtue of its specialized equip-ment. But when the division deployed to the Republicof Vietnam in 1965, with its latest specialized equip-ment- the helicopter, it again assumed a unique role.As one of the most decorated and praised units in theSoutheast Asian conflict, the 1st Cavalry Division(Airmobile) Sky roopers brought the helicopter toa new position as a combat vehicle and weapon.Since the end of the Vietnam conflict change hasbeen a way of life for the 1st Cavalry Division, andmany of those changes have affected the FIRSTTEAM's aviation program. The division has unofficiallybecome the Army's testbed for new equipment andideas, and it is this testing role that has implementedmany changes within the division and, in instances,within its aviation units. The helicopter and the air-mobile infantry are no longer trademarks of the FIRSTTEAM; tanks and armored personnel carriers are now8

Glossary page

STC V LRthe teeth of the division's combat power.Change for the FIRST TEAM beganwhen the division returned from Vietnamand established a new home at Ft. Hood, TX. Nolonger geared toward a mission in the steamy SoutheastAsian jungles, reorganization was imminent, and thedivision undertook its first test mission with the reor-ganization into the TRICAP division. The concept es-tablished a brigade each of airmobile infantry, mech-anized infantry and armor; and the success of the or-

ganization led immediately to another, somewhat re-lated test, this one for the Readiness Command.MASSTER, the Modern Army Selected SystemTest, Evaluation and Review, was especially gearedto determine the role of the helicopter in a mid-intensity war and to test its effectiveness as a mobileantiarmor attack weapon. MASSTER and TRICAPdemonstrated these roles of the helicopter so wellthat plans were formulated to create an independentair cavalry brigade.

That led to activation on 20 February 1975 of the6th Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat). Created from theassets of the 1st Cavalry Division, the new brigadebecame a separate unit under Headquarters, III Corpsand Ft. Hood (see January 1980 viation Digest .In 1975 another reorganization made the 1st Cavthe Army's newest armored division. With the majorityof the division's aviation assets having been formedinto the 6th Cavalry Brigade, and with training orientedtoward ground maneuver in a probable Europeanscenario, aviation capabilities and assets no longercommanded their former share of internal and externalinterest. But as the division resumed its testbed role,its helicopters found a niche in those test missions

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First Lieutenant nthony W WarrenLT Warren was the st Cavalry Division Public Affairs fficer when he wrote this article

The next major studyTEAMhe T ACFIRE test, ause of

ion system. Naturally,proponent for

the divneeded and came

Part of theif an artillery aerial observerThe concept was proven

and the TACFIRE system has been acceptedinto the Army inventory, with the fieldas an integral part of the(see The Aerial Observer Team and T AC, August 1978 Aviation Digest .In the division's role of test unit, the Division Restruc

1977 and 1978 was probably the mostmportant project undertaken, and DRS had far-reachng implications for 1st Cav aviation. The purpose ofhe restructure study was to test alternative systemszation of personnel and equipment in attemptso find the optimum system for adapting to the in-reasingly complicated and lethal weapons of theoming decade. Under the initial plan the entire di-he test. Realizing that the structure of the aviationnits would change as well, the DRS test was considerd an opportunity to implement the ARCSA IIIoncept (see page 3 August 1978 Aviation Digest

into the division. In August 1977 all the di-vision's aviation assets were combined into the 227thAviation Battalion (Provisional); and the 1st CavalryDivision became the first CONUS armordivision to adopt the AR CSAIII organization.FIRST TEAMaviation today is a vastlydifferent system from thedivision's aviation programduring the Vietnam era, butit continues to perform an importantmission in both tactical and garrison re-quirements. Currently the division has two aviationunits, the 227th Aviation Battalion and Troop D (AirCavalry), 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry.Still organized under the ARCSA III system the 227thcurrently has two lift companies and is structured fortwo attack cOrIlpanies. The attack companies will re-main at zero strength for an undetermined time. DeltaTroop, 1/9 Cav, the division's air combat power, performs its scout and air cavalry mission as a division assetto be employed by the division commander or the com

mander's battlefield representative.As the 1st Cavalry Division pursues its mission ofbeing an increasingly prepared armored division,commanders and trainers are more frequently recognizing aviation for its potentialcontribution to that mission.The mobility, lethality and responsiveness of the Armyhelicopter is makingit an increasingly im-portant member of the1st Cavalry Division'scombined arms team.

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COM S

A RMY AVIATION has come a long way since itsinception in the early 1 9 5 0 ~ Development ofaviation life support equipment for the Army aviatorhas not, however, progressed as rapidly as the development of new aircraft systems. To meet this needA VRADCOM established a dedicated ALSE development team in July 1977. This action was taken todevelop essential ALSE equipment to meet the challengesof modern Army Aviation of the future. Both Department of the Army and DARCOM have recognizedthe need for increased emphasis in this area by theestablishment of two funded development projectlines.Since mid-1978 the AVRADCOM ALSE team hasdrafted and staffed four separate requirement documents through TRADOC DARCOM for approval.Additionally, three more separate requirement documents are being prepared at A VRADCOM and shortlywill be staffed to TRADOC for coordination approval.Major James Christie is the development projectofficer designee for ALSE developments at A VRADCOM. This designation was the result of specificdirection from DA DARCOM and signifies theincreased importance placed on the overall ALSEdevelopment management functions.

The ALSE development team is presently developing an individual aircrewmember passenger flotationkit for helicopter use. The flotation kit will be a small,lightweight item which the crewmember passengerswill wear during operations over water. Two separateconfigurations are planned: one for use in cold (arctic)temperatures and the other for use in warmer (tropic)climates. This kit, which is vacuum packed, will enhance1

overall crew safety and survivability. The vacuumpackage aspect will allow a 5- to 7-year shelf life andwill minimize maintenance requirements. The flotationkit is presently in DTJOT testing at Ft. Rucker, AL.The item, which will be a CTA item of issue, willcomplete Government testing in early 1981 and willbe fielded by mid-1982.Development of a helicopter oxygen system will beinitiated in 1980. This project is to meet an urgentfield requirement for units engaged in search andrescue and high altitude mountain training. t also hasapplication to the UH-60 SOTAS aircraft coincidentwith its operational concepts. Specific applicationwill be on the UH-l, OH-58, CH-47 and UH-60 SOTAS.The oxygen system is scheduled to enter Army testingin early 1981 and slated for completion in late 1981and be available to user units in early 1983. Thesystem will employ a crashworthy module concept.This will allow the oxygen module to be taken fromone aircraft and mounted in another aircraft withoutundue delay or modification to the aircraft system.Another development effort assigned to the ALSEproject office is that of a new lightweight, integratedaircrew helmet system to replace the present SPH-4helmet. This new helmet development will concentrateon better sound attenuation, lighter weight 2 pounds)and better center of gravity alignment. The conceptis that the helmet will be a modular type. A sightingsystem and fire control display are to be added to thebasic helmet system. These modules are part of thehelmet development program. In addition the helmetwill provide laser protection for crewmembers' eyes.The new helmet will enter development in late 1980

