David
Thu January 16, 2003 12:30am
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C-23 Sherpa
Function: Transport and airdrops.
Description: The Sherpa is an all-freight version of the Shorts 330 regional airliner with a 5 foot, 6 inch square cabin section over an unimpeded hold length of 29 feet. Through-loading is provided via a large forward freight door, and via a full width, hydraullically operated rear ramp door with removable roller conveyors. The C-23 Sherpa is the Army National Guard?s answer to missions requiring an aircraft that is capable of faster, higher-altitude and longer-distance coverage than helicopters. The Sherpa comes with a low operating cost due to its simple, robust construction, compared to that of other cargo aircraft.
The Army National Guard has procured 44 C-23B/B+ Sherpa light cargo aircraft to support theater aviation, cargo, airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation for both state and federal wartime missions. The C-23 multi-role utility airplane is the only cargo airplane in the Army, and is organized into 4 theater airplane companies. Each company has four detachments. The detachments are all located in different states. Each detachment has two aircraft. In the Alaska Army National Guard the UV-18As have been replaced by the C-23B+. Requirements exist to standardize C-23B/B+ systems to include global positioning systems, high frequency radios, airdrop equipment, aeromedical evacuation, and engine upgrades. A few of these aircraft are used as all-freight regional airliners by Air Force Material Command.
The aircraft can carry up to 30 passengers in airline-type seats, along with palletized cargo, four small pallets, and do airdrop of those pallets, or 18 litter patients plus their medical personnel. It has a range of a thousand miles, cruises up to two hundred knots, and it?s square because most of the things the Army has are square rather than round. It has six-and-a-half feet of headroom. It is unpressurized, but if it flies above 10,000 feet for an extended period of time, the crew wears oxygen masks. The Sherpa has a crew of three, but sometimes flies with four man crews if there is a need for two flight engineers.
The C-23B Sherpa aircraft is a light military transport aircraft, designed to operate efficiently, even under the most arduous conditions, in a wide range of mission configurations. The large square-section hold, with access at both ends, offers flexibility to perform ordnance movement, troop & vehicle transport, airborne/airdrop missions, medical evacuation and is suitable for conversion to other specialist duties such as maritime or land surveillance.
Configured as a troop transport, the Sherpa provides comfortable, air-conditioned seating for 30 passengers, features "walk about" headroom, a removable latrine unit, and has a 500 lb capacity / 345 cu. ft. baggage compartment located in the nose of the aircraft. Additional space for a 600 lb capacity optional baggage pallet is provided on the rear ramp of the aircraft.
During airborne operations, the aircraft accommodates 27 paratroopers. Optionally, it can be outfitted to handle up to 18 stretchers plus 2 medical attendants. The airplane meets Army Short Take-off & Landing guidelines (STOL), can operate from unpaved runways and is equipped with self-contained ground handling equipment. Operational experience with this remarkable aircraft has proven it to have low maintenance costs and low fuel consumption.
The grey, 30-foot long Sherpa, begins life as a Shorts 360 Airliner. The Shorts Aviation Company is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is one of the oldest aircraft builders in the world. The airplanes are then sent to Clarksburg, West Virginia, where each is remanufactured into an Army Sherpa. The West Virginia Air Center (WVAC) operated by Bombardier Defence Services Inc. provides Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the C-23 Sherpa aircraft operated by the United States Army National Guard (USARNG) and the US Air Force. This entails support of 27 C-23B and C-23B+ aircraft located at 19 different bases in the USA, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Additionally, the company provide CLS to the fleet of C-23A aircraft operated by the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base CA.
The U.S. Army Aviation Technical Test Center (USAATTC) has a C-23A aircraft which has been modified to acquire various electronic sensor data in support of the Program Executive Officer (PEO) Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Programs. The Sherpa (C-23A) is owned by Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC), Ft. Rucker, AL. Originally under the sponsorship of PM, Airborne Reconnaissance Low (PM ARL) and currently being transitioned to PM NV/RSTA, it acts as a UAV surrogate for payload testing. The C-23A Sherpa, with its on-board workstation and capability to carry observers, is ideal for real-time evaluations of various sensor and target detection/recognition systems.
