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Show radar test HILL TOP TIMES 14 July 17, 1987 s.TXJl 'MMMii:m:SfysM::S JT 3Vw ' v X i -- fClyy 0XZ'' X jT Crews will stage the ra- dar test in Sector 3, fly- - ing from Puerto Rico Hill 6514th Test Group team in Puerto Rico for survey By Ralph C. Jensen Ogden ALC Public Affairs Office J Hill AFB is best noted for logistics support, distribution of supplies and flying 6 Falcons. According to Maj. Wes White, 6514th Test Group, the 6 is the romantic side of the story, but there's another game in town and their mission is equally as impressive. White heads team a of Major experts that challenge and test radar systems which are vital to national security. The major and his troops have left for a site survey in Puerto Rico that will house them during a February March 1988 deployment. Next year, the team loads its NC-Haircraft with the necessary instruments, flying to Puerto Rico. Military Air Command will fly the drones to the staging site. There they will fly their drones, which act like cruise missiles against the Backscatter Radar system loF-1- . jj ?JV .?,' kr- - -- LiJjk i iJ F-1- C. Jensen) (U.S. Air Force Photos by Ralph TU. i tie wurMiursw... I- -1 A - refurbished remote controlled vehicle will be used to fly against the ...and trie transport acts as the launch tool where the drones will be taken into the air and monitored. The drones will fly against the radar which is located in Sector 3 in the above An ed Over-the-Horiz- cated in Puerto Rico. It protects the eastern seaboard of the United States. According to the major, the first conceived plan of the radar system was to pick up possible bomber fighter threats into the United States. It has, however, proven to be more effective and prototype testing has indicated the potential of picking up smaller targets such as cruise missiles. "Current plans call for a deployment next February to do the actual testing. We will fly out of Roosevelt Roads N AS, Puerto Rico, toward Bermuda and fly against the radar," said Major White. "The system has not been tested against actual targets. The cruise missile is the biggest threat against national security." The test against the radar system is relatively simple, but requires hours of computation to figure 0 is the proper point of launch once the airborne. Crews will Lift off from the Puerto Rico naval air station, flying northwest toward Bermuda. The NC-13- 0 will be loaded with a pair of drones. Only one will be launched, unless problems crop up. The aircraft will fly east of the island, then launch NC-13- 0 shown map. Teams will deploy FebruaryMarch radar . sea-launch- . Backscatter radar system. Over-the-Horiz- O sea-launch- . 1988 to test the system. ed Li 1 I i " -- J NC-13- vehicle, which cruise missiles. The crew will simulate turn back to Puerto Rico, never allowing the drone ' to Once the unget more than 200 miles away. manned vehicle has reached its maximum point, it always will be turned to catch up with the their airborne sea-launch- remote-controlle- d ed NC-13- 0, under surveillance. The aircraft, which flies at 265 knots, will stagger to stay ahead of the vehicle when it makes its turn for home. The drone travels at 400 knots and at some, time during the exercise will have to be turned over to a ground crew who will take over remote control operations. "It's a delicate situation," said Major White. "It takes proper skill to pilot the aircraft because of the weight and load and precision command of the unmanned vehicle by the other crew members." The operation orders dedication to mission responsibility, one that has been termed necessary... security demands it. |