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Robert A MatthewsSystems Engineering and Development DirectorateArmy Aviation Research and Development CommandSt. Louis MO

1982.The ALSE project office is also developing an

IBAHRS will significantly reduce crash injuries/The design concept adapts

The IBAHRS consists of ainside of each shoulder harness and a remotelyr. During a crash the crash sensorsend a signal whichwill fire gas generators, inflating' the shoulder harness and the

in the seat to best survive the crash.es preventing the crew member from striking

to help limit head rotation and whiplash.y helicopter crewmember restraint

AH-l/AH-64)

The above are just a few of the ALSE items underpment at A VRADCOM. In addition to those,

NBC protective systems also will bearched by the A VRADCOM aviation life supportese new ALSE development items are intended1980

to meet some of the current and future life supportrequirements for the aviator in the 1980s. There areadditional areas of ALSE that need to be pursued, butthe above items address the more pressing needs.Much is planned for future ALSE; however, unlesswe know where the voids are, we as a developingcommand cannot respond to the needs of the field ina timely manner. To that end we ask you to write usand let us know what your ALSE development needsare. You may direct your written inquiries to Commander, USAAVRADCOM, ATTN: DRDAV-EGD(Major Christie or Mr. Matthews), P.O. Box 209 St.Louis, MO 63166; or call AUTOVON 693-1613.

GLOSS RYALSE aviation life support equipmentAVRADCOM U.S. Army Aviation Research and Development CommandCTADADARCOMOTIB HRSNBCOTSOTASTRAOOC

common table of allowanceDepartment of the ArmyU.S. Army Materiel Development and Readi-ness Commanddevelopment testinginflatable body and head restraint systemnuclear biological chemicaloperational testStandoff Target Acquisition SystemU.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

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The 6th Cavalry Brigade Air Combat)

PlaysItsCE

ajor Stephen J. SnowMajor Snow was chief, BAMC,6th Cavalry Brigade Air Combat), Fort Hood, TXwhen he wrote this article

THE 6TH CAV ALRY Brigade(Air Combat), Ft. Hood, TX,is playing its ACE. No the brigadeisn't in a card game but it is currentlyengaged in wrestling with one ofArmy Aviation's most difficult andserious problems-maintenance personnel skill enrichment training.The CE that the brigade isplaying is actually a highly structuredintensive training program for armament, communications and electronics repair personnel.

and accompanying aircraft survivability electronic apparatus. Thisinflux of complex equipment comesat a time when the Army is simultaneously having a difficult timeobtaining and retaining highly skilledand qualified repair personnel.The DAR COM community expects to field at least 40 new combatsystems during the next couple ofyears. These systems, when coupledwith already fielded sophisticatedsystems, present significant maintenance challenges to commandersat every level to achieve optimumcombat readiness. This article presents one unit's solution to closingthe training/technology gap. Theconcept is applicable to any organi-

zation that has or will have equipment that requires a degree of maintenance sophistication beyond thatwhich is presently available in theorganization.How can we maintain more withless? This is a question that eachaviation unit commander must solvein order to achieve the highestpossible state of readiness.The 6th has dealt with this challenge by establishing a maintenancerepair training program specifically keyed to meet the advances foundin its AH-1S Cobra TOW fleet. Thebrigade played an ACE.ACE is consolidation of armament, communication and electronic maintenance personnel and

The 6th Brigade's mission is toclose with and destroy enemy armorforces. To do this the brigade isequipped with 81 AH-1S CobraTOW armor-defeating helicopters.These aircraft contain newer andhigher degrees of technologicalsophistication than the AH-1 G gunships of old. This new technologybrings added combat lethality tothe battlefield, but it also bringssignificant maintenance problems.

ACE armament personnel performing maintenance with help fromlogistics assistance office field representative

Army Aviation has entered anera of more sophisticated armament,communications and electronicswith the recent fielding of the AH-1ECAS Cobra and with the fieldingof the modernized Cobra. The latteris equipped with a laser rangefinder12


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m a unique maintenance supportThe concept is simple-

ACE derives its ability to traincation of the limitedr of skilled maintenance per

The ACE was implemented originow problems of per

rates.t had an application moreas a quickThe brigade experienced a

in ACE systems as a resultTroop morale and

a result of increased job satis

s of the program at the end ofdays (figure 1 , a decision wastely.

The brigade's combat and logisicians had realized that theof intensive main

traditional principles of tacThe

of the brigade with thertunity to apply - at the proper- maintenance per

wise, the commander was ables and concentrate them iner which would achieve the

What are the objectives? How1980

Figure 1Work Requests Received Work Completed

Avionics866

Avionics75

AvionicsArmamentGRDC E

Armament GRDC E Avionics Armament GRD c E138 234 791 81 184ACE Backlog Total Items Not Completed

Armament GRDC E Avionics r m a m ~ n t57 47 243 87

Items Not CompletedWaiting Shop In Shop DL Parts45 19 9715 9 637 3 16

GRDc E47

EVAC82o21*One work request represents one item of repair.Backlog status and totals include all job orders previously on hand/other datais for the 7 days ACE has been in operation.

did they come about? To answerthese questions we must go back tothe ACE program conceptual stagein November 1979. The maintenancemanagers in the brigade materielmanagement center had becomealarmed at the adverse readinesstrends in armament, communications and electronic systems withinthe brigade. Problem analysis/resolution work sessions were heldand several reasons for the gradual

readiness decline in these systemssurfaced. The three-level maintenanceconcept had reduced authorized skilllevels in troop units. There was a shortage of authorized maintenance personnel. There was a significant shortage of qualified mid-level repairsu pervisors. Newly trained repair personnelare receiving only introductory

ACEARCOMAVIMAVUMBMMCCERCOMC EOARCOMOECASEDEVACHHTMICOMNCOOPCONSOTMDETOW

Glossaryarmament, communications and electronicsUnited States Army Reserve Commandaviation intermediate maintenanceaviation unit maintenancebrigade materiel management centerUnited States Army Communications and Electronics Materiel

Readiness Commandcommunications and electronicsUnited States Army Materiel Development and ReadinessCommanddeadlineEnhanced Cobra Armament Systemexempt from dutyevacuatedheadquarters and headquarters troopUnited States Army Missile Commandnoncommissioned officeroperational controlspecial dutytest, measurement and diagnostiC equipmenttube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided

13


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training in their military occupational specialities and enter the workforce at the apprentice level and,therefore, require considerable onthe-job training. The preponderance of ACEsystems has become sufficientlysophisticated that they require atleast journeyman skill level to maintain them.The BMMC also analyzed theincoming and outgoing personnelsituation and determined that immediate steps had to be taken because the brigade was about to losemore than 75 percent of its experienced repair and supervisory personnel within a 12G-day period. This

would have had the obvious effectof leaving unskilled apprenticesworking on systems that were wellabove their current repair capabilities. In fact, this situation couldonly lead to a further degradationin combat readiness.So, the objectives were determined: develop a skill enrichmenttraining program that would upgradethe brigade's repair people fromapprentice skill level to an acceptable journeyman skill level in theshortest time. Thus, the brigade'scombat readiness in armament,communications and electronicssystems would be increased.