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 12:31am
Rating: 10
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C-141B Starlifter
Function: The C-141B Starlifter is the workhorse of the Air Mobility Command. The Starlifter fulfills the vast spectrum of airlift requirements through its ability to airlift combat forces over long distances, deliver those forces and their equipment either by air, land or airdrop, resupply forces and transport the sick and wounded from the hostile area to advanced medical facilities.
History: C-141s are stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, SC; McChord AFB, WA; McGuire AFB, NJ; and Travis AFB, CA. AMC began transferring C-141s to the Air Reserve and Air National Guard forces in July 1986. The first Air Reserve unit was Andrews AFB, Md., followed by others now at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, and March AFB, CA; and Air National Guard units at Jackson, MI, and Memphis, TN.
The first C-141A, delivered to Tinker AFB, OK, in October 1964, began squadron operations in April 1965. Starlifters made flights almost daily to Southeast Asia, carrying troops, equipment and supplies, and returning patients to U.S. hospitals.
The C-141 was the first jet transport from which U.S. Army paratroopers jumped, and the first to land in the Antarctic. A C-141 established a world record for heavy cargo drops of 70,195 pounds (31,588 kilograms).
The first C-141B was received by the Air Force in December 1979. Conversion from A to B models was completed in 1982.
The C-141 continues to be the backbone of military airlift capability and the cornerstone of a valuable national asset, airlift. The C-141's reliability and intrinsic capabilities enable AMC to meet any commitment anywhere national interest dictates.
Description: The C-141B is a stretched C-141A with in-flight refueling capability. The stretching of the Starlifter consisted of lengthening the planes 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 meters). The added length increased the C-141 cargo capacity by about one-third, for an extra 2,171 cubic feet (62.03 cubic meters). The lengthening of the aircraft had the same overall effect as increasing the number of aircraft by 30 percent. The C-141A, built between 1963 and 1967, was AMC's first jet aircraft designed to meet military standards as a troop and cargo carrier. The development of the B model was the most cost-effective method of increasing AMC's airlift capability.
A universal air refueling receptacle on the C-141B, with the ability to transfer 23,592 gallons (89,649 liters) in about 26 minutes, means longer nonstop flights and fewer fuel stops at overseas bases during worldwide airlift missions.
The C-141 force, nearing nine million flying hours, has a proven reliability and long-range capability. In addition to training, worldwide airlift and combat support, the C-141 has amassed a laudatory record in response to humanitarian crises.
The C-141, with its changeable cargo compartment, can transition from rollers on the floor for palletized cargo to a smooth floor for wheeled vehicles to aft facing seats or sidewall canvas seats for passengers, quickly and easily, to handle over 30 different missions.
?General Characteristics, C-141B Starlifter
Contractor:
Lockheed-Georgia Company
Thrust:
20,250 pounds, each engine
Wingspan:
160 feet (48.7 meters)
Length:
168 feet, 4 inches (51 meters)
Height:
39 feet, 3 inches (11.9 meters)
Cargo Compartment:
Height - 9 feet 1 inch (2.77 meters)
Length - 93 feet 4 inches (28.45 meters)
Width - 10 feet 3 inches (3.12 meters)
Cargo Door:
Width - 10.25 feet (3.12 meters) Height - 9.08 feet (2.76 meters)
Speed:
500 mph (Mach 0.66) at 25,000 feet
Ceiling:
41,000 feet (12,496 meters) at cruising speed
Power Plant:
Four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-7 turbofan engines
Range:
Unlimited with in-flight refueling
Maximum Take-off Weight:
323,100 pounds (146,863 kilograms)
Load:
Either 200 troops, 155 paratroops, 103 litters and 14 seats, or 68,725 lbs (31,239 kilograms) of cargo
Unit Cost:
$40.9 million (FY96 constant dollars)
Crew:
Five: two pilots, two flight engineers and one loadmaster (one navigator added for airdrops)
Aeromedical teams of two flight nurses and three medical technicians each are added for aeromedical evacuation missions
Date Deployed:
C-141A: May 1964
C-141B: December 1979
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 5:41pm
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B-2 Spirit
Function: The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program. The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses.
History: The first B-2 was publicly displayed on Nov. 22, 1988, when it was rolled out of its hangar at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, CA. Its first flight was July 17, 1989. The B-2 Combined Test Force, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, CA, is responsible for flight testing the engineering, manufacturing and development aircraft as they are produced.
