Posted on 04/21/2006 4:19:48 PM PDT by SandRat
4/21/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Imagine being pinned down by enemy forces, with no relief in sight. Now, imagine picking up a phone and calling your friendly local fighter pilot, flying overhead only miles away, for help.
With the new Fighter Aircraft Communication Enhancement, or FACE, pod, ground units in combat are now able to do just that.
Fielded for the first time in late 2004, the FACE pod is a solution to communication problems often experienced by aircraft in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan.
Used effectively in several theaters, the FACE pod allows ground units to communicate with aircraft ready to provide close-air support through the Air Support Operations Center in Bagram, Afghanistan.
“Aircraft communications are primarily line-of-sight,” said Col. Greg Touhill, director of communications at the Combined Air Operations Center here. “The mountains in Afghanistan were creating communication issues for our A-10 aircraft in that region. This technology is a solution to that problem.”
The pod enables ground units to relay their coordinates to patrolling aircraft, allowing them to engage the enemy as needed.
“Our engineers hollowed out a jamming pod, put two iridium satellite-based telephones in it, and interfaced that with the aircraft’s radio,” Colonel Touhill said. “Now, any aircraft that can carry a pod can use this technology with little or no modification, and it’s highly effective.”
A U.S. Central Command Air Forces initiative, the FACE pod was developed in cooperation with the Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
“It’s important that we keep finding innovative ways to solve operational problems,” Colonel Touhill said. “The FACE pod is another example of how we are leveraging technology to support the warfighter.”
Call in the Close-Air Support
What I gotta dial to have a nuke delivered? Anybody got the number?
Close air support, it does not get any better than that.
All fighter pilots are busy now. Please stay on the line for the next available combat officer. Do not hang up or you will lose your place in line.
I'm thinking the neighbor better have a BIG yard.
BTW did you ever get those sledge hammer holes fixed after that fly got in your house last summer?
....your call is important to us.....
Don't let Iran know about this.
Wait til Iran finds out who has the call overflow contract in the area.
hava,... nigalya hava,... nigalya hava,...nigalya ooooooo ree-daaa-ma!
Dial 1 to speak with an Air Force Fighter Pilot,
Dial 2 to speak with a naval aviator,
Dial 33564732894059378374575894993040004440050687837662849950 to speak with a really smoking hot female A-10 pilot
Press the pound key to call in all Marine aviation assets within 100 miles of your location
Shortages were not the only communications problems found during the invasion of Grenada; interoperability was another. For example, uncoordinated use of radio frequencies prevented radio communications between Marines in the north and Army Rangers in the south. As such, interservice communication was prevented, except through offshore relay stations, and kept Marine commanders unaware for too long that Rangers were pinned down without adequate armor. In a second incident, it was reported that one member of the invasion force placed a long distance, commercial telephone call to Fort Bragg, N.C. to obtain C-130 gunship support for his unit which was under fire. His message was relayed via satellite and the gunship responded.
Fielded for the first time in late 2004, the FACE pod is a solution to communication problems often experienced by aircraft in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan.
So, getting some FACE time with our boys has a new and more explosive result?
Sheesh, I feel so pasted up!
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
L
"Press One for English"
L
Another item to arise from Urgent Fury was the TCP/IP transport layer protocol.
Thanks for the ping!
"bob":< heavy Indian accent > This is "bob."
Lt.: We need a JDAM at these coordinates.
"bob": Please to reboot terrorists. (shuffling paper) Press ctrl-alt-bang.
Lt.: Hurry, we're pinned down by a machine gun in a minaret.
"bob": Please to reinstall magazine and restart weapon.
Lt.: We need air support now!!
"bob": Thanks to you for calling Dell -- er, uhm US Air Force.
< Click >
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