The A VIM company, C Company, 34th Support Battalion, hadthe largest armament and avionicsshop and the greatest number ofskilled supervisory personnel; therefore, it was decided that the A VIMcompany would become the homeof the ACE program.

The concept was presented tothe brigade commander in earlyNovember 1979 and to the squadron/battalion and separate company

Figure 2Soldiers were asked what their preference was with regard to the future of ACE.Twenty-two 35K personnel assigned to ACE responded in the following manner:

17 would keep ACE as it now exists 1 would move the ACE concept to SQDN level 4 would disband ACEEight 31V personnel special duty to ACE all responded by saying they wouldkeep ACE as it now exists. Armament repair personnel were not formally questioned. However, off the record comments were favorably disposed towardACE.

commanders later that month. Itwas modified somewhat from itsoriginal all-encompassing conceptwith functional objectives left intact.The program kicked off on 19

November 1979 and was scheduledto run for 90 days. It would be implemented and operated under thefollowing guidelines: All avionics and ground communications and electronics personnel would be OPCON to theA VIM and exempt from duty for90 days. All armament fire control repairpeople, 68J, from the brigade scavalry squadron would be OPCON,special duty, and exempt from dutyto the A VIM for 90 days. The brigade's attack squadronwould retain its own A VUM armament support; however, a squadrontraining program would be initiated. All repair services provided bythe ACE would be free of paperworkto customer units; that is ACE personnel would take care of all workrequests, logbook entries, etc.To further strengthen the trainerbase, the brigade, working throughthe AH-1 Cobra project manageroffice, requested and received theassistance of private industry fieldengineers from Hughes Aircraft

Figure 3ACE WORK REQUEST DATA

Backlog Status

Corporation and Bell HelicopterTextron. A call went out to the Ft.Hood logistics assistance office andthe ACE was able to augment itstrainer staff by obtaining the servicesofthe DARCOM field maintenancetechnicians from MICOM, ARCOMand CERCOM.

The ACE was underway A 90-day experiment, fashioned and implemented all within 20 days; howwould it do? This question was onmany minds.As mentioned earlier, the resultswere impressive (figure 1). TheHughes and Bell field engineers, aswell as the logistics assistance officefield maintenance technicians, wereenthusiastic about the day-ta-dayresults of the program and offeredunsolicited favorable opinions toall who would listen.

The consensus from the expertswas that this is the type of maintenance training program that shouldbe implemented Armywide. No lipservice to training- all action Thesefield engineers and maintenancetechnicians all agreed that becauseof the growing complexity of Armyequipment, unique training andmaintenance measures will have tobe taken if a satisfactory combatoperational readiness state is to beachieved.

As of19 .February1980 Work orders receivedWork orders completed 1471 Armament1227 Avionics

Ground C E

AwaitingShop825

InShop52

7

DLParts3074

8

v ~ co4547

14 U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


17/52

Another significant factor surfaced when a number of repairpersonnel were queried about theirfeelings toward the ACE. The troopsexpressed a great satisfaction withthe program. The Soldiers likedACE (figure 2 .The favorable results and opinionsof the ACE program led to thedecision to continue the program.Some modifications were made tocorrect administrative lessons learned during the 90 days that ACEphase one operated. However, thesecorrections were minor, and thebasic concept remained unaltered.ACE phase one ended last Februaryand it had accomplished an enviablework record (figure 3 .ACE phase two began immediately and was organized to providethe services as outlined in figure 4.What the 6th Cavalry Brigade didwith its ACE program was to takeimmediate action to solve an im-mediate problem and from this realized that the concept had validity asan ongoing training program. It wasa program that would satisfy the skilllevel requirements demanded byaviation's latest generation of equipment. The program was able to meetthe needs of the brigade because: It made a large pool of trainersavailable in one location, thus pro-

CEproduction control personnel receive repaired piece of equipment from armamentsection sergeant. Customers pick up repaired items at this office, Contents ofequipment racks in background are representative of daily output

viding a favorable trainer to traineeratio. It equalized the skill distributiondisparities among the units by eliminating the luck of the draw phenomenon. It provided a greater volumeand spectrum of problems for repairpersonnel to solve, thereby expanding their job knowledge. It provided the unit commanderwith a means to combine militaryoccupational specialty training withSoldier skill training, thus gainingthe net effect of having a totallytrained Soldier. It provided the commanderwith the capability to place maxi-

Figure 4ACE Functions

mum effort, in terms of qualifiedrepair people, on equipment readiness problems in annament, communications and electronics systems andsubsystems.The 6th Cavalry Brigade has dealteffectively with the Army's contemporary problem, that of havingsophisticated and complicatedequipment to maintain while theability to retain or to obtain highlyskilled maintenance personnel hassteadily declined, by developing anintensive maintenance managementand training program. Try playingan ACE, it may be the answer toyour unit's maintenance training andreadiness problems.

Functions/MOS ACE SOON Troop RemarksGround C E 31V All Org. OS Mainte- E7 (31V) C E Coordi-nance nator only

Avionics AVIM/AVUM ACE to provide 2 teamsdaily to35K AII35K less 1 per line SOON maint; 1 two-man

troop team to the 4/9; 1 three-man team to 7/17Armament All for 4/9 4/9 none68J AVIM for 7/17 7/17 Maint Trng

AUGUST 1980

Operator Crew Maintenance

Limited AVUMLine troop 1 35K

4/9 none7/17 AVUM

.A1I31V's OPCON toC/34 SPT, up to a totalof 10 'Newly assignedpersonnel OPCONfor 90 daysWill be n ED status.35K 's OPCON toC/34 on 90-day rotation basis ED statusHH T's receive allsupport from C/34

.35K's in line troopswill rotate every 90days for training68J from 4/9OPCON to C/34Newly assigned68J . Sharp 68MOPCON SO/ED toC/34 for 90 days,trng'-'4/9 TMOE XFR'Oto C/347/17 work load C/34

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PEARL SPersonal Equipment Rescue/ Survival Lowdown

yo u have a question about personal equipment or rescue/ survival gear write PEARL.D R COM. TTN: DR CPO A LSE 4300 Goodfe llow Blvd . St. Louis M O 631 20

A First For Army ALSECongratulations to Staff Sergeant (SSGj EdwardW. Bruck of the 478th Transportation Company, Ft.Benning, GA. SSG Bruck was the first Army enlistedman to graduate from the Naval Air Technical TrainingCenter, Lakehurst (NATTCL) , NJ Aircrew SurvivalEquipmentman (PR) School in its 54-year history. Heinitially became interested in attending the Navy schoolwhen, while acting in his capacity as unit aviation lifesupport equipment (ALSE) NCO, he discovered thatno one in the company knew much about ALSE. Notonly was SSG Bruck the first Army enlisted man tograduate from the Navy A School, but he also wasgraduated third in his class. (Since SSG Bruck'sgraduation from the NATTCL several other Armypersonnel have successfully completed the course.Our congratulations go out to them also, but SSGBruck was a first for Army ALSE.)Summa Cum Laude

