Open house showcases battlelab technology

Published Jan. 5, 2006
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula A. Paige
Air Mobility Warfare Center Public Affairs

MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AMCNS) -- James Bond had "Q," the resourceful scientist who enhanced the fictional British uber-spy’s operations with lifesaving gadgets. And Air Mobility Command has the Battlelab, a technology incubator of Airmen and civilian contractors, who recently showcased some of their projects, while appealing for ideas, during an open house here.

More than 75 people showed up for the lunch-time event at McGuire’s Co-located Club, which attracted senior leadership from AMC's headquarters at Scott AFB, Ill., and McGuire’s active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard communities.

The open house was a chance to educate AMC’s busy Airmen about the mission of the Battlelab, said Col. Phil Bradley, the unit’s commandant.

“We want to get the word out about the Battlelab to all our warriors,” said Colonel Bradley, noting that his office’s recent outreach efforts have also included promotions at Dover AFB, Del., the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference in Washington, D.C., and the Airlift/Tanker Association Conference and Symposium in Nashville, Tenn. “Some of the best ideas we’ve worked have come from company grade officers and NCOs,” the commandant said. “The ultimate customer of the Air Mobility Battlelab is the guy or gal on the frontline. I hope we get two or three tough problems from the field, so we can solicit industry for possible solutions."

Housed in the state-of-the-art Air Mobility Warfare Center, one of the bright spots on the adjoining Fort Dix landscape, McGuire’s Battlelab is the newest of seven such research facilities around the country. They demonstrate new technologies and procedures for airlift and tanker operations, aeromedical evacuation, information technology and air mobility support. The primary focus is to evaluate the military utility of off-the-shelf technology, which may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of AMC operations. Battlelab staffers typically brief AMC decision-makers about new projects in less than 18 months.

“Wow! I used to be a flight engineer, so I can really see how this can make a difference,” said Senior Master Sgt. Ed Williams, an air Reserve technician from the 514th Communications Squadron, who attended the open house and observed a demonstration of the C-130 Performance Calculator. The handheld device – essentially an electronic flight bag – may someday replace reams of paper and those heavy pubs bag carried by flight crews.

“I’d buy this right now,” declared Lt. Col. Rich Keyes, director of operations for the 6th Airlift Squadron, as he examined the advanced contingency airfield lighting system, which provides standard as well as infrared lighting for aircraft landings.

Other Battlelab projects on display at the open house included the Halvorson Air Stairs Kit, or HASK, a flight of stairs that mount to the side of a Halvorson 25K loader, transforming it into a dual-use piece of material handling equipment. The HASK can function as a set of stairs compatible with commercial aircraft for off-loading passengers and crew, in addition to its original purpose of off-loading cargo.

For one attendee, the Battlelab’s open house had already fulfilled its mission: “We’ve tested noise-canceling headsets and night-vision goggles for boom operators over the past few years," said Col. Mike Cunniff, commander of the 108th Air Refueling Wing, the Air National Guard unit base at McGuire. “Today, I picked up some information on how the Battlelab takes a project from a concept to getting it out in the field.”