1 - The Black Vault

COMBAT KNIFE
under the MOD-70 program, the designation was
changed to C-130E(CT) to signify that they had
been modified to the Clamp configuration, which
was the name assigned to the suite of modifica -
tions done on the Fulton STARS aircraft. Aircraft
64-0571 and 64-0572 did not have the Fulton system
installed because they were replacement aircraft
for Vietnam combat losses during 1967. The
decision was made at the time that 12 Fultoncapable
Combat Talons were sufficient to satisfy
worldwide requirements. Other than the Fulton
STARS, these two aircraft were Clamp configured
just as the other 12 Combat Talons and were also
given the new C-130E (CT) designation. Combat
Talons 64-0564 and 64-0565 had been transferred
to the Heavy Chain program in 1966 and received
their modifications under the Rivet Yard program.
Those two aircraft would be modified in 1970 under
the MOD-70 program, but would remain Yard
configured along with 62-1843 and 63-7785. The
four Heavy Chain aircraft would be modified in
1973 under the Combat Talon program and be
designated C-130E(Y), which signified that they
were equipped with the Yank ECM suite of modifications.
Yank aircraft would be assigned exclusively
to the Pacific area of responsibility and op -
erated by the Combat Spear unit there.
By the end of February 1972, MOD-70 instructors
and students had flown more than 450 hours
in aircraft 64-0561 and 64-0562. The new radar
performed well during the test period, especially
considering the availability of spare parts and the
experience of maintenance personnel. The Texas
Instruments technical representative, Niel Staub,
along with dedicated Air Force maintenance technicians
assigned to Detachment 4, were responsible
for much of this early success. Through the
entire test period, the radar did not once perform
below designed system tolerances while in the
terrain-following mode. Pilots liked the new radar,
although numerous fail indications frequently interrupted
low-level radar operations. In most
cases the left-seat pilot switched the mode-selector
control rapidly between selected outputs (called
mode toggling) and usually cleared the malfunction
indication. Another aircrew concern was that
the ground-mapping mode was severely degraded
during operations in poor weather. The effective
range of the KA band radar was reduced to
three to five miles when flying in visible precipitation.
The most severe problem experienced by
the aircrew was illumination of the radar air-fail
light during high-level operations. When climbing
to altitude, radar cooling was insufficient above
16,000 feet, thus rendering the radar inoperative
above that point. High-altitude low-opening
drops were routinely made up to 25,000 feet.
This deficiency was noted as unacceptable by
the test crew. 51
Throughout the test phase the LN-15J inertial
navigation system was the primary navigational
mode used by the crew. The aircraft seldom
strayed more than one-half NM off track. When
the Loran C and Doppler were used as the primary
navigational modes, their performances were
closely monitored by the navigators to ensure accurate
system operation. Early flights determined
that the position of the aircraft remained within
one-fourth NM of the flight-plan track when integrated
navigation modes were utilized. 52
The MOD-70 aircraft proved to be a major advancement
in the capabilities of Combat Talon.
Beginning in the fall of 1971, as aircraft were
modified by LAS Ontario, deficiencies found by the
318th test crew and squadron permanent-party instructors
were corrected by the contractor and incorporated
into the MOD-70 design. The second
MOD-70 aircraft, 64-0561, was delivered to the
318th on 22 December 1971. At the close of the
year, the 318th had three permanent-party crews
trained in the MOD-70 weapons system and possessed
three aircraft—MOD-70 aircraft 64-0561,
64-0562, and nonmodified aircraft 64-0571—with
aircraft 64-0558 in MOD-70 upgrade at LAS Ontario.
53 In summary, 1971 had been a watershed
year for Combat Knife. The unit that had begun as
a flight of the 779th TCS had grown to Detachment
2 of the 1st SOW, thence to a fully manned
special operations squadron—the 318th SOS.
1972: Combat Talon 64-0558
Is Lost Over South Carolina
As 1972 began MOD-70 testing was in full
swing. The squadron was awarded the TAC Unit
Achievement Award for accident-free operations
during the period 17 January 1971–16 January
1972. The squadron also participated in Exercise
Gallant Hand 72 with one aircraft and crew. The
mission aircraft launched out of Pope AFB for a
Special Forces A-Team airborne infiltration into
the Fort Hood, Texas, area. The air-dropped team
conducted reconnaissance operations and prepared
a landing site for a subsequent air-mobile
assault. The crew recovered at Canon AFB, New
Mexico, after the drop and flew a second mission
the next day. After departing Canon AFB the aircrew
flew a diversionary penetration into the Fort
Hood area with F-4C fighter interceptors scheduled
69