Whiteman AFB, MO, is the B-2's only operational base. The first aircraft, Spirit of Missouri, was delivered Dec. 17, 1993. Depot maintenance responsibility for the B-2 is performed by Air Force contractor support and is managed at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Okla.
The prime contractor responsible for overall system design and integration,is Northrop Grumman's Military Aircraft Systems Division. Boeing Military Airplanes Co., Hughes Radar Systems Group and General Electric Aircraft Engine Group are key members of the aircraft contractor team. Another major contractor, responsible for aircrew training devices (weapon system trainer and mission trainer) is Hughes Training Inc. (HTI) - Link Division, formerly known as CAE - Link Flight Simulation Corp. Northrop Grumman and its major subcontractor HTI, are responsible for developing and integrating all aircrew and maintenance training programs.
Description: Along with the B-52 and B-1B, the B-2 provides the penetrating flexibility and effectiveness inherent in manned bombers. Its low-observable, or "stealth," characteristics give it the unique ability to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most valued, and heavily defended, targets. Its capability to penetrate air defenses and threaten effective retaliation provide a strong, effective deterrent and combat force well into the 21st century.
The revolutionary blending of low-observable technologies with high aerodynamic efficiency and large payload gives the B-2 important advantages over existing bombers. Its low-observability provides it greater freedom of action at high altitudes, thus increasing its range and a better field of view for the aircraft's sensors. Its unrefueled range is approximately 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometers).
The B-2's low observability is derived from a combination of reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures. These signatures make it difficult for the sophisticated defensive systems to detect, track and engage the B-2. Many aspects of the low-observability process remain classified; however, the B-2's composite materials, special coatings and flying-wing design all contribute to its "stealthiness."
The B-2 has a crew of two pilots, a pilot in the left seat and mission commander in the right, compared to the B-1B's crew of four and the B-52's crew of five.
?General Characteristics, B-2 Spirit
Prime Contractor:
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Contractor Team:
Boeing Military Airplanes Co., General Electric Aircraft Engine Group and Hughes Training Inc., Link Division
Unit Cost:
Approximately $1.3 billion
Power Plant:
Four General Electric F-118-GE-100 engines
Thrust:
17,300 pounds each engine
Length:
69 feet (20.9 meters)
Height:
17 feet (5.1 meters)
Wingspan:
172 feet (52.12 meters)
Weight:
Empty, approximately 190,000 pounds (86,183 kilograms)
Typical Take-off Weight:
336,500 pounds (152,635 kilograms)
Speed:
High subsonic
Ceiling:
50,000 feet (15,152 meters)
Range:
Intercontinental, unrefueled
Crew:
Two pilots
Armament:
Conventional or nuclear weapons
Payload:
40,000 pounds (18,144 kilograms)
Inventory:
Active force: 21 (planned operational aircraft)
ANG: 0
Reserve: 0
Date Deployed:
December 1993
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 6:05pm
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F-117 Nighthawk
Function: The F-117A Nighthawk is the world's first operational aircraft designed to exploit low-observable stealth technology.
History: The first F-117A was delivered in 1982, and the last delivery was in the summer of 1990. The F-117A production decision was made in 1978 with a contract awarded to Lockheed Advanced Development Projects, the "Skunk Works," in Burbank, CA. The first flight was in 1981, only 31 months after the full-scale development decision. Air Combat Command's only F-117A unit, the 4450th Tactical Group, (now the 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, NM), achieved operational capability in October 1983.
Streamlined management by Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, combined breakthrough stealth technology with concurrent development and production to rapidly field the aircraft. The F-117A program has demonstrated that a stealth aircraft can be designed for reliability and maintainability. The aircraft maintenance statistics are comparable to other tactical fighters of similar complexity. Logistically supported by Sacramento Air Logistics Center, McClellan AFB, CA, the F-117A is kept at the forefront of technology through a planned weapon system improvement program located at USAF Plant 42 at Palmdale, CA.
Description: The unique design of the single-seat F-117A provides exceptional combat capabilities. About the size of an F-15 Eagle, the twin-engine aircraft is powered by two General Electric F404 turbofan engines and has quadruple redundant fly-by-wire flight controls. Air refuelable, it supports worldwide commitments and adds to the deterrent strength of the U.S. military forces.
The F-117A can employ a variety of weapons and is equipped with sophisticated navigation and attack systems integrated into a state-of-the-art digital avionics suite that increases mission effectiveness and reduces pilot workload. Detailed planning for missions into highly defended target areas is accomplished by an automated mission planning system developed, specifically, to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the F-117A.
