Inside Ballistic Missile Submarine Commanders Eyeball

Ballistic Missile Submarine Commanders Eyeball
Thermonuclear Monarchy: Choosing Between Democracy and Doom.

Elaine Scarry (Released 2014-02-24). W. W. Norton & Company.
First, then, the technological readiness of the United States to retract life from beneath the floor of the world’s inhabitants. The country’s nuclear arsenal includes, but is by no means limited to, fourteen Ohio-class submarines , each carrying the equivalent in injuring power to 4000 Hiroshima blasts.¹
Each one of the fourteen ships carries enough power to destroy the people of an entire continent, to do this as a solo performance, without the assistance of its thirteen fellow ships. The precise arithmetic of this blast power can be hard to keep in mind. But one pair of numbers is easy to grasp: the earth has seven continents; the United States has fourteen Ohio-class submarines.
The United States population often imagines that the arsenal came into being during the Cold War with Russia and that its importance ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But of the fourteen Ohio-class ships, eight were built, christened, and commissioned after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Here are their names and birth dates.
SSBN USS West Virginia was launched in 1989 and commissioned in October 1990 with the words, “Man this ship and bring her to life .” SSBN USS Kentucky followed. Then, USS Maryland was launched in June of 1991 and commissioned on June 13, 1992. Then came SSBN USS Nebraska. Then, SSBN USS Rhode Island (“ Man this ship and bring her to life”). Then came SSBN USS Maine, launched in July 1994 and commissioned in July 1995; followed by USS Wyoming, launched in July 1995 and commissioned in July 1996 . Finally, USS Louisiana was launched in 1996 and commissioned on September 6, 1997: “Man this ship and bring her to life.”
These eight ships— just the eight built since the fall of the Berlin Wall— carry the equivalent of 32,000 Hiroshima bombs. Each holds within its sleek contours eight times the full-blast power expended by Allied and Axis countries in World War II (this includes, in addition to the nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the firebombing of sixty-seven other Japanese cities, the firebombing of Leipzig and Dresden, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the nightly bombing of London, and six years of artillery fire on beaches, woodlands, hillsides, and cities).
Together, the eight ships built since the fall of the Berlin Wall carry sixty-four times the total blast power expended by all sides in World War II. The launching, christening, and commissioning of these ships was not covered in news reports, not even in the states whose names are borne on the ships along with their heavy cargo. ...
We own 3100 Trident I and Trident II warheads designed for our Ohio-class submarines (with a total blast power of 273,000,000 tons of TNT)²⁴.

1. Each Ohio-class submarine has 24 missiles; each missile has 8 warheads; hence each ship has a total of 192 warheads. The Trident II warhead (Mark 5 W87) can be either 300 or 475 kilotons. Three hundred kilotons times 192 warheads equals 57,600 kilotons or 57.6 megatons. The weapon used in Hiroshima was between 12 and 15 kilotons; therefore, a middle figure of 13.5 kilotons can be used. More arithmetic: 57,600 kilotons divided by 13.5 kilotons is 4266; therefore, each Ohio-class submarine carries the injuring power of 4266 Hiroshimas. If the submarine instead uses a 475-kiloton Trident II warhead, the submarine carries the injuring power of 6755 Hiroshima explosions (for the Trident II warhead figures, see William Arkin, Thomas Cochran, and Milton Hoenig, U.S. Nuclear Forces and Capabilities, Nuclear Weapons Databook, vol. 1 [Pensacola, FL: Ballinger, 1984], p. 15). The numbers just given here are conservative. Often officials give much higher numbers. A Department of Energy newsletter quotes Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder as reporting that the SSBN West Virginia carries the equivalent of 7680 Hiroshima blasts (“Tuck Tells House Panel Rocky Flats Start Up Off until Third Quarter,” Inside Energy/ with Federal Lands, March 26, 1990). Schroeder’s figure is based on the calculation that the submarine has 192 warheads each with forty times the power of that used against Hiroshima. The number of missiles on each Ohio-class submarine is consistently reported as 24; the number of warheads on each missile is usually designated as 8, but is sometimes as high as 17.

