Hickam C-17 Drops a Navy Boat Over Pacific

Source / copyright : US Air Force

Published on ASDNews: Feb 3, 2011

Andersen AFB, Guam - It was 0'dark-thirty and only the blue line of runway lights met the joint Air Force and Navy crew under the wings of a C-17 Globemaster III. A 535th Airlift Squadron aircrew from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Unit One from Guam teamed up to drop a boat out of the back of a C-17 using the Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System recently. With more than 19,000 pounds locked in, and parachute riggings in place, the joint team strapped in was ready to go. The weather was ideal, the sea state was low and the jet had no maintenance issues. The training stage was set and execution was the only thing on their minds. "This training is so important for forging and refining joint capabilities in the Pacific," said Capt. Alan Partridge, a 535th AS C-17 pilot. "The (Naval Special warfare Unit One) is extremely good at what they do, but don't have dedicated aerial delivery. The 535th is a fully capable airland and airdrop C-17 squadron in Hawaii with boat-drop-qualified aircrews. The more we train together, the more prepared we will be for (U.S. Pacific Command) and (U.S. Special Operation Command, Pacific) to leverage their assets in response to the challenges of the future."