Formeritorious achievement . . . while assigned tothe United States AfI)1Y, Europe, Aviation Safety andStandardization Board. Warrant Officer Klindt distinguished himself during the development of the AviationLife Support Equipment Technical Course. As a coauthor of the program, he developed a comprehensivecourse of instruction on the acquisition, care andmaintenance of this equipment. Through his efforts,14 three-day courses taught throughout the commandproduced 185 qualified technicians, with a projectedfirst year savings of $1.3 million through prs:>per careand repair. Chief Warrant Officer Klindt's outstanding achievement reflects great credit upon him andthe United States Army.This was the narrative for the Army CommendationMedal, as presented to CW3 David Klindt, U.S. ArmySafety and Standardization Board, United States Army,Europe (USAREUR). We add our praise for a jobwell done.It's n The FieldWell, we finally have it The long awaited TrainingCircular (TC) 1-62, Aviation Life Support Equipment(ALSE), has been distributed. This TC will serve toaid the commander in establishing aviation life supportsystem training requirements that will inform the air-16

crews of the availability and proper use of ALSE. Italso establishes g ~ i e l i n e s to aid the aviation lifesupport specialist in maintaining and inspecting ALSE.TC 1-62 isn't perfect but it's better than anythingwe've had before, so use it to your best advantage.New Inspection Interval II '

Last month we told you that the inspection intervalfor all survival vests had been changed to 30 days. Atthe time that was true. Now, however, the interval hasbeen changed again, this time to 120 days. Point ofcontact on this matter is Mr. D. B. Hopkins, U.S.Army Troop Support and Aviation Materiel ReadinessCommand (TSARCOM), AUTOVON 693-3715.MeltdownWe have received several phone calls recentlypertaining to the candle, illuminating, national stocknumber (NSN) 6260-00-840-5578, found in the survivalkit, cold climate (both RSSK and soft pack). I t seemsthat when exposed to high enough heat these candlestend to melt in spite of their supposed high meltingpoint. Now this is not to be totally unexpected (afterall, wax does melt when heated) , but it can createquite a mess in your kit when it does happen, not tomention the inconvenience of having to replace thecandles. The accepted solution is to wrap the candlesindividually in a 12 by 12 inch sheet of aluminum foil,removing the paper wrapping that comes with them.This will not keep them from melting, but it will keepthe candles from fusing and possibly keep the rest ofyour kit from becoming contaminated. Of course, ifat all possible, avoid exposing your survival kits toextreme heat; and whenever they are not in use, theyshould be stored in a cool, dry place.More Butane Lighter WoesQuality Deficiency Reports (QDRs) recently receivedfrom the field indicate that a potential hazard mayexist with the new type butane lighter fire starter,NSN 9920-00-999-6753, a component of the SRU-21/Psurvival vest. The new type lighter can be identifiedby the screw-on cap and waterproofing O-ring.According to one QDR, during the first scheduledquarterly inspection after issue, the cap from a lighterblew off in the inspector's hand when he unscrewedit. This was due to gas escaping from the needle valve



19/52

and subsequently accumulating under the cap andbuilding up pressure. Upon further inspection it wasfound that metal turnings from the original machiningof the needle valve had worked their way under theflat spring retainer of the valve and would not allow itAUGUST 1980

to seat completely even though the valve controlknob had been turned completely clockwise and thevalve appeared closed. This same deficiency was foundon nine out of nine lighters inspected. A subsequentQ R reported 35 or 36 lighters inspected to have

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21/52

COBRWE PONS

REP IRPublic Affairs OfficeFort Eustis, VA

HE AH-1 COBRA helicoptercosts 2112 million. A test setor the armament system on the50,000. At tha t priceot many can be used for trainingin fire control repair.But the Army has a solution. With

per unit itas developed a course that usesducational computers simulating

both the aircraft and the test set torain students. Besides that, studentmistakes don't hurt the computer;but mistakes on a test set can causeostly damage to either the test set,he helicopter or both, accordingo SFC Charles R. Clagett.

The senior instructor from theAircraft Armament Division, Department of Allied Trades, Ft. Eustis,A said, The cost of repairing

ne of the computer panels is minimal to the cost of repairing anaircraft; and the computers rarelybreak down, either.Students learn systems operationsand troubleshooting on all modelsof the Cobra gunship. They usetraining panels and video screensthat are linked to the computer togive them a variety of maintenanceproblems that must be found andfixed.

There are five different panelsused with the computer. Each paneldeals with a different part of themaintenance on the weapons systemof the Cobra. With the help of thecomputer the student learns howto use a test set to check the weaponAUGUST 1980

30,000 educational computerturret, helmet sight su bsystem, guided missile and antitank missilelauncher system, and mechanicaland electrical troubleshooting.

The panel has knobs and dialsand lights on it similar to a real testset that actually checks the weaponssystem on the gunship. Plus, it hasschematic drawings to show studentswhich system they are working on.Typically, students learning howto test a certain part of the armamentsystem on the Cobra first select aproblem out of their training manual.Following procedures, they thenwork the test set on the panel. Avideo screen to the side of thetraining panel informs the studentswhat is taking place during eachstep of the troubleshooting procedure. I f the students make a mistake,the computer also tells them on thevideo screen what they did wrong.After students learn so much theyare tested on their new knowledge,either through a written examinationor through a practical exercise wherethey actually get to check the armament system on a real helicopterwith a real test set.

We teach basics and give thestudent a working knowledge of howto test and repair the armamentsystems on the Cobra. The field

teaches the needed expertise, SFCClagett explained.The 19-week fire control repaircourse guidelines are in AR 611-

201 and DA Pamphlet 351-4. Twohelicopter missile system repairermilitary occupational specialties, 68Jwhich works with the electricalcomponents and 68M that is concerned with the mechanical andhydraulic functions of the system,are trained in the course. Availableinformation indicates there areopenings in those specialities forapplicants who have an electricalmotor maintenance score of at least100 and do not have a profile ofanything lower than two.

150 , test set

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U S RMY Directorate of Evaluation Standardization

RfPORT TO T f f UVI TION

ST ND RDIZ TION

DE S welcomes your inquiries and requests to focus attention onan area of malor importance Write to us at: Commander. USArmy Aviation Center ATTN. ATZQ ES. Ft Rucker. AL 36362 ;or call us at A UTO VON 558 3504 or commercial 205 255 3504After duty hours call Fort Rucker Hot Line. A UTOVON 558 6487or commerCial 205 255 6487 and leave a message

IS ITSTANDARDIZA TIONOR IS IT

TECHNIQUE?N ARMY AVIATION it is generally consideredthat siandardization is the established order ofperforming certain steps, and technique is the manner

of performing each of these steps. Standardizationmay be dictated, but technique always will be theultimate display of individual knowledge and skill.Standardization can be taught, but technique mustundergo personal development. Technique is theindividual aviator's personal manner of complementingstandardization.

