UAS FTU to bring new mission to Holloman

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Gen. John Corley, commander of Air Combat Command, with concurrence from the chief of staff of the Air Force, recently announced Holloman as the new location for an additional unmanned aircraft system formal training unit, bringing with it new people and a new mission.

The unmanned aerial vehicles that will operate from Holloman are the MQ-1B Predator, a medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft system and the MQ-9 Reaper, a larger aircraft system which can deliver a greater payload than the Predator. Both systems are remotely piloted by crew members and pilot sensor operators, and now Holloman is one of two units in the Air Force responsible for training them.

"The mission of the FTU here is to meet the Secretary of Defense's directive to graduate 60 crews from fiscal year 2009," said Lt. Col. James Merchant, commander of Det. 1, 29th Attack Squadron. "We're on the path to meet that and actually beat that."

The FTU graduated their first class a month before schedule in April 2009 and have pushed upwards of 22 crew members every six weeks since then. It is expected the FTU will bring 600 to 800 permanent personnel to Holloman by 2011 with 200 to 300 students passing through the base per year, said Colonel Merchant. Bringing this many Airmen and their families to Holloman, he said, will have a positive economic impact on the base and in the local community.

"All of the services [at Holloman] will begin to see more participation," said the colonel. "You bring 600 to 800 folks into a community and I've heard it said that each dollar spent will be spent six to eight times over so ultimately you add up that economic impact and it's pretty substantial. I think it's a small boom to the local community economically."

Holloman will soon have "busier folks" in order to accommodate the Airmen and their families, he said, and a collaboration of squadrons is necessary in maintaining the UAS mission. 

The supply flight of the 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron, for example, will have to coordinate in delivering fuel for the unmanned aerial vehicles, as each takes a different type of fuel. Additionally, the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron will be involved in projected military construction, including add-ons to maintenance buildings and airfield improvements for the UAS, said Colonel Merchant.

The main player in the new mission, however, is Det. 3, 432nd Operations Group. The group falls under the 432nd Wing, an Air Expeditionary Wing dedicated to the MQ-1 and MQ-9 based at Creech Air Force Base, Nev.

Currently, the training unit falls under Det. 3, but it is uncertain whether the FTU will stand up under the detachment or under the 49th Fighter Wing itself, said Colonel Merchant.

"We're still awaiting approval from Headquarters, Air Force," said Colonel Merchant. "After that determination is made, they will stand up an MQ-9 squadron, an MQ-1 squadron, a training squadron and maintenance squadron, so we will have four squadrons in quick succession."

This is made easier, he said, by the resources the F-117 Nighthawk left behind.

"Holloman has really tremendous assets here. The space was vacated by the F-117 so we didn't have to build anymore buildings, the weather is good down here and with it being a new system, the access to restricted airspace makes it a perfect venue for operating these airplanes," said Colonel Merchant.

Local flying operations with the UAS are scheduled to begin in September. Currently, students in training operate airplanes flown out of Creech AFB, but as more aircraft arrive and are assembled at Holloman, the closer the unit comes to flying and training locally to support the Air Combat Command's growing demand for UAS capabilities.

"We are thrilled the Air Force and Air Combat Command have chosen to establish the Unmanned Aircraft System formal training unit at Holloman," said Col. Jeff Harrigian, 49th Fighter Wing commander. "Every member of Team Holloman will be directly involved in the success of this mission. Our ability to provide the right mix of existing facilities, restricted airspace, strong community support and great weather will ensure this vital mission is successful here."

The unit so far has received five MQ-1s and one MQ-9, and the number of aircraft Holloman will receive in total relies on how many are needed in theatre. In any case, Colonel Merchant believes this unmanned aerial system FTU is here to stay.

"Really, it comes down to where the Air Force is going in the long run," he said. "The F-35 is coming on line and the words were already said that the future of the Air Force is the F-22A [Raptor], the F-35 [Lightning II] and the UAS. I foresee that the formal training unit here is going to be here 10 to 15 years from now and they will be flying completely different UAVs."