Herc additions

[Flap40]

Hi all,

I was taking some pictures of a waterfall in NW Scotland last Thursday when a Herc wizzed past, turned in the tight valley and came passed again.

I took a couple of shots and noticed some strange sticky-out things on the rear fuselage. The best image of these (although not the rest of the plane) is at http://community.webshots.com/user/biggles150 are you allowed to divulge what they are???

Second question - what is the minimum level agl that herc's are allowed down too? (Not that I'd ever claim that it was below!)

Cheers

Hopefully the link now works!

[kokpit]

Dunno, the link doesn't work ;)

[opso]

Although I can't seem to access your photos, I would suspect that what you saw (just in front of the rear para doors?) were the IRCM transmitters. They have been discussed previously in open source (Jane's etc).

Apart from some certain areas of the UK, the lowest level for fixed wing ac, including the Herc, is 250 ft MSD meaning that the ground (including valley walls) shouldn't come within a 250 ft bubble around the ac.

[ppf]

Just a random guess as haven't been able to access the photos either, could have been a USAF special forces one?? :confused:

[Aerobratic]

It is possible you were in an area known as 14(T) where some C130 crews are auth'd to fly at 150' MSD. That is the min auth'd MSD for C130s in the UK.

[warplane.co.uk]

Quite a grotty pic taken late afternoon in January of one of the green uns' showing the IRCM transmitters.

http://www.warplane.co.uk/firepower/lf12121212.jpg

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

Ah yes. That's the new Ram Air Turbine to power the pie oven.
There's another one on the other side to power the beer fridge.

(Takes a second look)

GROTTY??? I'll give you grotty. That is pure sex!

regards

[email protected]

[Jackonicko]

All that follows is already out there and published.

That's Nemesis, chum. Marshall have been fitting it to the newly converted C3A Special Forces aircraft. It's a DIRCM. The aircraft also have provision for an undernose FLIR turret.

[Grimweasel]

Very good photo that now adorns one's desktop. To think, we hang out the para doors looking for fighters!!!
The old 'erk looks so sexy in combat green..mmmmm

[Flap40]

Thanks all for the details.

[HercFairy]

Thats the all singing all dancing DIRCM. A nice bit of kit and by all reports actuly works well! :oh:

Just hope the stick to seat interfaces finds it as easy to work as the oven! ;) :ok:

(ducks!):E

[Barshifter]

Grimweasel


I did see one of these "Green uns" in Cumbria recently and wondered what the guy was doing looking out off the side door.

Cheers

Barshifter;)

[Grimweasel]

Barshifter....

Of course he could be looking for 'chinks' in the UK beach / sea defence??

[Spur Lash]

Is there time to add that the Mighty Merlin HC Mk 3 has had that kit for several years now? Nice to see that the rest of the AF has finally seen sense.:ok:

[SASless]

Northrop Grumman's AN/AAQ-24 (V) NEMESIS system is currently in use by the military in both the United States and the United Kingdom. When NEMESIS detects a missile launch, it determines if it is a threat, warns the aircrew and activates its high-power, countermeasure system to track and defeat the threat. Proven against 35 missiles in totally autonomous live fire tests, the system is in production, and is being installed on a wide array of front-line aircraft.

The loser in the original ATIRCM competition, DIRCM, has not gained as much from ATIRCM’s troubles as it might have, but it has firmed up as a solid competitor. DIRCM’s design initially mounts a directed IR xenon arc lamp, with a laser system planned as a retrofit, while ATIRCM will not be produced until the laser is ready. Advanced configurations -- incorporating a two-color missile warning sensor and laser-based transmitters -- offer lightweight, low drag, high performance options for specific missions.

The AN/AAQ-24(V) NEMESIS system protects large fixed-wing transports and small rotary-wing aircraft from the infrared missile threat by automatically detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat and activating a high-intensity countermeasure system to track and defeat the threat. In 1999, USSOCOM awarded Northrop Grumman a contract modification to produce and install DIRCM systems on 59 Special Operations C-130 aircraft.

The AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) program is one of the US Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM’s) highest priority acquisition programs. This urgently needed aircraft self-protection suite will provide fast and accurate threat detection, processing, tracking, and countermeasures to defeat current and future generation infrared missile threats. DIRCM is designed for installation on a wide range of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. For USSOCOM, the system will be installed on all of Air Force Special Operations Command’s (AFSOCS’s) AC–130 gunships and MC–130 Combat Talon aircraft.

Growth to counter more sophisticated threats is incorporated into the program by providing a path that allows for direct insertion of a laser-based countermeasure when an all-band laser is developed. These capabilities made the DIRCM system, and others like it, strong candidates during USSOCOM’s initial evaluation of the options available.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

No secrets there then.

By the way, while you debate Typhoon, Nimrod, Apache, C130J etc

This is the scumbag C130 Klassic 3A method

1. Decide what gucci stuff would be nice
2. Fly to America
3. Wait a couple of weeks
4. Write cheque
5. Fly back with gucci kit fitted, proven on test ranges (apparently)
6. Thumb nose at all and sundry
7. Fly around Scotland a bit
8. Go to war
9. Collect medals

Contingency plan

1. One of the first ones doesn't work properly
2. Fly back to America (stay in hotel)
3. Produce guarantee
4. Get it fixed for nothing
etc etc

[MOSTAFA]

But the scary thing about is! You get a pretty little LCD that tells you when someones shooting at you!!!!! Oh, by the way you are discouraged from taking evasive action so as not to upset the tracker.:sad:

[NURSE]

can someone give me references to the open sources this information came from?

[MOSTAFA]

Nursey,

Yep, from the company that make it and from the very glossy CD that they dosh out at trade fairs in order to flog it. Aint you got a copy? I still got one somewhere? Now if somebody told you that there are a few operational limitations!! Now that would be different. A bit like letting people know where and when our brave military aircrew go on friday afternoons.

Sorry, that was cheap but chill a bit eh, are you a Chelsea fan thats just watched the outstanding Arsenal result at Highbury? No malice just fun.

PLEASE.

[Jackonicko]

Nursey, the 'limitations' of Nemesis (or perhaps the constraints which it imposes) have been 'on the record' in press briefings at major trade shows, together with the company's explanations on how those limitations can be overcome. As a result, AFJI, Av Week, JDU (before its demise) and many other unclass open sources have revealed far more about Nemesis than anyone has done on here.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

..and there was a major project over-run on the one that went back under guarantee. They said it would take 5 days but in the event it was 8 or 9 days before it was fixed, sorted, doing what it said on the packet.

(This has got sod all to do with Lockheed by the way)

[country calls]

Just to add a bit to two posts on this item: Hercfairy, yes it does work and it is a damn fine bit of kit. Jackonicko, the reason it works so well is Marshalls had nothing to do with it. A rather good contractor in the States was responsible for it.

If MAe had put there fingers in the pie I can guarantee it would not have been half as good, fitted correctly or delivered in budget.