The Aircrew Training Manual (ATM), TC 1-145,which will be published in final form later this yeardelineates a standardized takeoff as follows:T KEOFFComplete the b e f o r ~ t k e o f f checks. Align aircraftwith runway heading. Complete lineup check.Smoothly apply takeoff power. Takeoff power mustbe applied prior to releasing brakes to obtain thenormal takeoff distance given in the performance

20

section of the operator's manual. During takeoff,ensure that aircraft and engine limitations are notexceeded. Monitor engine instruments to ascertainthat the engine instruments are showing the properRPM [revolutions per minute] and manifold/torqueindications. Maintain directional control withnosewheel steering and rudder so that the predetermined track is between main gear. Maintain wingslevel with ailerons. Rotate at recommended rotationspeed (Vr in order to establish a pitch attitude t4atwill allow lift-off at recommended lift-off speed(Vlof). When flight is assured, retract the landinggear (or call for copilot action) and establish theproper initial climb att itude (best rate-of-climb airspeed (Vy)). Retract flaps, if applicable, at bestsingle engine rate-of-climb (Vyse). At single enginemaneuvering altitude (not less than 500 feet AGL[above ground level]), adjust pitch att itude to obtaincruise climb airspeed. As cruise climb airspeed isattained, adjust power to the climb power setting



23/52

Webster defines st nd rdiz tion as: ~ ~ t make, cause or adapt tofit a standard and technique as: ~ ~ t h degree o skill or com-

mand o fundamentals exhibited in any performance

(maximum continuous or as specified in the operator'smanual) and set mixture control, if applicable. Complete after-takeoff check. During crosswind conditions,position the aileron control into the wind at thestart of the takeoff roll as if the airplane were being"slipped into the wind." As the nosewheel comesoff the ground, the rudder is used as necessary toprevent turning (crabbing) into the wind. To preventdamage to the landing gear in the event that theairplane were to settle back onto the runway, theairplane should remain in "slipping" flight untilwell clear of the ground and then allowed to "crab"into the wind to continue a straight flightpath.This is standardization Let's add some technique.First, before takeoff clearance s requested, all thebefore-takeoff checks should be completed, becausewhen the tower gives clearance for takeoff, you arecleared for nd expected to t keoff You are notcleared to taxi into position, hold, set radios and/orperform other time-consuming before-takeoff checks."Cleared for takeoff means that the tower expectsyou to taxi onto the runway, perform lineup check

and initiate your takeoff roll. f you have an extendeddelay on the runway before start ing your takeoff roll,you should request it and receive a clearance for thedelay. In some cases, due to traffic conditions or IFR(instrument flight rules) separation, you may receivea clearance to "taxi into position and hold." In thesecases you will receive another clearance for takeoff,and then you are expected to begin your takeoff rollwithout delay.

When all checks have been completed and theaircraft aligned on the runway; nose wheel down thecenter line; heels on the floor; only the balls of thefeet on the rudder pedals (any pressure on the brakes,however so slight, even to aid in directional control,will delay aircraft acceleration and lengthen the groundroll); and takeoff clearance is received, you are readyto initiate the takeoff. When you place your righthand on the throttles, the heel of the hand at the baseof the thumb naturally rests on the left throttle withthe remaining part of the hand on the right throttle.With the hand in this position, as you advance thethrottles toward the takeoff power position, the leftthrottle advances slightly ahead of the right throttle.This produces a slight amount of assymeterical powerthat counteracts torque (left wing dips) and aids inkeeping the aircraft aligned before sufficient airspeedAUGUST 1980

is developed to allow the control surfaces to becomeeffective. As power is increased, torque and factorforces cause more pressure on the left main gear thanthe right main gear, causing more resistance to therolling moment of the left main gear and less resistanceon the right main gear. All of these forces are presentas the power is advanced -long before enough air isflowing over the controls to keep the wings level andthe nose straight by aileron and rudder control alone.As the takeoff power setting is reached, the throttles(because of the hand palm position) naturally align.For some more technique, if you start the takeoffroll with the control column full forward, the elevatoris full down. This down elevator acts as a flap, causingmore drag, and tends to cause a nose-down attitude asthe airspeed increases, putting more pressure on thenose wheel and causing a negative angle of attack ofthe wing. All of this causes a further lengthening ofthe takeoff roll.As the brakes are released and power advanced,hold the yoke or elevator control in the neutral position.This allows the aircraft to accelerate with the minimumamount of profile drag. As the controls become effectivewith the increase in airspeed, exert a slight amount ofback pressure or up-elevator control to allow thewings to assume a slight positive angle of attack. Thistends to transfer the weight of the aircraft from thelanding gear to the wings of the aircraft. Don't yankthe nose up, but apply a slight smooth increase inelevator pressure so that the airplane will fly off therunway at the precise moment that the airspeed isright for the weight of the aircraft. Lift-off will occurat the predicted speeds on the performance planningcard. Any over-rotation, or too much back pressuretoo early, will create excessive profile drag and delaythe takeoff.As the aircraft smoothly comes off the ground,adjust the pitch attitude for best rate of climb; whensafely airborne, retract the landing gear- flaps up atflap retraction speed, allowing the aircraft to accelerateto the desired climb airspeed. Adjust power and pitchto obtain desired climb airspeed and rate of climb;perform after takeoff check.In the previous discussion, many techniques wereapplied to a standardized takeoff procedure; yet,standardization was not compromised. Technique, tobe effective, always must be applied within the parameters of standardization. dOrr

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heckPlane

NEW AIRPLANE This C-12 gives more range and mobility to the U.S Army AirTraffic Control Activity. Instrumentati on added makes it a modern check plane U.S.Army photos by Ken Pieper)

I intonOffice of the Chief of Public AffairsU.S. Army Communications Command

Fort Huachuca, AZ

T HEY SOUND AS if it's a new toy when they talkabout it. But they are not kids and it is a C-12airplane with full instrumentation for checking Armyairfield navigational aids (NAV AIDs).They are members of the U.S. Army Air TrafficControl (ATC) Activity's evaluation division, headedby Lieutenant Colonel Douglas H Snell.In speaking of the mission of the group, LT Snellsaid, We're probably one of Army Aviation's best

friends. We know the status of every AT facility inthe Army.Their job is to inspect and evaluate Army air trafficcontrol facilities. LTC Snell described their missionas between a general inspection and a commandmaintenance management inspection.Starting this year the crew will climb into that newC-12 and take off on unannounced inspections. Thefacility evaluations begin as soon as they make contactwith the tower. That is the type of inspection performed.It is all-encompassing.The team studies tower operator procedures andlanguage: things like nonstandard directions or

22

responses. They also examine unit training, equipment, maintenance, files and records.The aircraft itself has lost two seats from its originalinternal configuration of 10 and gained 170 pounds ina Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) installationof Army-owned monitoring equipment.The C-12 can fly nonstop almost anywhere in theUnited States and can carry a normal team of sixinspectors. After the team and equipment are trans

ported to the inspection site, the airplane is used forthe actual airborne inspection and testing of the facility'snavagational aids.The FAA removed the airplane's original navigational receivers and replaced them with test equipment.