General Characteristics, F-117A Nighthawk
Contractor:
Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company
Unit Cost:
$45 million
Power Plant:
Two General Electric F404 engines
Length:
65 feet, 11 inches (20.3 meters)
Height:
12 feet, 5 inches (3.8 meters)
Wingspan:
43 feet, 4 inches (13.3 meters)
Weight:
52,500 pounds (23,625 kilograms)
Speed:
High subsonic
Range:
Unlimited with air refueling
Crew:
One
Armament:
Internal weapons carriage
Inventory:
Active force, 54
ANG, 0
Reserve, 0
Date Deployed:
1982
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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AIM-120 AMRAAM
Function: The AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) is a new generation air-to-air missile. It has an all-weather, beyond-visual-range capability and is scheduled to be operational beyond 2000. The AMRAAM is being procured for the Air Force, U.S. Navy and America's allies.
Description: The AMRAAM program improves the aerial combat capabilities of U.S. and allied aircraft to meet current and future threat of enemy air-to-air weapons. AMRAAM is compatible with the Air Force F-15, F-16 and developmental F-22; Navy F-14 D/D (R) and F/A-18 C/D; German F-4 and the British Sea Harrier aircraft.
AMRAAM is a follow-on to the AIM-7 Sparrow missile series. The missile is faster, smaller and lighter, and has improved capabilities against low-altitude targets. It incorporates active radar with an inertial reference unit and micro-computer system, which makes the missile less dependent upon the fire-control system of the aircraft. Once the missile closes on a target, its active radar guides it to intercept. This enables the pilot to aim and fire several missiles simultaneously at multiple targets. The pilot may then perform evasive maneuvers while the missiles guide themselves to their targets.
AMRAAM has three variants - AIM-120A/B/C -- operational on U.S. Air Force F-15 and F-16 aircraft.
History: The AMRAAM program completed its conceptual phase in February 1979 when the U.S. Air Force selected two of five competing contractors, Hughes Aircraft Co. and Raytheon Co., to continue into the validation phase.
During the 33-month validation phase the contractors continued missile development by building actual hardware to demonstrate their technological concepts. The program phase concluded in December 1981 after both contractors demonstrated that their flight-test missiles could satisfy Air Force and Navy requirements. The Air Force competitively selected Hughes Aircraft Co.'s Missile System Group, Canoga Park, CA, as the full-scale developer.
During the full-scale development phase, Hughes Aircraft Co. completed missile development and Raytheon was selected as a follower producer. A production contract to both vendors was awarded in 1987. More than 200 of the test missiles were launched during flight tests at Eglin AFB, FL; White Sands Missile Range, NM; and Point Mugu, CA. AMRAAM is combat tested, scoring two kills during Operation Southern Watch, and one kill in Bosnia.
General Characteristics, AIM-120 AMRAAM
Contractors:
Hughes Aircraft Corporation and Raytheon Corporation
Power Plant:
High performance
Length:
143.9 inches (366 centimeters)
Launch Weight:
335 pounds (150.75 kilograms)
Diameter:
7 inches (17.78 centimeters)
Wingspan:
20.7 inches (52.58 centimeters)
Range:
20+ miles (17.38+ nautical miles)
Speed:
Supersonic
Warheads:
Blast fragmentation
Guidance System:
Active radar terminal/inertial midcourse
Date Deployed:
September 1991
Unit Cost:
$386,000
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David
Sat January 18, 2003 9:13am
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A Lockheed Martin-built T
A Lockheed Martin-built Titan IV B rocket successfully launched a classified payload for the U.S. Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on 17 August 2000. The NRO is the U.S. government agency responsible for reconnaissance satellites. The launch was from Space Launch Complex Four East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. This was the second Titan IV launched successfully this year and the 30th Titan IV launch overall. Ten Titan IVs have been launched from Vandenberg, 20 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. The Titan IV B is capable of boosting payloads weighing 38,800 pounds into low-Earth polar orbit, 47,800 pounds into low-Earth equatorial orbit, or more than 12,700 pounds into geosynchronous orbit.
