C-17 testers airdrop Army Stryker mobile gun system

af.mil ^ | 08/19/2004 | 1st Lt. Brooke Davis

[murdocj]

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- An aircrew from the C-17 Globemaster III combined test force here successfully airdropped a mobile gun system for the first time during a feasibility test Aug. 13. The system fits the Army's Stryker engineer squad vehicle.

The Army is testing the 52,500-pound system to possibly equip the armored vehicle to meet operational needs.

"There is a present need to have airdrop capability for the mobile gun system, and we performed the feasibility test to see if the impact of an airdrop is consistent with static impact testing the Army has already completed," said Alec Dyatt, 418th Flight Test Squadron C-17 CTF flight test engineer.

Before the airdrop here, the Army performed static airdrop impact tests to build a honeycomb cargo carrier for the system to absorb energy generated by a 12-foot drop, Mr. Dyatt said.

During those tests, the Stryker was equipped with strain gages to measure the forces on the vehicle after a 12-foot drop, Mr. Dyatt said.

The purpose of the feasibility airdrop was to verify if the extraction system was adequate, demonstrate the system could be extracted safely and verify there was sufficient clearance in the C-17 for it to be extracted, said Dan Jones, a 418th FLTS systems engineer.

"We built up to this test by dropping a cargo container that contained steel plates with the same mass properties as the mobile gun system (on Aug. 11)," Mr. Jones said.

The cargo container is equipped with 10 100-foot diameter parachutes that allow the container to hit the ground with the same force as if it had been dropped from 12 feet, Mr. Jones said.

During the airdrop, the cargo was pulled out of the aircraft with three 28-foot parachutes that are attached to the cargo platform, Mr. Jones said. After leaving the aircraft, 10 100-foot parachutes open, allowing the cargo to drift to the ground at about 28 feet-per-second.

"The next step after the feasibility test is to have the Stryker vehicle undergo full developmental testing, which will conclude when the Army performs three operational extractions," said Maj. Landon Henderson, 418th FLTS C-17 test director and test pilot.

[murdocj]

This could be a big development for the Stryker folks. Pic (incl. a hi-res version) at af.mil

[68skylark]

Here's a thumbnail version of the pic:

[scab4faa]

read later

[A. Morgan]

WOW!

[ken5050]

AT & T airdrop.."reach out and REALLY touch someone.."

[VOA]

C-17 testers airdrop Army Stryker mobile gun system

maybe I missed this...
but does the crew take the ride down in the unit?

[somemoreequalthanothers]

You are kidding?

[wyattearp]

Not and live. The impact and deceleration forces would break every bone in their bodies.

[VOA]

You are kidding?

Honestly, having never parachuted myself, I was asking naively.

Seeing how mobility seems to be the objective of this exercise and that the unit
already weighs in at over 50,000 pounds, I figured that it wouldn't be that big of a deal
to load the crew (and the padding/airbags to cushion them)...
thus deliver the vehicle and crew at once...in one spot.

I can understand that the "dropped from 12 feet" may mean that humans aboard ain't
gonna' happen...but couldn't help wondering...

[VOA]

Not and live. The impact and deceleration forces would break every bone in their bodies.

Thanks for the info.
I was just asking a naive civilian-that's-never-parachuted-in-my-life question.

[Snickersnee]

In the mid-1960s I was witness to a big "Hollywood" drop involving division engineer assets -- a militarized D-4 bulldozer suffered a 3-chute "streamer" after coming out of the C-133 it was pushed from. I remember the graceful arc of the dozer's trajectory, and the sound it made when it landed directly atop an M-151 jeep that had just made a perfect touchdown.

I understand the D-4 was dismantled and hauled away, and most of it actually ran again eventually. But there wasn't much they could do with the 151. Not being six inches high and all....

[Harpo Speaks]

I'd hate to be the guy on the ground waiting for the ammo to get dropped!

[RIGHT IN LAS VEGAS]

I like the up close and personal view

I like the up close and personal view

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I was not trying to be rude, but I had a good chuckle over it. :)

[somemoreequalthanothers]

From a former heavy equipment operator....what a waste of a perfectly good D4......

[VOA]

I was not trying to be rude, but I had a good chuckle over it. :)

Not to worry...I didn't think you were being rude.

Not having "chuted" myself, I wasn't sure if that "drop from 12 feet" stat
ruled out the human factor.

I guess I've seen too many movies where the human body defies the cruel truth of physics!

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I have never jumped either (they would probably have to kick me out the first time) but I picture me sitting in a 25 ton truck and free falling 12 feet, and all I could envision is......goo.

