U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa
October 31, 2013
Polish armed forces contribute to first-ever training event for USAF
By 2nd Lt. Katrina Cheesman
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
POWIDZ AIR BASE, Poland: The U.S. Air Force successfully completed the first-ever Joint Precision Air Drop System (JPADS) delivery in the U.S. European Command region during the bilateral theater security cooperation event, Aviation Detachment Rotation 14-1, Oct. 14-25. U.S. forces were based at Powidz AB, home to the Polish Air Force’s 33rd Air Transport Base, for the event.
JPADS, a precision-guided airdrop system, provides rapid, precise high-altitude delivery capabilities that do not rely on ground transportation.
“JPADS is vital to operations during both humanitarian and combat missions,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Spears, commander of the U.S. Av-Det in Poland. “It ensures accurate delivery while providing aircraft with increased survivability.”
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During the precision air drop, both U.S. and Polish forces combined their efforts to achieve mission success. The Polish land forces helped clear and secure the range for the drop, and U.S. personnel on the ground provided drop zone control and clearance and recovered the bundle. Polish air force C-130E aircrew were onboard the U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules to observe the delivery. The bundle, dropped on the Drawsko Pomorskie Range in northwestern Poland, landed within 25 meters of the desired point of impact.
“Because of range restrictions and lack of availability in other European locations, this is the first JPADS delivery in Europe,” said Spears. “It’s through training events like this that U.S. and Poland continue to build partnership capacity.”
Commander of the Polish air force’s C-130 squadron, Lt. Col. Krzysztof Szymaniec, marked the drop as an excellent demonstration of the partnership between the U.S. and Polish air forces.
“I am very proud that Poland is the first to offer this capability to the U.S.,” said Szymaniec.
U.S. members from the Av-Det, which falls under the 52nd Operations Group, 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, along with the 37th Airlift Squadron, of the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein AB, Germany, combined for several other training events during the two-week period, to include take-offs and landings on unimproved runways and air drops of equipment and supplies. Additionally, the combined units practiced air drops of equipment, supplies, and personnel which included both U.S. Army and Polish Land Force paratroopers.
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Two more JPADS drops are planned during the final week of the aircraft rotation.
Four times a year, U.S. aircraft, service members and civilian contractors will rotate to the Av Det to foster bilateral defense ties, enhance regional security and increase interoperability as NATO allies through combined training exercises.
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