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David
Sat January 18, 2003 12:59pm
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A USAF F-15E Eagle Figher
A USAF F-15E Eagle Figher aircraft from the 336th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC., is refueled over Egypt by a KC-10A Extender mid air refueler, 6th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, CA. A total of eighteen F-15Es are returning home to Seymour Johnson after completing a 45 day TDY rotation in the middle east in support of operation Southern Watch.
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 12:53pm
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Atlas II
Function: Launch vehicle.
Description: Atlas II is a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles which evolved from the successful Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program. It is designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit.
Atlas IIA is a two-and-a-half stage vehicle, primarily used to support the Defense Satellite Communications System III program. The Atlas IIA is capable of lifting approximately 14,500 pounds (6,577 kilograms) into low earth orbit and 6,100 pounds (2,767 kilograms) to a geosynchronous orbit (22,000 miles-plus).
The Atlas II provides higher performance than the earlier Atlas I by using engines with greater thrust and longer fuel tanks for both stages. All three engines provide 494,500 pounds of total thrust capability. This series uses an improved Centaur upper stage - the world's first high-energy propellant stage - to increase its payload capability. Centaur propulsion is provided by a Pratt and Whitney liquid rocket engine set consisting of two engines that provide 41,000 pounds of thrust.
Atlas II also has lower-cost electronics, an improved flight computer and longer propellant tanks than its predecessor, Atlas I.
Atlas IIs are launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, by the 45th Space Wing and, in the future, will be launched by the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
History: The Atlas IIA launch vehicle program is managed by the Launch Programs System Program Office at Air Force Materiel Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, CA.
In May 1988, the Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed-Martin) to develop the Atlas II vehicle. The Atlas was originally fielded as an ICBM in the early 1960s. The Air Force replaced the Atlas ICBMs with Minuteman missiles and converted them into space launch vehicles in the late 1960s. NASA used the Atlas as a space launch vehicle as early as 1958. Atlas served as the launch vehicle for Project SCORE, the world's first communications satellite that broadcast President Eisenhower's pre-recorded Christmas message around the world.
An Atlas booster carried U.S. astronaut John Glenn into orbit under Project Mercury, the first U.S. manned space program. Atlas space launch vehicles were used in all three unmanned lunar exploration programs. Atlas Centaur vehicles also launched Mariner and Pioneer planetary probes.
General Characteristics, Atlas II
Primary Contractor:
Lockheed Martin Astronautics: airframe, assembly, test and systems integration
Principal Subcontractors:
Rocketdyne (Atlas engine); Pratt & Whitney (Centaur engine ) and Honeywell and Marconi (avionics)
Power Plant:
Three MA-5A Rocketdyne engines, two Pratt & Whitney RL10A-4 Centaur engines
Thrust:
494,500 pounds (Rocketdyne engines); 41,000 pounds (Centaur engines)
Length:
Up to 156 feet (47.54 meters); 16-foot-high engine cluster (4.87 meters)
Gross Liftoff Weight:
414,000 pounds (204,343 kilograms)
Core Diameter:
10 feet (3.04 meters)
First Launch:
Feb. 10, 1992
Launch Site:
Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL
Inventory:
Unavailable
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 12:53pm
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Delta II Medium Launch Ve
Function: The Delta II is an expendable launch, medium-lift vehicle used to launch Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites into orbit, providing navigational data to military users. Additionally, the Delta II launches civil and commercial payloads into low-earth, polar, geo-transfer and geosynchronous orbits.
Description: The Delta II stands a total height of 125.9 feet (37.8 meters). The payload fairing -- the shroud covering the third stage and the satellite -- is 9.5 ft wide to accommodate the GPS satellite. A 10-foot (3.3 meters) wide fairing also is available for larger payloads. Six of the nine solid-rocket motors that ring the first stage separate after one minute of flight, and the remaining three ignite, then separate, after burn-out one minute later.
The Delta II is launched primarily from Cape Canaveral AFS, FL, but is also launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. Members of Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, with headquarters at Patrick AFB, FL, and 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg are responsible for the Delta II's military launch missions.
History: The Delta launch vehicle family began in 1959 when NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center awarded a contract to Douglas Aircraft Company (now Boeing) to produce and integrate 12 space-launch vehicles. The Delta used components from the U.S. Air Force's Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile as its first stage and the U.S. Navy's Vanguard launch-vehicle program as its second. The first Delta was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 13, 1960 and had the ability to deliver a 100-pound spacecraft into geostationary transfer orbit.
