West Coast Programs

C-130

EC-130E Commando Solo
The EC-130E PSYOPS platform has a unique history dating back to the C-121 Coronet Solo platform of the mid-1960s. The system evolution has brought the Commando Solo mission to where it is today. The centerpiece of the DoD's psychological operations, Commando Solo was labeled "the mothership for the mother of all surrenders" during the Iraqi war of 1991. The television and radio signals it was able to inject into the Iraqi's communications system were directly responsible for a large number of the Iraqi soldiers who surrendered. The new updated version of Commando Solo has worldwide color TV capable of transmitting in any format. The mission is operated by the 193rd SOG and has a Group (SOG), Pennsylvania Air National Guard. The 193rd SOG has a reputation of supporting the political and military interests of the DoD that is second to none. Their reliability makes them one of the first units to be activated during any international crisis. Under current plans, the EC-130E Commando Solo mission systems will be updated to the newest version of the Hercules transport, the C-130J in the near future. The first EC-130J, with significantly improved performance capability, will mark a new era for the C-130 special mission aircraft forces.
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Senior Scout
Delivered in 1989, Senior Scout is a C-130 Roll-on/Roll-off Tactical Reconnaissance platform. Senior Scout provides near-real time signal intelligence to warfighters, law enforcement agencies and national level decision-makers. Senior scout is supporting missions to Southern and European Commands. Ideally suited for military operations other than war, air expeditionary forces and other direct support of combat operations, Senior Scout fills a distinct gap in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) with its capability to exploit a growing number of low power tactical targets challenging U.S. intelligence efforts. Senior Scout is the cornerstone of LM Aeronautics' entry into the ISR flexible architecture market place. The Senior Scout update provides a migration path for implementing a Defense Intelligence Infrastructure Common Operating Environment (DII COE) for manned airborne ISR platforms. This migration provides a vehicle for further expanding the company's reputation as a center of excellence for aircraft modification and system integration.
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EC-130H Compass Call
The EC-130H Compass Call aircraft has a mission crew of nine in addition to the normal flight crew. The jamming system is controlled by an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) who directs the electronic countermeasures (ECM) activities. The EWO is assisted by eight mission specialists; four linguists, two analysts, a mission crew supervisor, and an electronic maintenance technician. Because its modifications include in-flight refueling capability, the aircraft is capable of extended flight operations. In 1980, Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to provide two Compass Call/EC- 130H aircraft with support and spares to the USAF. A totally new approach for an integrated command, control, communications, countermeasures (C3CM) system was developed. Lockheed Martin procured tailored subsystems, developed software to tie them together, and performed systems integration and tests. The first aircraft was delivered in just over two years, when earlier estimates had projected seven years development time to field such a system. Since then, the Compass Call/EC-130H has proved its unique capabilities to suppress communications systems. The aircraft uses a number of high-power communications and radar jammers, aided by advanced computer controlled receivers to conduct command and control warfare and non-lethal suppression of enemy air defenses from the relative safety of flying behind the forward line of friendly troops.
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On to a different kind of vehicle ... one that doesn't carry a pilot... the Predator Program