The incoming radio signals are fed to both the testequipment and the cockpit instruments. The crewhas full capability to test nondirectional beacons (NDB),omniranges (VOR, TVOR), instrument landing systems(lLS) and any other navigational aids the Army uses.Test gear provides four parameters and 18 channelsfor recording besides digital readouts. I t has twochannels for receiving, primarily to be sure one isU.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


25/52

TEST EQUIPMENT This panel of instruments and therecorder next to it s the heart of the test system installedn a new airplane for the U.S. Army Air Traffic Control

Activity. It is used to test navigational aids

available at all times, but the team can record and testtwo omniranges at one time if this is needed. Includedamong the electronics is a spectrum analyzer to checkfor radio frequency interference.

The team, whose members are experts, is composedof a team chief, assistant team chief, flight inspectionpilot, air traffic control specialist and one or sometimestwo maintenance specialists experienced in air trafficcontrol equipment.Although the Army equipment and specialists arecapable of certifying air traffic control and navigationalaid equipment, they do not. Only the FAA does this.The team can close down or restrict any facilitythat fails to meet established standards. This does notmean that the entire airfield would necessarily beclosed down. However, the particular NAV AID thatis determined to be below par would be shutdownand deleted from the descriptions of equipment available to pilots using the facility. The notices to airmen(NOT AM) file would reflect this condition.During flight checks of ground navigational aids,one person on the ground with a theodolite tracks theairplane as it goes through its approach. Telemetryinstruments feed the readings back to the airplanewhere they can be recorded to provide a comparisonbetween the airplane's position according to its instruments and its actual position. The test equipment isaccurate to within one-half degree.

The variety of navigational aids used by the Armyconsists essentially of radio transmitters. They dodifferent things with their signals and the receivers inthe airplanes do different things with what they receivebut, basically, the whole system is radio transmittersand receivers.

The transmitters have to be broadcasting on theright frequencies with the correct amount of power.For a transmitter such as a TVOR (terminal very highfrequency omnirange), broadcasting on radials, theradial fans have to be of the proper size.Almost all of the testing has to be done with the airplane in the air. This means the aviator gets a lot ofwork as does the crew. Since the aircraft flies nonstandard patterns as part of the facility check, controllers issue advisories to other aircraft in the area that afacility evaluation flight is in progress, the aircraft isexecuting nonstandard patterns and aviators shouldexercise extreme caution. The TC activity haspermission to paint the airplane in a nonstandardpattern. It is mostly white with large areas of international orange to make it more visible.

The test crew does not repair facility equipment,LTC Snell said. They do help align and adjust NAV AIDsfound inaccurate, and, to be sure adjustments arecorrect, the airplane's systems are recalibrated every250 flying hours. The two internal systems are alsochecked against each other.

The primary thrust of the test team is in the nitedStates. The team has a portable flight inspectionpackage that is taken overseas to evaluate facilitiesthere.The whole program adds up to an insurance policy,ensuring that the Army has NAV AIDs that can betrusted to work and work right. The pilot whose lifedepends on Army maintained NAV AIDs can trustthem.Army air traffic control is managed by the V SArmy Communications Command through its AirTraffic Control Activity, both headquartered at Ft.Huachuca, AZ. .-= {

INSTRUMENTS- A package of Army instruments installedin the C-12 by the Federal Aviation Administration use thesame radio receivers to provide information to the pilot sinstruments and the navigational aids check package

3


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27/52


28/52

SMALL ARMS ARE effectiveagainst low flying, high speedaircraft and helicopters. In theKorean conflict the U.S. Air Forcelost 544 aircraft to combined smallarms and air defense fire almostfive times as many as were lost inair-to-air combat. In South Vietnam410 fixed wing aircraft and 2,100helicopters were lost. Over NorthVietnam small arms fire contributedto significant losses of U.S. aircraft.During the Mideast War of 1973units on both sides used small armsweapons to drive off, damage ordestroy attacking aircraft. (FM 44-1 U.S. Army Air Defense Employment )

The result of the quantitative andqualitative changes in the designcharacteristics of these Americanhelicopters was that combat operations directed against helicoptershave to be conducted not only byantiaircraft defense troops, but alsoby troops from other armed forcesbranches and services equipped withother kinds of weapons. przeg/adWojsk Ladowych June 78)Both United States and SovietArmies recognize the effectivenessof small arms against armed helicopters. However, the Soviet concept ofair defense is universal. It ranges fromtraining the lowest ranking infantrytroops about the value of theirweapons in an antiaircraft role tothe use of highly sophisticated acquisition and missile systems to6

aptain E Gary ampbellThreat BranchDirectorate of Combat DevelopmentsFort Rucker. L

protect all maneuver elements. Surprisingly, Soviet tactics and organizations are still fashioned from experience gained in World War II especially antiaircraft protection. A hindsight look at Soviet tactical air defense during World War hasdiscovered it to be grossly inadequate in both numbers and thecaliber of weapons.Additionally, the Soviets learnedmany lessons from our experiencein Vietnam. They feel that we reliedtoo heavily on air support as a substitute for infantry combat. Also,

the conflict provided them withsignificant data for determining theoptimum mix of weapons in defenseof various ground targets againstclose air support, including helicopters. Furthermore, it confinnedthe value of rapid firing antiaircraftguns and reinforced the importanceof small arms, antitank weaponsand vehicle-mounted main guns inproviding a complete air defenseumbrella The Soviets feel they musthave overlapping air defense coverage with redundant weapon systemsto the point where in the event of



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war, a maneuver enemy could notcount on tactical air support.Therefore, it is imperative thatArmy aviators know the concept ofSoviet antiaircraft employment.Granted, a lot has been written aboutthe threat from the extensive andsophisticated surface-ta-air missilesystems and antiaircraft artillery inthe Soviet inventory. But, becauseof present employment techniquesof our scout and attack helicopters,we cannot afford to overlook thedensity, lethality and range of motorized rifle unit's small arms weapons.

The Soviets define small armsweapons as armament carried bythe infantry troops in the motorizedrifle, tank and airborne units, whereas mounted weapons are those gunsinstalled on combat vehicles suchas BMPs, BTRs, BRDMs and tanks.