In January 1987 the Air Force awarded a contract to McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing, for construction of 18 Delta IIs to launch Navstar GPS satellites, originally programmed for launch on the space shuttle. Since then, the order expanded to accommodate 28 GPS satellite-dedicated launch vehicles.
The first Delta II was successfully launched on Feb. 14, 1989, at Cape Canaveral. There are two primary versions of the Delta II (6925 and 7925). The Delta 6925, the first version, carried the initial nine GPS satellites into orbit.
The Delta program has more than 245 successful domestic and foreign military and commercial launches. The Delta accomplished many firsts over the years. These include the first international satellite, Telstar I, in 1962; the first geosynchronous-orbit satellite, Syncorn II, in 1963; and the first commercial communications satellite, COMSAT I, in 1965.
General Characteristics, Delta II
Builder:
Boeing Company, Expendable Launch Systems
Power Plant, First Stage:
One Rocketdyne RS-27 and two LR-101-NA-11 vernier engines; both use refined kerosene and liquid oxygen as its propellants; thrust (sea level), 200,000 pounds
Power Plant, Second Stage:
Restartable Aerojet AJ10-110K motor; uses nitrogen tetroxide and Aerozine 50 propellants; thrust, 9,750 pounds
Payload Assist Module:
If used, Star-48B Solid-fuel Rocket, 14,920 pounds
Nine Alliant Techsystems strap-on graphite-epoxy motors surround the first stage for augmented lift-off; thrust 100,270 pounds
Thrust at Liftoff:
699,250 pounds
Height:
125 feet, 9 inches (38.32 meters)
Diameter:
Fairing: 9.5 feet (2.87 meters)
Core: 8 feet (2.4 meters)
Weight:
511,190 pounds (231,870 kilograms)
Lift Capability:
Can carry payloads into near-earth orbits (approximately 100 nautical miles [160 kilometers] in space)
Can lift up to 11,100 pounds (4,995 kilograms) into a 28-degree circular near-earth orbit and up to 8,420 pounds (3,789 kilograms) into a 90-degree polar near-earth orbit
Can carry up to 4,010 pounds (1,804.5 kilograms) into geo-transfer orbit (approximately 12,000 miles [19,200 kilometers]) and up to 2,000 pounds (909 kilograms) into geosynchronous orbit (approximately 22,000 miles [35,200 kilometers])
Payloads:
Three-stage Delta 7925 has carried 29 GPS Block II satellites into orbit, with another 19 slated to launch as needed
National Reconnaissance Office's GeoLITE payload will also use a Delta 7925
Two-stage Delta 7920 launched the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite, an Air Force Space Test Program mission.
Guidance System:
Delta Redundant Inertial Flight Control Assembly manufactured by Allied Signal Aerospace
Date Deployed:
November 26, 1990 (7920/7925 series)
Launch Sites:
Space Launch Complex 17, Cape Canaveral AFS, FL
Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg AFB, CA
Inventory:
Active force, 2 (with more on order)
Unit Cost:
Unavailable
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 12:53pm
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LG-118A Peacekeeper
Function: The Peacekeeper missile is America's newest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Its deployment fulfilled a key goal of the strategic modernization program and increased strength and credibility to the ground-based leg of the U.S. strategic triad. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been revising its strategic policy and has agreed to eliminate the multiple re-entry vehicle Peacekeeper ICBMs when Russia ratifies the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II.
Description: The Peacekeeper is capable of delivering 10 independently targeted warheads with great accuracy. It is a four-stage rocket ICBM system consisting of two major sections: the boost system and the post-boost vehicle system that includes the re-entry system.
The boost system consists of four rocket stages that launch the missile into space. These rocket stages are mounted atop one another and fire successively. Each of the first three stages exhausts its solid propellant materials through a single movable nozzle that guides the missile along its flight path.
Following the burnout and separation of the boost system's third rocket stage, the fourth stage post-boost vehicle system, in space, maneuvers to deploy the re-entry vehicles in sequence.
The post-boost vehicle system is the Peacekeeper Stage IV that has a guidance and control system and re-entry system. The post-boost vehicle rides atop the boost system. Stage IV weighs about 2,500 pounds (1,333 kilograms) and is 3.5 feet (1.07 meters) long.
