1 - The Black Vault

ROAD TO COMBAT TALON II
slipped indefinitely due to continuing unsatisfactory
progress of the aircraft’s radar. The USAF
conducted a thorough program review during the
latter half of 1988, which resulted in the program
being restructured and having a more realistic
IOC date established. During 1988 five more C-
130H aircraft were delivered—88-0191, 88-0192,
88-0193, 88-0194, and 88-0264—thus bringing the
number of CT II identified airframes delivered to
the USAF to 16 aircraft. The five aircraft were
cycled through LAS Ontario’s Chino facility for
initial modifications then put in long-term storage
at Lockheed-Georgia, and at Rickenbacker AFB,
Ohio, awaiting further modification at E-Systems.
Flight testing at Edwards AFB and CT II modifi -
cations at Greenville continued on the first 11 aircraft.
For the 8th SOS the full impact of the slip
of the Combat Talon II IOC date began to unfold
during the fall of 1988.
After assuming command and settling into the
job, Thigpen focused on the number of aircraft
available to the squadron for operational use.
The Talon I test programs, along with PDM and
modification schedules, steadily reduced the
number of available aircraft to the 8th SOS
throughout the fall of 1988, with an all-time low
of one Talon I aircraft projected to be available in
the spring of 1989. Without the Combat Talon II
aircraft to offset the loss of the Talon Is, the
squadron could not fulfill its commitments. With
responsibility for the formal Combat Talon
School and facing an ORI in January, the situation
had to change. At the annual Combat Talon
Management Review conference held at LAS Ontario
in the fall of 1988, the problem was surfaced,
and possible solutions were discussed. During
follow-up actions spearheaded by the Twenty-Third
AF, the modification schedule was adjusted by slipping
several input dates. Agreements also were
reached with SOCPAC and SOCEUR that essentially
assured that the 8th SOS would not fall
below four aircraft being assigned at any time.
Four aircraft available at Hurlburt Field were
the minimum required to keep the Combat Talon
School functioning, keep assigned crews profi -
cient, and support joint requirements with a twoaircraft
package. The agreement would leave the
1st and 7th SOS with only two Combat Talons
much of the time, but each squadron was augmented
with an assigned slick C-130E to provide
additional pilot- and navigator-proficient sorties.
The 8th SOS also was assigned a C-130E for basicproficiency
flying.
With a plan developed to ensure Talon I availability,
the 8th SOS prepared for its upcoming
ORI scheduled for January 1989. The 1st SOW
had not been given an ORI since the December
1985 Purple Duck evaluation at Biggs AAF. Since
that time MAC had completely rewritten ORI criteria
by which the wing would be evaluated. Using
a building-block approach, the wing conducted
limited recall and mobilization exercises and then
put the parts together during a local ORE. By
December a second ORE had been completed, and
wing leadership felt that they were ready for the
following month’s evaluation.
1989: Project 46 Is Terminated
Although Forward Look was still in the implementation
phase in January 1989, the ORI of the
1st SOW would be the first test of the Twenty-
Third AF’s reorganization. With only one SOF
wing in the numbered air force, the 1st SOW represented
the majority of USAF’s SOF capability.
The 1st SOW ORI, named Jaguar Bite, was conducted
from 9 January to 17 February 1989. The
US Special Operations Command sponsored the
exercise. It was the first JCS-coordinated, USSO-
COM-sponsored exercise and had the largest participation
of Air Force SOF assets in the history of
Air Force SOF. Along with four Combat Talons
from the 8th SOS, the 1st SOW deployed MH-
53H Pave Low helicopters and AC-130H gunships
to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when alerted by the
MAC IG team. Weather was a significant factor
during the exercise, with wind-chill factors recorded
at minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the
Montana exercise area and minus 50 degrees in
Michigan. 82 Elements of the USA’s 1st Special Operations
Command provided most of the ground
forces for the ORI. The 39th SOW at Eglin AFB
also participated with its assigned HC-130 and
MH-60 aircraft, but they were not part of the 1st
SOW’s evaluation.
The exercise was unprecedented in scope and
duration, taking place over a 40-day period and
encompassing operations based out of Hurlburt
Field, Pope AFB, and Fort Campbell. Rotarywing
operations were conducted as far north as
the upper peninsula of Michigan. The western
exercise area centered on Helena, Montana, and
primarily involved the 8th SOS Combat Talons.
Despite the weather and the extreme distances
flown, the most grueling evaluation in SOF history
resulted in an overall rating of excellent by
the MAC IG. Some problems surfaced in command
and control and in joint coordination, but
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