[Dinsdale]

Just for the record Russian airborn armor and guns ARE deployed with crew on board.

[VOA]

Just for the record Russian airborn armor and guns ARE deployed with crew on board.

Maybe that's (one reason) why Russians conscripts have lots of complaints!!!

[TexasCowboy]

"and all I could envision is......goo."

All I can envision is a medicine cabinet full of Preparation H.

[wyattearp]

"I have never jumped either (they would probably have to kick me out the first time) but I picture me sitting in a 25 ton truck and free falling 12 feet, and all I could envision is......goo."

And add to that about 250 mph of forward air speed suddenly coming to a halt...

[murdocj]

The 12 feet the article talks about is the testing, not this drop. They don't say how high the actual drop was from, but the pic seems to be from quite a ways up. Maybe I'm wrong, but that looks like some roads down there. A lot more than 12 feet up.

[yhwhsman]

the sound it made when it landed directly atop an M-151 jeep that had just made a perfect touchdown

LOL. I had two thoughts. One, the crew that dropped the dozer shoulda been assigned to a bomber crew, pretty good accuracey. Second, is this the military version of smashing a beer can on your forehead?

[Calvin Locke]

There's a show on ejections. An F111 crew ejected in Germany. The "capsule" hit the ground pretty hard, cracking some vertebrae.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Stryker Brigade Combat Team Tactical Studies Group (Chairborne)

You want on this ping list?

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Ya gotta see this.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Have you seen all these threads?

[avg_freeper]

I have a funny video that I will try to post later when I get home. It'll answer your question pretty well.

[armymarinemom]

Freepers should keep this in mind when people complain about troop realignment. The Pacific forces have gone through a lot of changes.

[John Jorsett]

Man is this badly written. After the first two paragraphs, I was thinking that just the gun system alone weighed 26 tons, and was wondering if they were outfitting Strykers with cannons stripped from surplus destroyers.

[Michael121]

The actual Impact would be as if being dropped from 12 feet.

[Michael121]

That would be pretty cool but asking for Destoyer support means calling for VW's in effect, the 16 inchers way about as much.

They would either be one BIG mobile mover, or carry only one shell.... but think of the damage.....

[R. Scott]

Great they can do it. It has the added benefit of giving the troops a lot of sunshade material.

[17th Miss Regt]

Sounds like this ended up better than when a M-551 Sheridan was dropped to test its air drop capability. A streamer and embedded about 6 feet into the ground. It did not operate real well after that.

[dts32041]

and the sound it made when it landed directly atop an M-151 jeep

Bet it was and MP Jeep to, use to know one of the MP Airborne Commanders, and he was still complaining about the jeeps he lost on those Hollywood drops, and what a problem it was to get them replaced.

I sanitized his remarks.

[avg_freeper]

Here's that video:

airdrop video

Although I admit that these events probably weren't very funny for the airlift crews.

[avg_freeper]

check out my post #36.

[murdocj]

Didn't know there was such a thing. Ping me!

[Khurkris]

lol...there have been some pretty funny things pushed out the back (or side) of a C-7a's, R4D's (C-117's), C-130's, etc. while they were flying low & slow...lol. Some landed safely, some bounced and some broke.

[exnavy]

This is way cool.

[R. Scott]

OUCH!

[FreedomPoster]

I have a buddy that's a C-17 pilot, and got the insider's tour of the aircraft in June. That is one neat, very well thought-out piece of hardware.

[SLB]

Might want to remind all the M-8 Armored Gun System was dropped from a C-130, not a C-17. What I see is the Army retreating from the C-130 requirement and settling for the C-17. I was under the impression the C-130 was a requirement the Army brass would not back away from. Guess they have.

[VOA]

Thanks for the video. It looks like air-dropping anything is NOT a trivial exercise.

That video would fit on the "Maximum Exposure" syndicated show:

http://www.maximumexp.com/

[spectr17]

Although I admit that these events probably weren't very funny for the airlift crews.

The airlift crews and controllers put the load on target. The red hats (riggers) are the ones who get the ribbing and buy the beer for when the load rigging malfunctions. We sure thanked em for all that beer.

[Squantos]

New paratrooper was calling home talking to his dad about his first jump at Benning. He told his dad he froze in the door and the jumpmaster told him that he was gay and there was only one way he was gonna get out of jumping that day......

The troops dad asked if he jumped and the kid said.....yeah , a little at first !

[Squantos]

My # 46..........

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Now that is a Real Photo!