24. Natural Resources Defense Council, “Table of U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces, 2002.”

Related:

2014-0488.htm  ICBM and Nuclear Bomber Commanders Eyeball  March 24, 2014

---

The U.S. Navy's Trident nuclear powered submarine Alaska (SSBN-732) is guided into an explosives handling wharf at the Naval Station, Submarine Base, Bangor, WA., 15 August 1998. Source

1/9/2009. KINGS BAY, Ga. - The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) approaches Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. Photo by: Lt. Rebecca Rebarich Source
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=200&ct=4
Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines - SSBN
Description
Since the 1960s, strategic deterrence has been the SSBN's sole mission, providing the United States with its most survivable and enduring nuclear strike capability.
Features
The Navy's ballistic missile submarines, often referred to as "boomers," serve as an undetectable launch platform for intercontinental missiles. They are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads.
The 14 Ohio-class SSBNs can carry up to 24 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with multiple independently-targeted warheads. However, under the New Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, each submarine will have four of its missile tubes permanently deactivated in the coming years. The SSBN's strategic weapon is the Trident II D5 missile, which provides increased range and accuracy over the now out-of-service Trident I C4 missile.
SSBNs are specifically designed for extended deterrent patrols. To decrease the amount of time required for replenishment and maintenance, Ohio-class submarines have three large-diameter logistics hatches that allow sailors to rapidly transfer supply pallets, equipment replacement modules and machinery components thereby increasing their operational availability.
The Ohio-class design allows the submarines to operate for 15 or more years between major overhauls. On average, the submarines spend 77 days at sea followed by 35 days in-port for maintenance. Each SSBN has two crews, Blue and Gold, which alternate manning the submarines and taking them on patrol. This maximizes the SSBN's strategic availability, reduces the number of submarines required to meet strategic requirements, and allows for proper crew training, readiness, and morale.
Point Of Contact
Office of Corporate Communication
Naval Sea Systems Command
Office of Corporate Communications (SEA 00D)
Washington, D.C. 20376
General Characteristics, Ohio Class
Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division.
Date Deployed: Nov. 11, 1981 (USS Ohio)
Propulsion: One nuclear reactor, one shaft.
Length: 560 feet (170.69 meters).
Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters).
Displacement: 16,764 tons (17,033.03 metric tons) surfaced; 18,750 tons (19,000.1 metric tons) submerged.
Speed: 20+ knots (23+ miles per hour, 36.8+ kph).
Crew: 15 Officers, 140 Enlisted.
Armament: 24 tubes for Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles, MK48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes.
SSBN websites:
USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730), Bangor, WA
USS Alabama (SSBN 731), Bangor, WA
USS Alaska (SSBN 732), Kings Bay, GA
USS Nevada (SSBN 733), Bangor, WA
USS Tennessee (SSBN 734), Kings Bay, GA
USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735), Bangor, WA
USS West Virginia (SSBN 736), Portsmouth, VA
USS Kentucky (SSBN 737), Bangor, WA
USS Maryland (SSBN 738), Kings Bay, GA
USS Nebraska (SSBN 739), Bangor, WA
USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740), Kings Bay, GA
USS Maine (SSBN 741), Bangor, WA
USS Wyoming (SSBN 742), Kings Bay, GA
USS Louisiana (SSBN 743), Bangor, WA
Last Update: 6 December 2013

