Page 1 - Aerotech News and Review, April 29, 2022

Aerotech News
Aerotech News
Journal of Aerospace, Defense Industry and Veteran News
and Review
and Review
Benefield Anechoic Facility tests EW countermeasures for C-130J Ghostrider
by Giancarlo Casem
Edwards AFB, Calif.
An AC-130J Ghostrider assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing from Hurlburt Field, Fla., recently underwent electronic weapons countermeasures testing at the Bene- field Anechoic Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The C-130 family of aircraft covers a variety of missions including air mobility and close- air support. Due to its mission set, the C-130 employs a host of countermeasures to ensure mission success and crew survivability.
The AC-130 flies relatively low for the guns to have effects on the ground. When you’re that low, you’re a lot more vulnerable to en- emy fire,” said Maj. Phil Woodhull, 772nd Test Squadron Director of Operations. “Radio fre- quency countermeasures will be able to help the plane survive against enemy fire a lot more
Air Force photograph by Kaitlyn Steigerwald
and it’ll also help the aircraft to be able to do its mission better to find targets on the ground and communicate with the rest of the force as necessary.”
The BAF presents test engineers a virtual open-air range to test the integration of avion- ics systems in a secure, controlled, and repeat- able electromagnetically controlled free-space environment, using state-of-the-art simulation and stimulation technology that closely dupli- cates the real combat mission environment.
“The BAF is essentially an installed systems test facility where we can put electronic war- fare systems or other radio frequency systems on an aircraft installed and then actually emit out the antennas of the aircraft and then put sources back in through the antennas of the aircraft as opposed to other chambers which may do things like direct injection to a wire,” Woodhull said.
Air Force photograph by James West
Above: An AC-130J Ghostrider assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing from Hurlburt Field, Fla., is loaded into the Benefiled Anechoic Facility on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., March 17, 2022. The aircraft recently underwent electronic weapons countermeasures testing at the BAF. Inset: An AC-130J Ghostrider assigned to the 1st SOW takes off from Edwards following electronic weapons countermeasures testing at the Benefield Anechoic Facility.
See BAF, Page 2
April 29, 2022 • Volume 37, Issue 8
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