Travis Airmen get hands-on look at surface-to-air threat

  • Published
  • By Justin Giovannettone
  • 60th Operations Support Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Members of Team Travis had a chance last week to learn first hand about some of the most dangerous and prevalent threats to mobility aircraft around the world at a demonstration organized by the 60th Operations Support Squadron.

The demonstration allowed more than 200 personnel to operate simulated Man Portable Air Defense Systems on Travis' flightline with aircraft taking off, landing and in flight.
The simulated weapons systems were supplied by the Army's Threat Systems Management office, which designed the devices based on real systems that are used against American aircraft in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The systems had all missiles and explosive materials removed, but were modified to operate and "lock-on" to aircraft just like the real thing.

"This hands-on realistic training provides the aircrews and intelligence personnel a much greater understanding of the threats they face in accomplishing their mission, and as such, helps them develop better methods to counteract them," said Col. James Baron, 60th Operations Group commander.

The experience proved to be an eye-opener for some of the aircrew members who participated.

Capt. John Flynn, 60th Air Mobility Wing executive officer, remarked, "The scariest thing about the MANPADS is that you can take anybody off the street and teach them how to use these systems in five minutes."

In addition to aircrew, security forces, local Federal Bureau of Investigation Homeland Security officials, and intelligence personnel from Travis, Beale Air Force Base, Calif., Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and Dover Air Force Base, Del., also participated in the demonstrations. The OSS Intelligence Flight also hosted several classified briefings and forums with some of the Air Force's and Department of Defense's top MANPADS experts to discuss the threat and ways to counter it.

According to DoD public documents, there are approximately 500,000 MANPADS worldwide with many poorly controlled and available on the black market for as little as $15,000.