---

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2200&tid=1400&ct=2

Trident Fleet Ballistic Missile
Description
Intercontinental ballistic missiles launched from submarines.
Features
Trident II (D5) missiles are deployed in Ohio- class (Trident) submarines, each carrying 24 missiles.
The Trident II (D5) is a three-stage, solid-propellant, inertially guided FBM with a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles (4,600 statute miles). Trident II is more sophisticated than Trident I (C4) with a significantly greater payload capability. All three stages of the Trident II are made of lighter, stronger, stiffer graphite epoxy, whose integrated structure means considerable weight saving. The missile?s range is increased by the aerospike, a telescoping outward extension that reduces frontal drag by about 50 percent. Trident II is launched by the pressure of expanding gas within the launch tube. When the missile attains sufficient distance from the submarine, the first stage motor ignites, the aerospike extends and the boost stage begins. Within about two minutes, after the third stage motor kicks in, the missile is traveling in excess of 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) per second.
Background
Submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) have been an integral part of the strategic deterrent for six generations, starting in l956 with the U.S. Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Polaris (A1) program. Since then, the SLBM has evolved through Polaris (A2), Polaris (A3), Poseidon (C3) Trident I (C4) and today's force of Trident II (D5). Each generation has been continuously deployed at sea as a survivable retaliatory force and has been routinely operationally tested and evaluated to maintain confidence and credibility in the deterrent.
Trident II (D5) was first deployed in 1990 and is planned to be deployed past 2020. The Trident II (D5) missile is also provided to the United Kingdom which equips the missile with UK warheads and deploys the missile on Vanguard Class UK submarines.
Point Of Contact
Department of the Navy,
Strategic Systems Programs
Arlington, VA 22202-3930
General Characteristics, Trident II (D5)
Primary Function: Strategic Nuclear Deterrence.
Contractor: Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Inc., Sunnyvale, CA.
Date Deployed: 1990.
Unit Cost: $30.9 million.
Propulsion: Three-stage solid-propellant rocket.
Length: 44 feet (13.41 meters).
Diameter: 83 inches (2.11 meters).
Weight: 130,000 pounds (58,500 kg).
Range: Greater than 4,000 nautical miles (4,600 statute miles, or 7,360 km).
Guidance System: Inertial.
Warhead: Nuclear MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles).
Last Update: 17 January 2009

---

Ballistic Missile Submarine Commanders Eyeball

Addresses common to submarine commanders are: Ballston Spa, NY and Charleston, SC (Nuclear propulsion) St Marys, GA (Kings Bay Base, Atlantic Command) Poulsbo, WA (Bangor Base, Pacific Command) Washington State (Bangor Base) Groton, CT (New London Submarine Base) Virginia Beach, VA (Undersea warfare) Colorado Springs, CO (Strategic Command) Hawaii (Staging bases)

Based at Bangor Base WA

U.S.S. Henry M. Jackson Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Jon Moretty Gold Crew Commander: Commander Edward Robledo

U.S.S. Alabama Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Bradley Terry Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Brodey Frailey

U.S.S. Nevada Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander James McIver [No records.] Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Chad Hennings

U.S.S. Pennsylvania Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Gustavo Gutierrez [No records.] Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Tiger Pittman

U.S.S. Kentucky Green Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Jeffrey Smith Undergoing 2-year overhaul in 2011 [No records.]

U.S.S. Nebraska Green Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Jeffrey Joseph

U.S.S. Maine Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander William Johnson [No records.] Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Dale Klein

U.S.S. Louisiana Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Kevin Byrne Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Robert Peters

Based at Kings Bay Base, GA

U.S.S. Alaska Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Todd Figanbaum Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Robert Wirth

U.S.S. Tennessee Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander John Howrey Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Richard Dubnansky

U.S.S. West Virginia Commanding Officer: Commander Adam Palmer

U.S.S. Maryland Commanding Officer: Commander Greg Kercher

U.S.S. Rhode Island Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Louis Springer Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Sean Muth

U.S.S. Wyoming Blue Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Barry Rodrigues Gold Crew Commanding Officer: Commander Chris Nash

Brimstone Completes Drone Test Trials

MBDA has successfully demonstrated the operation of Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone (DMB) missile from an MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), scoring nine direct hits against a range of targets including very high speed and manoeuvring vehicles. The main advantage of Brimstone is its dual-mode operating capability, combining millimetre guidance with semi-active laser targeting, enabling the operator to accurately designate a target, after the milimeter-wave seeker locks on the designated target the missile independently follows that target independent of further laser designation, through the engagement. The tests pave the way for the deployment of the weapon on Britain’s MQ-9 Reapers. Beyond their use with aerial platforms, Brimstones were also been tested on fast naval crafts, fired against speedboat simulating swarm attacks.

