EC-130 COMMANDO SOLO
In 1990 the EC-130 joined the newly
formed Air Force Special Operations Command and has
since been designated Commando Solo, with no change
in mission. This one-of-a-kind aircraft is consistently
improving its capabilities. The next few years should
see continued enhancements to the EC-130 and its world-wide
mission. The EC-130 was deployed to both Saudi Arabia
and Turkey in support of Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Their missions
included broadcasts of "Voice of the Gulf,"
and other programs intended to convince Iraqi soldiers
to surrender. Most recently, in 1994, Commando Solo
was utilized to broadcast radio and television messages
to the citizens and leaders of Haiti during Operation
Uphold Democracy. The EC-130s deployed early in the
operation, highlighting the importance of PSYOP in avoiding
military and civilian casualties. President Aristide
was featured on the broadcasts which contributed significantly
to the orderly transition from military rule to democracy.
The 193 rd
SOG is based at Harrisburg
International Airport, Middletown PA.
· Builder:
Lockheed
· Power
Plant: Four Allison T56-A-15 Turboprop Engines
· Length:
100 ft 6 in; Height: 38 ft 6 in (11.7 meters)
· Wingspan:
132 ft 7 in (40.4 meters)
· Speed:
299 mph
· Ceiling:
22,000 ft
· Maximum
Takeoff Weight: 155,000 lbs
· Range:
2,100-plus miles (unlimited with in-flight refueling)
· Crew:
Four officers (pilot, copilot, navigator, mission
control chief/EWO); seven enlisted (flight engineer,
loadmaster, five mission crew)
· Air
Force (ANG) Inventory: 6
Mission
Commando
Solo is an airborne electronic broadcasting system utilizing
four EC-130E RivetRider (RR) aircraft operated by the
193 rd Special
Operations Group, Pennsylvania Air National Guard. Commando
Solo conducts psychological operations and civil affairs
broadcast missions in the standard AM, FM, HF, TV and
military communications bands. Missions are flown at
maximum altitudes possible to ensure optimum propagation
patterns. This system may also be used to:
· Support
disaster assistance efforts by broadcasting public
information and instruction for evacuation operations.
· Provide
temporary replacement for existing transmitters
or expanding their areas of coverage.
· Other
requirements, which involve radio and television
broadcasting in its frequency, range.
EQUIPMENT
Transmitters
A total of six transmitters cover the
frequency range of 450 KHz to 350 MHz. These transmitters
are capable of high output power and several modes of
operation. Significant advantages of these transmitters
are that the parameters of the transmission can be adjusted
to coincide with established telecommunication standards.
Transmission frequencies can be discrete, which is to
say transmissions will not interfere with adjacent frequencies
or channels.
Transmitting Antennas
Commando Solo utilizes nine fixed antennas
for WE transmissions and one adjustable-length trailing
wire for the MH and HF operations. The single trailing
wire antenna limits the system to one transmission at
a time in the MF/HF bands. Radiation patterns of all
antennas show signal strength greatest at points broadside
to the aircraft, and nulls in signal strength at points
forward and aft of the aircraft.
Effective Radiated Power (ERP)
The ERP of a specific transmission
will depend on the combination of the power of the transmitter,
line loss between the transmitter and antenna, and the
efficiency and gain of the associated antenna. Commando
Solo transmission line loss varies between 0 dB and
1.5 dB.
Radio Receivers
Eight radio receivers provide frequency
coverage from 200 KHz to 1000 MHz. In addition, four
spectrum analyzers, used to check transmission quality,
provide limited receiver capability. The associated
antennas are omnidirectional in pattern; therefore,
the receiver section does not have DF capabilities.
Reception is degraded by transmission in proximity of
the receiver signal.
Secure Communications
Two KY-58 systems are installed, one
system for the flight crew ARC-164 radios and the second
for the mission crew ARC-164 and ARC-186 radios. The
two ARC-164 radios assigned to the flight crew are equipped
with the HAVE QUICK modification.
Employment
The EC-130 flies during either day
or night scenarios and is air refuelable. A typical
mission consists of a single-ship orbit, which is offset
from the desired target audience. The targets may be
either military or civilian personnel. Secondary missions
include command and control communications countermeasures
(C3CM) and limited intelligence gathering.
Civic Action
Commando
Solo capabilities can support civil actions by broadcasting
via radio or TV. ·
Educational
programs and telecasts
· Messages/speeches
by government officials of friendly countries
· Entertainment
and cultural programs
Back
