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Show Page June SO. HILL TOP TIMES 8 1978 5 By PTtif v Hatch The war in Southeast Asia brought to light a need for a specially equipguns ped, fast flying aircraft to defeat enemy radar controlled Missile (SAM) sites. and Surface-to-A-ir anti-aircra- ft Such an strike force, carrying Electronic Counter Measure (ECM) equipment. Its mission would be to detect, identify, locate and suppress or destroy the enemies electromagnetic emitters (SAM site). This action would then help clear the way for the bomb laden aircraft in the main strike force. to a radar homing missile to identify the SAM site selected or used to reconstruct the mission for "intelligence" information. The APR-3- system requires the addition of approximately 27 new black (electronic) boxes and 52 new antennas on the Wild Weasel 8 aircraft. aircraft to accomplish this job was the F105G Wild Weasel, followed by the F4C. These Wild Weasel aircraft were modified to carry countermeasure receivers, direction finders, Radio Frequency (RF) jammers and radar homing missiles. After the SAM site was identified, a radar homing missile was released. The missile would lock on the ground station's radar and guide itself to a low altitude over the site, then explode, covering the station with shrapnel. Since the end of the war in Southeast Asia, technical advances in solid state electronic devices and electronic warfare have made these above mentioned modified aircraft obsolete. Hence the all new designed Weasel. "O ; amounts of data. This data can be handed of! aircratt would precede the main One of the first such equipped M .... F4G Wild Hill AFB has already modified six F4E aircrait into F4G Wild Weasels. The F4G aircraft has the complete M61 gatling gun and old Radar Homing and Warning (RAHAW) removed. In their place is a highly radar warning system. sophisticated APR-3The heart of the APR-3is a large digital can which computer analyze multiple radar the 8 8 threats simultaneously and store large of Many skilled people, working thousands " for a are such hours, required large modification. The main emphasis is placed on structural (AS), electrical (AR) and electronic (AD) modification. After the aircraft leaves Hill production lines, where most of the modification is performed, it begins a series of extensive tests: All avionics are performance tested, including the APR-38- . 111 v .... il V, t xt-- - " afc.., Co. Dudley Foster (In night suit) receives a new. modified F4G Wild Weasel aircraft from the maintenance hangar. On hand for the turnover was ) Col. Richard Schildknecht, William Vincent, Lex Ewlng, MaJ. Larry Jones, Col. Bill Nunley, Don Secrlst, Neslln Bangerter, Larry Parker and Lt. Col. Leon Hoffman, who represented headquarters NEW F4G (l-r- Air Force Logistics Command at Wright-Patterso- AFB, n Ohio. Engines and fuel cells are tested. The aircraft must be flight tested and "sold" by Hill test pilots. Lvivv Then test flown over the Air Force's simulated SAM site to evaluate the APR-3system. 8 ----- W-- o- - i 'twf Yin Hill has a contract to produce a total of 116 F4G W7ild Weasels for Tactical Air Command (TAC) over the next several years. Four of Hill's first F4G aircraft have already gone to the 35th Tactical Fighter at George AFB, Calif. Two Wild Weasels are still undergoing evaluation tests at Nellis AFB, Nev. Wing r i Ruth Ktrchmann, an aircraft electrician, clamps new wire bundles installed by the Wild Weasel WIRE BUNDLES modification. w4 f 1 W 1 KMMIUH-- I. 1 ,f;vi'i:'5i?-as- r ! , -- ,' i ft S4'. 7 ' 4 rr SECURES .. lGHT TAP Don B. Horcy. aircraft sheet metal mechanic, gives a light tap as he readies a new part for installation on a Wild Weotef aircraft. secures an Russell Christen, ECM fire control technician, APR-3- 8 receiver Installation. A U. S. Air Force photos f |