MQ-9 Reaper carrying six Dual-Mode Brimstone missiles. Photo: MBDA

The trials began with captive carry of Avionics and Environmental Data Gathering Missiles, proving the successful integration of the two systems and gathering additional evidence to support future clearance activities. These were quickly followed by a series of live Operational Missile and inert Telemetry Missile firings. The firings were taken from realistic ‘middle of the envelope’ profiles; typically 20,000ft release altitude and 7km – 12km plan range, with the platform being remotely piloted in operationally representative beyond line of sight (SATCOM) conditions, with tracking and designation of targets being conducted in a mixture of manual-track and auto-track modes. Two of the more challenging scenarios were against trucks travelling at 70mph in a crossing target scenario.  At times, the targets were manually tracked by the REAPER crews, showing how the integrated Semi-Active Laser and Active MMW radar seeker works in tandem to ensure direct hits, even while operators are tracking and designating targets manually over satellite communications. “Every Operational and Telemetry missile performed as designed” MBDA announced, ”Following the successful demonstration Brimstone can now provide more flexibility to Reaper operators, reducing collateral damage risk while retaining first pass, single shot lethality against high speed manoeuvring targets on land, at sea and in complex environments.”

A Brimstone missile hitting a target moving at a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Photo: USAF Big Safari

The original Brimstone missile used a milimeter-wave seeker to defeat massive armor formations in ‘fire and forget’ engagements. Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 strike fighters were fitted to carry clusters of Brimstones, to kill multiple tanks in a simultaneous attack. DMSB, the new variant of the missile was optimised to engage asymmetric threats, by turning the fire-and-forget missile into high-precision weapon combining some ‘man in the loop’ capability, allowing the operator to designate the target for the missile, in case the MMW seeker couldn’t lock or was looking elsewhere. In an asymmetric engagement, ‘man in the loop’ function enables the operator to correct a missile that locks on the wrong target, divert the missile to an alternate target or order the missile to abort attack, hitting a pre-defined area, thus avoiding collateral damage. In addition to the dual-mode seeker capability, Brimstone fired from Tornado GR4 demonstrated the ability to engage, from a high off-boresight, targets travelling at up to 70mph. The targets were engaged from longer ranges, without the need to revert to straight and level flight, whilst operating in Close Air Support (CAS) role. These tests were carried out by the RAF in October 2013.

Subscribe to read more…

 The use of MMW seeker enables the missile to effectively engage moving targets, a task that would require multiple Hellfire missiles. MBDA is employing a focussed, low fragmentation warhead optimised to defeat targets from Fast In-Shore Attack Craft Fast In-Shore Attack Crafts (FIAC) to fast moving armored or unarmored vehicles. In Libya, those characteristics reportedly made it one of the few weapons NATO commanders could use to hit enemy armored vehicles in urban areas.
MBDA is lobbying the USA to select the Dual Mode Brimstone missile to arm the Reaper drones operated by the US government, as an alternative to pursuing further investment in the Joint Air-Ground Missile (JAGM). This missile, developed by Lockheed Martin, was designed to replace Hellfires used by all US military services but is currently pursued only by the Army. It will also employ a dual-mode seeker combining the Hellfire laser seeker and Longbow MMW radar seekers in a similar way the utilised by the Brimstone.

MBDA is lobbying the USA to select the Dual Mode Brimstone missile to arm the Reaper drones operated by the US government, as an alternative to pursuing further investment in the Joint Air-Ground Missile (JAGM).

Russia ‘Welcomes’ the US Destroyer Truxtun, by Moving Bastion Anti-Ship Missiles to Crimea!

Bastion launcher carriers were moved to Crimea last night.

