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ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – The tremendous hard work and coordination between several units across Robins Air Force Base to establish a building-based Launch and Recovery Element has empowered the base to support an already existing agreement with Northrop Grumman Corporation to perform organic depot maintenance on a total of 35 Air Force Global Hawks.
“The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex’s eagerness and can-do attitude have opened the door for additional workload associated with an extensive modification to the Block 30 configuration of the aircraft,” James Strickland, RQ-4 Sustainment Branch chief, said.
The plan is for Team Robins to service six aircraft per year. Aspects of the organic depot maintenance have been executed as the base has already completed maintenance on two aircraft in fiscal 2017.
The Designated Source of Repair is specifically for the Unmanned Air Vehicle to include the wing, nacelle, fuselage, and V-tail assemblies. Specific work details are still being identified, but would include typical inspection and repair of structural sub-assemblies – inspection, test and repair of wiring harness; and corrosion control measures to include depaint/paint.
The scope and magnitude of the potential workload is undefined at this moment, as Northrop actively works with the ALC to obtain a proposal.
Establishing a land-based LRE; how did we get here?
Robins has been the designated source of repair for Air Force Global Hawk since May, 2014, but in the past that work had been outsourced. A building-based LRE was desired at Robins in order to establish depot support capability at the complex.
The installation of the pilot operated station which essentially serves as a cockpit for the launch and recovery of Global Hawk aircraft was coordinated by a 40-plus member multi-functional team of professionals from across the base.
The 78th Air Base Wing Plans and Programs Office led the team as they diligently worked together over a span of 18 months in support of the effort.
“There were so many moving parts to make it all come together,” said Lori Freeman, 78th Air Base Wing Plans and Programs LRE team lead.
The team consisted of members from the 78th Operations Support and Security Forces squadrons, 78th Civil Engineering Group and 78th Communications Directorate as well as the RQ-4 Sustainment Branch engineers.
Once a suitable facility with sufficient line-of-site view to the runway was identified and approved, CE began conducting building modifications to ensure adherence to facility requirements. Security Forces established physical security appropriate for the protection level of the asset.
Mapping it out
The 78th OSS assisted in a study conducted to identify the best locations to install antennas on the airfield that provide direct line-of-sight communication between the aircraft and the LRE.
The unit also mapped more than 100 precise GPS coordinates for every spot on the airfield that the aircraft might potentially use while moving on the ground. Those markings were loaded into LRE computers and allow for correctional navigation by the pilot during operation.
“There were many challenges associated with establishing restricted airspace for a high altitude UAV through some of the busiest airspace in the United States,” said Lt. Col Jonathan Townsend, 78th OSS commander.
Through a series of group meetings with the Federal Aviation Association, they successfully established procedures for the aircraft’s arrival and departure.
Coming in for a landing
Since the newly installed LRE had not yet been verified, the first Global Hawk to touchdown at the base would have to be remotely landed via a Mission Control Element, or MCE, operated out of Beale Air Force Base, California.
Challenges related to accomplishing a landing with a geographically separated unit would only have to be hurdled for the very first Global Hawk to land at the base. Having a functional building-based LRE at Robins eliminates the need for MCE landings at the base in the future.
Upon installation, acceptance test procedures needed to be conducted in order to verify proper functioning of the LRE before it could be utilized on an actual mission. Conducting the tests required the presence of a Global Hawk at the location.
During planning for getting a Global Hawk to the complex, the program office at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, decided they would send an RQ-4 that would be in need of painting so that the ALC could conduct that work while the aircraft was present for the acceptance test.
Successful test results paved the way for Robins to prove that once again, Success Here equals Success There! Global Hawks can now be launched and recovered from the sole Air Force air logistics complex with a building-based LRE.
| Date Taken: | 10.19.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.19.2017 17:43 |
| Story ID: | 252364 |
| Location: | WARNER ROBINS, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 188 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, LRE advances complex capabilities, by Tommie Horton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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