The top section of the Peacekeeper post-boost vehicle is the re-entry system. It consists of the deployment module, up to 10 cone-shaped re-entry vehicles and a protective shroud. The shroud protects the re-entry vehicles during ascent. It is topped with a nose cap, containing a rocket motor to separate it from the deployment module.
The deployment module provides structural support for the re-entry vehicles and carries the electronics needed to activate and deploy them. The vehicles are covered with material to protect them during re-entry through the atmosphere to their targets and are mechanically attached to the deployment module. The attachments are unlatched by gas pressure from an explosive cartridge broken by small, exploding bolts, which free the re-entry vehicles, allowing them to separate from the deployment module with little disturbance. Each deployed re-entry vehicle follows a ballistic path to its target.
History: The Air Force successfully conducted the first test flight of the Peacekeeper June 17, 1983, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The missile traveled 4,190 miles (6,704 kilometers) before dropping six unarmed test reentry vehicles to planned target sites in the Kwajalein Missile Test Range in the Pacific Ocean.
The first two test phases consisted of 12 test flights to ensure the Peacekeeper's subsystems performed as planned, and to make final assessments of its range and payload capability. The missile was fired from aboveground canisters in its first eight tests. Thereafter, test flights were conducted from test launch facilities reconfigured to simulate operational Peacekeeper sites.
The Air Force achieved initial operational capability of 10 deployed Peacekeepers at F.E. Warren AFB, WY, in December 1986. Full operational capability was achieved in December 1988 with the establishment of a squadron of 50 missiles.
The former Ballistic Missile Office began full-scale development of the Peacekeeper in 1979. This organization, formerly located at San Bernardino, CA, integrated the activities of more than 27 civilian contractors and numerous subcontractors to develop and build the Peacekeeper system.
General Characteristics, LG-118A Peacekeeper
Contractor:
Boeing Aerospace and Electronics
Assembly and Test:
Lockheed Martin and Denver Aerospace
Power Plant:
First three stages - solid propellant; fourth stage - storable liquid (by Thiokol, Aerojet, Hercules and Rocketdyne)
Thrust:
First stage, 500,000 pounds
Length:
71 feet (21.8 meters)
Weight:
195,000 pounds (87,750 kilograms) including re-entry vehicles
Diameter:
7 feet, 8 inches (2.3 meters)
Range:
Greater than 6,000 miles (5,217 nautical miles)
Speed:
Approximately 15,000 miles per hour at burnout (Mach 20 at sea level)
Warheads:
10 Avco MK21 re-entry vehicles
Guidance System:
Inertial; integration by Boeing North American
IMU: Northrop and Boeing North American
Inventory:
Active force, 50
ANG, 0
Reserve, 0
Date Deployed:
December 1986
Unit Cost:
$70 million
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 12:53pm
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Titan IVB
Function: The Titan IVB is a heavy-lift space launch vehicle used to carry government payloads such as Defense Support Program, Milstar and National Reconnaissance Office satellites into space. It is launched from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., and Vandenberg AFB, CA.
Description: The Titan IVB is the most recent and largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force. It provides assured capability for launch of space shuttle-class payloads. The vehicle is flexible because it can be launched with no upper stage, or one of two optional upper stages for greater and varied carrying ability.
The Titan IVB consists of a liquid-fueled core and two large solid rocket boosters for increased performance. During a launch the strap-on rocket boosters are fired first. When the solid propellant is almost depleted, about two minutes into flight, the first stage is fired and the solid motors are separated from the vehicle. The second and upper stages are fired as the previous stage is depleted of fuel and separated.
The Titan IVB's core consists of an LR87 liquid-propellant rocket that features structurally independent tanks for its fuel (Aerozine 50) and oxidizer (Nitrogen Tetroxide). This minimizes the hazard of the two mixing if a leak should develop in either tank. Additionally the engines' propellant can be stored in a launch-ready state for extended periods. The use of propellants stored at normal temperature and pressure eliminates delays and gives the Titan IVB the capability to meet critical launch windows. The second stage consists of an LR91 liquid propellant rocket engine attached to an airframe, like stage 1.