The standard rifle in Soviet unitsis the 7.62 mm AKM, which is capable of both semiautomatic and fullyautomatic fire. The AKM has arelatively short sight length withopen sights and a semiautomaticrange of 300 meters and an automaticrange of 200 meters. There are about10,000 AKMs found in a motorizedrifle division. Also, there is a semiautomatic 7.62 mm sniper's rifle(SVD) with an effective range of800 meters that uses a 10-roundmagazine. Each motorized rifleplatoon has one SVD. The sniper'srifle range can be extended to 1,300meters by using an infrared-sensitivetelescope. The rr.agazine-fed 7.62mm RPK light mal 'inegun is anAKM with a longer, heavier barrel.It has two magazines a 7S-rounddrum and a 4O-round curved box.Its maximum range is 2,500 meters,and the effective range is 800 meters.There are almost 200 RPKs in themotorized rifle division, with mostbeing found in the BTR-equippedunits.A heavier and longer range machinegun is the 7.62 mm general purposePK. It has an effective range of 1,CXXmeters with a maximum range reaching 3,800 meters. The GPPK uses 25-round sections of nondisintegrating

AUGUST 1980

metallic feed belts. The majority ofthe approximately 200 PK machineguns are issued to the BMP units ofthe motorized rifle division.The armored personnel carriers(APC) and infantry fighting vehicles

(IFV) have a variety of weapons foruse against armed helicopters. Thebasic IFV, the BMP, is armed witha 73 mm smooth bore, short recoilgun that can fire a rocket assistedHEAT projectile out to a maximumrange of 1,300 meters, with aneffective range of 800 meters. Additionally, it has a 7.62 coaxialmachinegun with a 2, XX)-round basicload and four AT-3 SAGGER antitank guided missiles (ATGMs). TheBTR-60 APC has a 14.5 mm heavymachinegun capable of firing HEJAPand API rounds, as does the BRDM-2 scout vehicle. The BRDM canmount three different models ofATGM, including the AT-S. The14.5 mm heavy machinegun has abasic load of 500 rounds with amaximum effective range of 2,000meters.

When considering the threat toarmed helicopters, the use of handheld antitank grenade launchers andrecoilless guns in the antiaircraftrole must not be overlooked. Allmotorized rifle units down to squadlevel are equipped with the RPG-7AT grenade launcher. The RPG-7is a 40 mm rocket-assisted, reloadable grenade launcher which isshoulder-fired. Additionally, thelauncher can fire an 85 mm HEATround. This type of weapon wasused most effectively against lowflying aircraft in Southeast Asia.The HEAT round of the RPG-7will penetrate 13 inches of armor atzero degrees obliquity, can engagetargets up to 500 meters and has aself-destruct range of 900 meters.Testing of the HEAT round firedat a 4S-degree elevation resulted inan airburst at an altitude of about701 meters (2,300 feet) at a slantrange of about 920 meters. Althoughthe RPG is an inexpensive and

Combined rms ssault

effective weapon it is expected tobe replaced by an improved grenadelauncher, the RPG-16.The current recoilless gun in themotorized rifle division is the 73mm SPG-9 served by a four-man

crew, with two weapons per motorized rifle battalion. The munitionsfor the SPG-9 are similar to theRPG-7 and can penetrate about 350mm of armor at an effective rangeof 1,000 meters. The maximumrange is 1,960 meters.

The Soviets believe that duringthe performance of their combatmissions, units will be operatingunder conditions marked by a threatof air attacks. Their mounted weapons and small arms will be the onlyweapons they can use to provide aneffective focal defense against attackhelicopters. This situation will occurmost often when our helicoptersare launching attacks from altitudesof less than 50 meters and fromhiding places provided by terrainfeatures. The Soviets also feel that


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this reduces to a few seconds theamount of time that will be available to a unit to prepare to openfire.Consequently, time is the mostimportant factor when determiningwhether or not both small arms andmounted weapons can be usedagainst this type of target. In thisregard the Soviets estimate that itwill be necessary to modify thecurrent communications chain,methods of fire direction, firingtechniques, and also to introducenew, more functional methods whichguarantee efficient and prompt

mission performance. Even the mostwell-organized fire direction and theselection of the most accurate firingmethods will not produce any usefulresults if troops move too slowly inengaging aircraft.The Soviets insist that only thoseunits and weapons which are constantly ready to immediately openfire and which are backed up by awell-organized reconnaissance andalert notification system will be ableto mount an effective defense againstarmed helicopters. For this reason,an infantry company should alwayshave at least oneplatoon serving sa watch subunit which is ready toopen fire on air targets with small

arms and with all of the heavymachineguns at the company s dis-posal. These rules do not apply tooffensive and defensive actions inwhich a company is in direct contactwith enemy forces (i.e., when it isoperating as a battalion's forwardechelon). In this case an infantrycompany will not detail a unit to beon alert for engaging aircraft witheither small arms or mountedweapons.

When the air attack alarm signalis given, attacking helicopters willbe engaged only by those squadsand gunners operating mountedweapons who at that given momentare not directly involved in fightingenemy ground forces. The Sovietsperceive that the readiness of awatch subunit is based on the factthat in addition to having a wellorganized circumambient airspotting and alert system, its Soldiers

Organization of Troop ir Defense Training Areas

must have weapons that are loadedwith a ratio of three to four armorpiercing incendiary shells and onetracer shell and are ready for action.The weapons are required to havelocked safety catches and presetsights. The Soldiers who are engagedin the performance of observationduties are required to continuouslyscan their assigned sector.

The Soviet gunners manningmounted weapons, as in the case ofthe BTR, go to their battle stations,put on their communications headgear, switch on the electrofiringlocks, load the 14.5 mm heavymachineguns, release the bolts onthe weapon and turret-aimingmechanisms, and set gunsights fortargets moving at speeds of 285knots. The Soviets instruct, for safetyreasons, that the small arms andthe mounted heavy machinegunswill not be fired simultaneously fromthe combat vehicles.In combat situations units arerequired to organize circumambientair surveillance systems. Observers wearing headphones scan theirassigned sectors with the naked eyefrom the open compartment slotsof the APC or IFV. I f units are operating in a fast-march configuration,air-spotting duties are performed byseveral units. Observers sound thealarm only for those aircraft whichare recognized s targets and whoseheading or combat actions pose adirect threat to their unit.

Observers performing lookoutduties from combat vehicles designate targets by means of an intercom1 and : Training in conducting fire against air targets of various methodsin dismounted formation. 3. Training in conducting fire against air targetswhile mounted in a vehic le; a) Firing from the side ; b) Firing from the

front; c) Firing from the rear

3

c


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system, while observers performingduties from outside the vehicle (indismounted formations) sound thealarms vocally or by means of predetermined signals. Also, signal lightsof a predetermined color are usedas an additional means of soundingthe alarm from APes. The Soldierdetailed to perform this duty turnson the signal light as soon as theobserver sounds the alarm over theintercom system.Observers mark the location ofair targets in relation to the directionof the march route, attack or defense (on the march, attack and defensive actions) or in relation tocompass points (in staging or troopassembly areas). After having marked the location of an air target andduring the time a unit is gettingready to open fire, the observer orcommander continues to follow thetarget's movements and identifiesit making sure that the decision toopen fire is correct. f during thisinterval it turns out that the detectedobject is not a target, the observerwill revoke his decision at once byissuing the command: "Stand fastOurs ," thereby halting the firingsequence. The same procedures arefollowed by gunners operatingmounted weapons. After markingthe location of a target, observershelp mounted-weapon gunners toget a fix on the target by transmittingappropriate commands over theintercom system; e.g., "higher ,lower to the right , to the left "A combat vehicle's commander ,to whom the target has been pointedout, will immediately pass on information concerning the target inunaltered form through the company's communications network.This information will be picked upby those unit commanders andequipment operators who are wearing headphones (i.e., vehicle commanders, drivers, mounted-weapongunners and observers).