Unconfirmed news reports claim the Russian Navy is deploying land-based ‘Bastion’ anti-ship missile systems as a response to the recent U.S. move entering two naval vessels to the Black Sea. The two American Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG-103) crossed the Bosphorus Strait Friday, headed into the Black Sea, as tensions simmer over Ukraine’s Crimea region. The Russians also moved two naval combatants from the Mediterranean Task Force back to the Black Sea Fleet. Tension is mounting in the Crimea Peninsula with the preparations for a referendum on independence from Ukraine later this week.
As of today, the Truxtun remain the only US warship in the Black Sea following the southbound passage of FF(G)-50 USS Taylor through the Bosphorus. The Taylor, a Perry class frigate was deployed to the Black Sea before the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games started. USS Taylor and the flag ship of the US 6th Fleet USS Mount Whitney were sent to the Black Sea to help with the evacuation of US athletes and spectators in case of an terror attack to the Games. However, when visiting the Black Sea port of Samsun, Turkey, the frigate damaged her propelled and had to be towed away to Souda, Crete for repairs.

USS Taylor being towed by the tug Coastal Voyager. The tug Kurtaran 1 from Turkish Coastal Safety Agency is preventing the ship from drifting at the back. Turkish Coast Guard vessel TCSG-90 is providing security. Photo via Turkishnavy.net

The US Navy said in a statement on Thursday that the ship was bound for the Black Sea to conduct military exercises with Bulgarian and Romanian naval forces. According to the Montreux Convention, warships of countries which do not border the Black Sea can only stay in the waters for 21 days.
The Bastion anti-ship missile system was deployed last night (8-9 March) to Sevastopol from the Russian town of Anapa, Krasnodar, about 250 miles to the East. Follow bystanders recorded the movement of Bastion anti-ship launcher complex on the streets Crimea. The K-300P Bastion-P employs P-800 Yakhont (SS-N-26) anti-ship cruise missile hypersonic anti-ship missiles carried on mobile transporter-erector-launchers (TEL) is a Russian. The missiles are used as mobile coastal defence systems, having an effective range of 300 km.

USS Truxtun Passed Through The Bosphorus March 8, 2014. Photo: Ms. Eser Çelebiler, via Turkishnavy.net

Watchkeeper UAV

The British Army is expected to induct the long awaited Watchkeeper UAV system with its field units, following Release To Service (RTS) by the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD). Unfortunately, this milestone is achieved three years behind schedule.

The British Army’s Watchkeeper unmanned aerial system in flight over the UK during testing. Picture: Thales UK by Richard Seymour.

Certified to the same safety standard as manned aircraft, Watchkeeper is the first UAS to be awarded a full (RTS) and is the only UAS of its type allowed to fly in UK airspace. Although 26 air vehicles and 14 ground systems already produced, lack of the formal safety clearance prevented the full induction of the drone with Army units. Thales UK is on contract to deliver 28 additional systems and one additional ground system.
Cleared for operations in the UK, the RTS will allow army crews to fly Watchkeeper sorties in segregated airspace, integrating with the military exercises taking place on Salisbury Plain. The RTS follows the announcement (24 February) that the British Army will begin training flights from Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. Sofar the drone operations were restricted to testing and evaluation – nearly 1000 flight hours were performed by the operators of the prime contractor, Thales UK, 600 of these flights were performed in the approved test airspace near Parc Aberporth, West Wales.

Army personnel operating the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial system. Photo: UK MOD

Lt Col Craig Palmer of the British Army commended the high safety levels demonstrated by the new system, “The safety bar for Watchkeeper has been set very high. The detailed reviews and testing of the whole system have provided significant evidence that the system is maturing rapidly; sufficiently enough to support an RTS recommendation.” Over the coming weeks the pilots and support crews of 1st Artillery Brigade will be trained to fly the drones in a restricted airspace over the Salisbury Plain Training Area. The flights, which will take place between 8,000 and 16,000 feet, will be overseen by military air traffic controllers.
“The process of achieving RTS and the other certifications required for Watchkeeper has been ground-breaking, not only for Thales but also for the MOD and the CAA”, said Victor Chavez, CEO of Thales UK. “Much painstaking work has been required by all parties to deliver the comprehensive and rigorous certification, but our collective achievement is a great one: the first tactical UAS allowed to fly in UK airspace.”
An RTS is the formal statement, on behalf of the Chief of General Staff, that an acceptable safety case has been prepared for the aircraft and its equipment. An RTS is required for all aircraft (manned and unmanned) subject to Military Aviation Authority (MAA) regulated service flying, and is written for the aircrew and engineers responsible for the day-to-day supervision of flying operations and the desk officers responsible for developing policy and procedures. 
Watchkeeper is a high-performance, multi-sensor, all-weather UAS that can remain airborne for more than 16 hours in a single mission. These unarmed tactical UAS will be deployed by the British Army surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and target acquisition missions, in support of military operations at supporting brigade-level and below. Watchkeeper is expected to remain in service at least until 2040.
Watchkeeper has been developed by Thales with strong support from its supply chain, including UAV Tactical Systems Limited (U-TacS), which was established at contract award as a joint venture company between Thales and Elbit Systems.

