Photo By Pfc. Reba James | Sgt. Robert Wills, a crew chief for Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron-22...... read more read more
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YUMA, Ariz. - “Mihi Cura Futuri - Mine is the care of the future” - VMX-22 motto.
A detachment of Marines from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX-22) flew out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., to support the implementation and evaluation of the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS), Thursday and Friday, at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.
VMX-22, based out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., used the CH-53E Super Stallion to test the JPADS at YPG using a series of palletized loads that were attached to parachutes with a GPS integrated system.
“The JPADS testing involved a series of loads with parachutes on them that are guided via GPS inputs to very precise locations on the ground,” said Capt. Joseph Montagna, a CH-53E pilot with VMX-22 and a native of Manassas, Va. “The development of the JPADS is going to be a huge boost to the Marine Corps ability to provide assault support to the ground combat element forward deployed.”
The squadron, known as the Argonauts, verifies and validates products operationally before they are issued to the operating forces. They also develop tactics, techniques and procedures to best utilize new innovations.
“Using the JPADS system and testing it through VMX-22 allows us to test it now, and we get to verify the results. That way, when it hits the fleet, it prevents them from having to do further testing, and allows [them] to focus on their task at hand and continue with their mission,” said Capt. Stephen Bickham, a CH-53E pilot with VMX-22 who hails from Baton Rouge, La.
Based on the evaluation and testing results of the JPADS system, according to Montagna, this new technology is expected to give Marines the capability of flying outside of the weapons engagement zone of many common threats while maintaining the ability to provide assault support to the ground combat element.
However, the squadron does not only test and validate up and coming technology for the Marine Corps. They also work in conjunction with MCAS Yuma-based Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1) to establish innovations for Marine aviators.
“MAWTS-1 allows us to streamline the process of getting new products out, because everything we test, they’ll find a way to incorporate that into techniques, tactics and procedures and disseminate that to the fleet,” said Bickham.
VMX-22 is scheduled to relocate to MCAS Yuma by the summer of 2015. The squadron will then become a composite operational test and evaluation squadron that will be comprised of every aviation asset the Marine Corps flies as well as certain command and control systems.
“All type model series will be under one roof and gives us the opportunity to test individual aircraft and systems as well as testing in tangent with other aircraft,” said Staff Sgt. Richard Ide, a CH-53E crew chief with VMX-22 and a native of Pelzer, S.C. “We can paint any scenario using aircraft, such as Hueys and Cobras providing support for a CH-53 for an insert and having a V-22 overhead.”
The move to MCAS Yuma will help streamline the acquisition and test and evaluation process for new systems as they are produced, developed and introduced into the Marine Corps, said Montagna.
All in all, the Argonauts completed their unique aerial delivery mission to test the JPADS system without any drawbacks.
“The biggest challenge with the JPADS is that it’s not something I have seen anywhere else in the fleet, especially on a helicopter,” stated Ide. “I did many tactical resupplies while we were in Afghanistan and … being able to drop it from 10,000 feet from the safety outside of the threat range is pretty impressive.”
As VMX-22 wraps-up their mission at MCAS Yuma, they look to the future here and what possibilities it may hold.
“Aside from it being hot as the surface of the sun out here, the weather is much more consistent in Yuma as opposed to the East Coast, more stable and provides more calendar days for evaluation and testing,” added Ide.
“I would like to thank Marine Corps Air Station Yuma for their hospitality over the last week. We’ve been given some exceptional support while we were here that allowed us to focus on our mission of deploying the JPADS system,” said Montagna.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2014 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 138587 |
| Location: | YUMA, AZ, US |
| Hometown: | BATON ROUGE, LA, US |
| Hometown: | MANASSAS, VA, US |
| Hometown: | PELZER, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 225 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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