The Soviets conducted a graphictime frame analysis of the functionsperformed by observers, commanders and riflemen when firing smallAUGUST 1980

Rif l m n Engaging eria l Targets

arms at helicopters from an APe.The calculations showed that a unitdoes not have much time to getready to fire on slow-flying air targetswith their organic infantry weapons.The calculations were based on ahelicopter at about 2,000 meters, atan altitude of 50 meters and a flightspeed of 95 knots.

Therefore, the Soviets alteredtheir firing procedures so that afterthe air raid alarm signal is given,each Soldier of the watch subunitindependently takes up his assignedfiring station, releases the safetycatch, chambers a round and takesaim. At the same time the commander locates the target, makessure that it is an enemy aircraft,and determines the firing techniqueand the exact time to commencefiring. He then designates a firingtechnique and issues the order tofire. The firing technique dependson the range, about 2,000 metersmaximum, at which the target wasdetected (identified) and the target'sheading and flight speed. The orderto commence firing depends on therange of the weapons to be used.Therefore, the commanding officershould give the order "Fire " as soonas the Soldiers have finished aimingtheir weapons, and as soon as thetarget has moved in close enoughso the first burst of fire will hit it ata range that corresponds to themaximum range of their weapons.

The commander can only issuefiring orders to mounted-weapongunners from the APC's commandcompartment. The periscope located in this compartment limits hisforward field of view to 7.5 degrees.On the right and left sides of the vehiclethe field of view is limited and thereis no way to make observations fromthe rear section of the BTR. Underthese conditions the commander isunable to locate the airborne targetidentified by an observer. Even ifunder favorable conditions, the commander (squad leader, deputy platoon

leader, platoon leader and companycommander) were able to spot anaircraft and issue firing ordel1\ it wouldtake too long to do so, and in themeantime the helicopter could fireand take evasive maneuvers.The Soviets conducted anothersimilar time frame analysis of thefunction performed by the crewusing the vehicle-mounted weapons.

The procedural time of the mountedweapon, when the gunner was al-lowed to fire at his discretion, was22 seconds. In contrast, the procedural time to engage a helicopterwith infantry small arms was 146seconds.The Soviets arrived at the following conclusions on the basis of thisfire control analysis: Firing techniques should bedecentralized, allowing squad leaders to decide when to open fire onaircraft with small arms in all combat

situations, whereas platoon leaders(or company commanders) shouldbe entitled to do so only when certaincondit ions exist. The decision to open fire onhelicopters with mounted weaponsis to be made by the gunners themselves (in response to an air attacksignal received over the intercomsystem or via company commandcommunications networks), whiletaking into account the generalinstructions issued by commanders

9


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Soviet View of a Helicopter s Vulnerable Points (with best ammunition to use). 1 Mainrotor-general purpose (GP), and armor piercing incendiary (AP/I). 2. Turboshaft engines(AP/I). 3 Tail rotor(GP, AP/I) . 4 Antitank guided missile launcher(GP, AP/I) .5 Cannon onring mount (AP/I from heavy caliber machineguns). 6 . Crew armored areas (AP/I fromheavy caliber machineguns). 7. Controls (GP, AP/I). 8 Cabin (GP)

per combat mission orders. Only inspecial s ituations will commandingofficers be able to direct the mounted weapon gunners' fire. In order to reduce the amountof time it takes for a unit to getready to open fire on air targets,the message formats used y observers and by commanders in is-suing orders during the firing ofsmall arms should be modified andabbreviated. Steps should be taken to essentially eliminate the company commander's (or platoon leader's) centralized fire direction of a unit'smounted-weapon gunners during thecourse of repulsing air attacks withrespect to the distribution, concentration, redirection or correctionof fire. Nevertheless, the Sovietsstress that every commander shouldstill strive for a centralization offire direction, especially when itcomes to the distribution or concentration of fire.In 1967 the Soviet-backed Arabcountries failed to adequately protect themselves against Israeli airforces. This brought about an ex-tensive effort to improve the Sovietand Arab air defense protection.Therefore they developed new30

systems, refined their antiaircrafttechnology and improved training.Included in improving training, theSoviets instituted an elaborate program to teach the maneuver unitsto protect themselves without thebroad antiaircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile assets. In 1973the Israelis' air power was erodedby the improvements the Soviets

had incorporated in their antiaircraft protection for ground forces.Admittedly, small arms and mountedweapons did not do the most damage- but, they did reinforce the Sovietbelief that the maneuver units canprovide a highly lethal and extensiveair defense coverage that is capableof acquiring and destroying attackhelicopter teams. p .

Tank Mounted Antiaircraft Machinegun


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Officer Pet onnel manasemenlSy tem opmSDAVIATION

PERSONNELUPDATE

New Branch Chief. LTC Joe DDave Carothers reported inJune as Chief, Aviation Plans/ Pro-grams Branch. A Senior Army Avia-tor, he most recently served in theOffice of the Deputy Chief of Stafffor Personnel at the Pentagon, wherehe represented that office on thestudy group and task force develop-ing the revised commissioned aviatorcareer pattern announced by theChief of Staff of the Army.

rmy Officer Named As Astro- naut Candidate. Major Sher-wood C Spring has been named asthe second Army officer selectedas an astronaut candidate (see Feb-ruary 1980 Aviation Digest . On 24May 1980 the National Aeronauticsand Space Adminsitration (NASA)announced selection of 13 militaryand six civilian astronaut candidatesfrom among 3,200 applicants, whichincluded 143 male and female active,reserve and National Guard Soldiers,warrant and commissioned officers.A Department of the Army selectionboard nominated 20 officers toNASA, who in turn invited nineAUGUST 1980

Major Jeremiah O FihellyAviation Plans/Programs

Officer Personnel Management DirectorateU S Army Military Personnel Center

nominees to the Johnson SpaceCenter near Houston for extensiveevaluation and personal interviews.

Major Spring, a 1967 graduate ofthe United States Military Academy,is a dual rated combat experiencedaviator with more than 2,300 hours;he was graduated from the NavalTest Pilot School in 1975, holds aMaster's Degree in AeronauticalEngineering from the University ofArizona, and has extensive exper-ience as an experimental test pilot.Major Spring will report for trainingat the Johnson Space Center, wherehe will join the Army's first astro-naut, LTC Robert Stewart, in theSpace Shuttle Program (see August979 Aviation Digest .

New Army Experimental TestPilots. On 13 June 1980 fourArmy aviators successfully complet-ed the rigorous II month Naval TestPilot School at Patuxent River NavalAir Station, MD. LTC Robert NWard, CW3 Leslie E Scott, CW3James L Webre and CW3 Loran AHaworth will be assigned to the U.S.Army Aviation Engineering Flight

Activity, Eduwards AFB, CA andt