Heron I Mission

  Heron I Missions in Afghanistan

inShare2

Heron I RPA are operating from Kandahar airbase, Afghanistan and from Woomera Test Range in South Australia, where operators are trained for the missions in Afghanistan. Photo: Australian defence by Aaron Curran

While coalition forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, the Heron I remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operated with the Australian Heron Detachment is set to continue providing invaluable Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information to coalition troops operating inside Afghanistan, well into 2014. Built by Israel Aerospace Industries, the Heron I is leased and operated by the Canadian company MDA.
In November 2013 the Australian Heron detachment marked the 20,000 operational flight hours milestone. The Heron RPAs (newspeak for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV) are flying between 400 to 500 hours each month, performing medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) missions. It can conduct single missions in excess of 24 hours, with a maximum speed of more than 100 knots (180 km/h) at altitudes of up to 10,000 metres.
According to Royal Australian Air Force sources, the decision to extend the Heron mission sees the Tri-Service Detachment working for a new client, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Regional Command South. Based at Kandahar Airfield, Heron Detachment’s ongoing tenure in Afghanistan originated from a request from ISAF to the Australian Government.

A Heron returns to Kandahar from a recce mission. On such mission the drone carries an EO/IR and COMING payload. The Australian Air Force Heron detachment operates from the Kandahar Airfield in Southern Afghanistan. Photo: RAAF, Raymond Vance

Heron detachment Payload Operator, Flight Lieutenant Zalie Munro-Rustean, in the Ground Control Station at the Heron compound at Kandahar Airfield, 2011. Photo: RAAF Paul Berry

Previously the Herons were supporting exclusively the Australian forces operating in Uruzgan. They will now support coalition forces through their operations in Southern Afghanistan. The Tri-Service Detachment Rotation 13 is expected to return to Australia by mid-year 2014.
Unlike small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the 1.1 tonne Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft is operated from an airfield runway in conjunction with other manned aircraft. The Australian Heron is based at Kandahar, which is anecdotally the busiest single-runway airfield in the world. To ensure the safe and effective operation of the aircraft at such a busy airfield, Air Force uses military pilots who have experience with the complex and dynamic airspace to pilot the Heron.
Pilots qualified on Army helicopters, F/A-18 Hornets, F-111s, AP-3C Orion and C-130J Hercules have deployed and operated the Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft since August 2009. The Heron pilot is supported by a Payload (Sensor) Operator who also acts as co-pilot for the Heron.
In addition, up to seven operational staff process, analyse and disseminate information from the Heron’s sensors. The operational staff may include aircrew, intelligence staff, operations officers, engineering staff, administration officers and logisticians.

In November 2013 the Royal Australian Air Force Air Component completed 20,000 combat flying hours in Afghanistan. In this photo, the unit commander Group Captain Tony McCormack stands alongside members of the Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft Detachment (Rotation 13) that operated the mission on this milestone flight. Each Heron detachment consists of about 30 ADF personnel based at Kandahar Airfield in Southern Afghanistan. Photo: RAAF Chris Moore

On 1-2 March the RAAF hosted the Centenary of Military Aviation Air Show at RAAF Williams – Point Cook. Among the popular attractions at the show was the Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), displayed in a deployable hangar. Photo: Australian Defence by Aaron Curran