History: The Titan family was established in October 1955 when the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin (the former Martin Company) a contract to build a heavy-duty space system. It became known as the Titan I, the nation's first two-stage, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and first underground silo-based ICBM. Titan I provided many structural and propulsion techniques that were later incorporated into the Titan II. Years later, the Titan IVB evolved from the Titan III family and is similar to the Titan 34D. It was originally developed as a backup for the space shuttle in the 1980s, but has become a mainstay for heavy payloads. The last Titan IVA was launched in August 1998. The Titan IVB is an upgraded rocket having a new guidance system, flight termination system, ground checkout system, solid rocket motor upgrade and a 25 percent increase in thrust capability. The first Titan IVB flew on Feb. 23, 1997.
General Characteristics, Titan IVB
Builder:
Lockheed-Martin Astronautics
Power Plant, First Stage:
Stage 0 currently consists of two solid-rocket motors; Stage 1 uses an LR87 liquid-propellant rocket engine; Stage 2 uses the LR91 liquid-propellant engine
Optional upper stages include the Centaur and inertial upper stage
Thrust:
Solid rocket motors provide 1.7 million pounds per motor at liftoff
First stage provides an average of 548,000 pounds and second stage provides an average of 105,000 pounds
Optional Centaur upper stage provides 33,100 pounds
Inertial upper stage provides up to 41,500 pounds
Lift Capability:
Can carry up to 47,800 pounds (21,682 kilograms) into a low-earth orbit up to 12,700 pounds (5,761 kilograms) into a geosynchronous orbit when launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL
Can carry up to 38,800 pounds (17,599 kilograms) into a low-earth polar orbit when launched from Vandenberg AFB.
Using inertial upper stage, can transport up to 5,250 pounds (2,381 kilograms) into geosynchronous orbit
Length:
Up to 204 feet (62.17 meters)
Maximum Takeoff Weight:
Approximately 2.2 million pounds (997,913 kilograms)
Guidance System:
Ring laser gyro guidance system manufactured by Honeywell
Date Deployed:
June 1989
Launch Sites:
Cape Canaveral AS, FL
Vandenberg AFB, CA
Inventory:
14 (changes with each launch)
Unit Cost:
Approximately $250-350 million, depending on launch configuration
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David
Tue April 15, 2003 10:01am
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AGGRESSOR TANK
M-48 A3 Tank , Operation Alkali Canyon, MCB, 29 Palms, Ca. 1973
Artist : Colonel P. Michael Gish, USMCR - 1973
watercolor 18"x 24"
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David
Sat January 3, 2004 10:46pm
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PC - Cyclone Class Patrol
Function: The primary mission of these ships is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of littoral operations outlined in the Navy's strategy, Forward...From the Sea. These ships also provide full mission support for Navy SEALs and other special operations forces.
Description: The Cyclone class ships are assigned to Naval Special Warfare. Of the 13 ships, nine operate out of the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA, and four operate from the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, CA. These ships provide the Naval Special Warfare Command with a fast, reliable platform that can respond to emergent requirements in a low intensity conflict environment.
General Characteristics, Cyclone Class
Builders:
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc.
Power Plant:
Four Paxman diesels; four shafts; 3,350 shaft horsepower
Length, Overall:
170 feet (51.82 meters)
Beam:
25 feet (7.62 meters)
Displacement:
331 long tons (336.31 metric tons) full load
Speed:
35 knots (40.28 mph, 64.82 kph)
Crew:
Four officers, 24 enlisted personnel, eight Special Forces personnel
Armament:
Two 25mm MK 38 machine guns
Two .50 caliber machine guns
Two MK 19 automatic grenade launchers
Six Stinger missiles
Ships:
USS Cyclone (PC 1), Little Creek, VA
USS Tempest (PC 2), Little Creek, VA
USS Hurricane (PC 3), San Diego, CA
USS Monsoon (PC 4), San Diego, CA
USS Typhoon (PC 5), Little Creek, VA
USS Sirocco (PC 6), Little Creek, VA
USS Squall (PC 7), San Diego, CA
USS Zephyr (PC 8), San Diego, VA
USS Chinook (PC 9), Little Creek, VA
USS Firebolt (PC 10) , Little Creek, VA
USS Whirlwind (PC 11), Little Creek, VA
USS Thunderbolt (PC 12), Little Creek, VA
USS Shamal (PC 13), Little Creek, VA
Tornado (PC 14), under construction
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David
Wed August 3, 2005 4:57am
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Arapaho camp, ca. 1870
Arapaho camp, ca. 1870
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David
Wed August 3, 2005 5:07am
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Shoshone around their tip
Shoshone around their tipi, ca. 1890
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