Photo By Joshua Shinn | 221020-A-JT832-0036 CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. Members from the Tactical Aviation and Ground...... read more read more
Col. Ricky L. Allbritton, commander, Letterkenny Army Depot, and the Directorate of Missile and Aerospace Readiness hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the transfer of the Heliborne Laser Fire and Forget, also known as Hellfire, missile and Joint Air to Ground Missile, JAGM, program to Letterkenny Army Depot Oct. 20.
Members from the Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions Program Office, TAGM, joined Letterkenny employees to mark the Hellfire/JAGM mission transition from a contractor-operated facility to Letterkenny Army Depot.
Letterkenny was designated the Center for Technical Excellence for the Hellfire/JAGM missile workload program June 10, 2021, and later designated as the Depot Source of Repair for the program. The transition began Aug. 25 and expands the capabilities within the Organic Industrial Base.
Director of the Directorate of Missile and Aerospace Readiness, David Pine, provided the opening remarks for the ceremony, highlighting the impact collaboration and proper planning had on the initiative.
“The partnership between Letterkenny and TAGM will not only benefit the U.S. Army, but the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and our Foreign Military Sales allies as well,” Pine said. “This effort did not happen overnight and has been the result of many individuals and organizations working together with persistence and patience. I want to express my appreciation to the TAGM team for advocating for the depot and seeing the value in the Organic Industrial Base.”
Pine explained the process that led to Letterkenny’s acquisition of the Hellfire/JAGM program, stating that in 2017, the Directorate of Missile Readiness made an inquiry to be included for consideration for the workload. In 2019, it was requested that Letterkenny submit a business case analysis. After Letterkenny was cited as the awardee resulting from the analysis, the program was officially turned over to the depot Sept. 1, 2022. The procurement of the Hellfire/JAGM program aligns with the depot’s strategic modernization plan.
“Today is a result of wise leadership that had the vision to look beyond the present to not only see Letterkenny designated Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for this mission but as the air and missile defense and long-range precision fires depot,” Pine stated. “Because of the strategic vision Letterkenny Army Depot leadership has for the future, we, as a team, will remain focused, productive and proficient in our capabilities.”
Col. Ricky L. Allbritton further expounded on the program’s impact on Letterkenny’s competencies and support to the Army’s Organic Industrial Base.
“From the quality of the products we produce to the breadth of program capabilities to our diverse and skilled workforce, Letterkenny Army Depot is uniquely positioned to equip our Soldiers with the greatest air and missile defense and long-range precision fires systems,” Allbritton remarked. “The addition of the Hellfire missile and JAGM weapon system to the depot’s portfolio further expands this capability and solidifies our relevance in the Army’s Organic Industrial Base.”
Since assuming command July 2021, Allbritton has championed the depot’s modernization plan, which focuses on multiple lines of effort working in unison to allow the depot to sustain Army readiness, meet current Army demands and posture the depot to maintain future requirements.
“A key component of vision achievement is a well-researched, implementable plan. Thanks to some of our talented leaders, Letterkenny has a plan such as this,” Allbritton said. “Plans are necessary because they outline the roadmap of what’s needed to attain the desired end-state or vision. However, those plans are worthless if they don’t include a dedicated group of talented individuals to carry them out.”
Seth Cole, director of TAGM Sustainment, also provided remarks that reinforced the benefit of the program transferring from a contractor-operated facility to LEAD.
“This is a strategic and common-sense move,” Cole commented. “This is a great opportunity for Letterkenny Army Depot to showcase quality, accuracy and schedule.”
Cole also went on to express the importance of the Organic Industrial Base in Army modernization.
“We are going to need this industrial base for the future,” Cole said. “You can’t have readiness without Letterkenny.”
Teams from LEAD’s Directorate of Missile and Aerospace Readiness and Directorate of Supply and Transportation began packing and shipping the Hellfire/JAGM equipment, with the first shipment arriving at the depot in early September. Equipment specialists and electronic technicians within the Directorate of Missile and Aerospace Readiness also began training on the new systems around the same time.
The equipment shipments will continue through February 2023, and support will be provided by the Redstone Test Center and other stakeholders. LEAD’s production will begin in mid-2023.
Letterkenny Army Depot is the Army’s premier professional organic maintenance facility that provides overhaul, repair and modifications for tactical missile air defense and space systems, electric power generation equipment and various military vehicles, support systems and protection programs. LEAD is a subordinate of U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, and is the Air and Missile Defense and Long Range Precision Fires depot, supporting systems for the Department of Defense, foreign partners and industry. Letterkenny Army Depot was established in 1942 and is a government-owned and -operated industrial installation located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
For more information about LEAD, visit https://www.letterkenny.army.mil/
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| Date Taken: | 11.04.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 11.04.2022 09:56 |
| Story ID: | 432648 |
| Location: | CHAMBERSBURG, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 245 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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