Razor61
31st Mar 2005, 15:35
Saw this while browsing....
Must be a lovely change to be on the ground and hear these coming along at low level in formation.....
"Mallard Formation, two C-141s at low level......" :p :p.... ok ok only a thought :hmm:
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In 1994, the Air Force began a program to refit 13 C-141Bs to the "Special Operations Low-Level II (SOLL II)" standard, with a total program cost of $41 million USD. These aircraft are operated by the USAF in behalf of the US Special Operations Command, and include gear for low-level night flying, as well as defensive countermeasures. The SOLL II Starlifters are also sometimes referred to as "Special Operations Forces Improvement Modification (SOFI-Mod)" Starlifters. Exactly what "SOLL I" was is unclear, unsurprising given the clandestine nature of the Special Operations Command, and it may have been an MC-130 or HC-130 Special Operations Hercules variant.
The SOLL II Starlifter looks much like any other C-141B, but it can be recognized by three "knobs" on its chin. One knob is directly under the nose and is a turret for a Texas Instruments AN/AAQ-17 forward looking infra-red (FLIR) imager, which gives the aircraft the ability to "see in the dark". The FLIR imagery is displayed on a CRT at the navigator's station, and on an auxiliary display for the pilot. The navigator points the FLIR turret using a joystick. The FLIR turret can be removed for maintenance.
The other two knobs are for AN/ALE-40 chaff-flare dispensers, and are mounted on the "cheeks" of the aircraft. There are also chaff-flare dispensers in the landing-gear wheel wells and on the wingtips. In addition, the defensive countermeasures suite includes an AN/AAR-44 infrared missile warning sensor fitted under the fuselage, and an AN/ALR-69 radar warning receiver with unobtrusive antennas tacked on to the nose and tail.
The defensive countermeasures system can be set to an "automatic" mode to dispense chaff and flares without crew intervention. The amount of chaff and flares to be dispensed can be preprogrammed. The sensors also provide an audible warning to the crew through their earphones, with the crew dispensing chaff and flares themselves when the system is in "manual" mode. Even the loadmaster can activate the dispensers, as he or she often keeps a "SAM (surface to air missile) watch" from the rear ramp.
The SOLL II Starlifter also includes an enhanced suite of communications equipment and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation gear. The enhancements of the SOLL II increase its weight by about 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds) compared to a "stock" C-141B. Crews are handpicked for night operations, which are conducted with night vision goggles (NVGs). All SOLL II Starlifter cockpit and exterior lighting is NVG-compatible. Additional crewmembers are included for missions of long duration or with high workload requirements. Passengers on SOLL II flights tend to find the low-level flight of the aircraft in pitch darkness, often in formation with another SOLL II aircraft, to be a little unnerving.
Must be a lovely change to be on the ground and hear these coming along at low level in formation.....
"Mallard Formation, two C-141s at low level......" :p :p.... ok ok only a thought :hmm:
---------------------------
In 1994, the Air Force began a program to refit 13 C-141Bs to the "Special Operations Low-Level II (SOLL II)" standard, with a total program cost of $41 million USD. These aircraft are operated by the USAF in behalf of the US Special Operations Command, and include gear for low-level night flying, as well as defensive countermeasures. The SOLL II Starlifters are also sometimes referred to as "Special Operations Forces Improvement Modification (SOFI-Mod)" Starlifters. Exactly what "SOLL I" was is unclear, unsurprising given the clandestine nature of the Special Operations Command, and it may have been an MC-130 or HC-130 Special Operations Hercules variant.
The SOLL II Starlifter looks much like any other C-141B, but it can be recognized by three "knobs" on its chin. One knob is directly under the nose and is a turret for a Texas Instruments AN/AAQ-17 forward looking infra-red (FLIR) imager, which gives the aircraft the ability to "see in the dark". The FLIR imagery is displayed on a CRT at the navigator's station, and on an auxiliary display for the pilot. The navigator points the FLIR turret using a joystick. The FLIR turret can be removed for maintenance.
The other two knobs are for AN/ALE-40 chaff-flare dispensers, and are mounted on the "cheeks" of the aircraft. There are also chaff-flare dispensers in the landing-gear wheel wells and on the wingtips. In addition, the defensive countermeasures suite includes an AN/AAR-44 infrared missile warning sensor fitted under the fuselage, and an AN/ALR-69 radar warning receiver with unobtrusive antennas tacked on to the nose and tail.
The defensive countermeasures system can be set to an "automatic" mode to dispense chaff and flares without crew intervention. The amount of chaff and flares to be dispensed can be preprogrammed. The sensors also provide an audible warning to the crew through their earphones, with the crew dispensing chaff and flares themselves when the system is in "manual" mode. Even the loadmaster can activate the dispensers, as he or she often keeps a "SAM (surface to air missile) watch" from the rear ramp.
The SOLL II Starlifter also includes an enhanced suite of communications equipment and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation gear. The enhancements of the SOLL II increase its weight by about 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds) compared to a "stock" C-141B. Crews are handpicked for night operations, which are conducted with night vision goggles (NVGs). All SOLL II Starlifter cockpit and exterior lighting is NVG-compatible. Additional crewmembers are included for missions of long duration or with high workload requirements. Passengers on SOLL II flights tend to find the low-level flight of the aircraft in pitch darkness, often in formation with another SOLL II aircraft, to be a little unnerving.