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Airborne and Special Operations
U.S. Army
Operational Test Command
2175 Reilly Road, Stop A, ATTN: TEOT-AB
Fort
Bragg, North Carolina
Phone: 910.396.2800 DSN 236 • E-mail: ABNSOTD
Mission
The mission of the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate is to plan, execute, and report on assigned Five Year Test Programs and Customer Tests for Joint airborne and Special Operations Forces to support doctrine development and the materiel acquisition process. On order, it supports developmental testing using test parachutists and conducts airdrop certification of all airborne and airdrop equipment. It sustains the morale, welfare, and training of our Soldiers, civilians, and family members.
Vision
Be forward focused and a respected Operational Test Directorate that supports current, future, and transformation warfighter requirements through timely, unbiased, rigorous, and realistic service-unique and joint testing to ensure Soldier safety and battlefield success.
Who We Are
The Army's independent operational testers for airborne, airdrop, and Joint Special Operations Forces.
What We Do
Test Soldier-essential Army combat systems that can be transported in, airdropped from or transported outside of Army or Air Force aircraft.
Determine risks associated with new aircraft, systems or procedures prior to use by operational paratroopers.
Test joint service equipment and aerial delivery methods, including--
- Parachute systems.
- Air delivery techniques for new or modified combat equipment.
- Individual weapons or equipment used by airborne forces.
- Equipment transported inside or outside of Army, Air Force, or commercial aircraft.Conduct airdrop certification for delivering equipment loads and personnel to combat zones by testing--
- Internal loads aboard fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
- External loads using helicopters.
- Static line parachute procedures.
- Military free-fall parachute procedures.
- Low velocity or dual row airdrop loads using high performance USAF aircraft.Record all visual action from exit to ground impact and recovery using state-of-the-art instrumentation, such as--
- Ground-Based Video Tracking Systems.
- Aerial photography from T-34 chase aircraft or paratrooper helmet-mounted cameras.
- Global Positioning System (GPS)-based instrumentation attached to jumpers and equipment loads.
- High-speed videography and digital still photography.
History
OTC's most unique test directorate is the
Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate
(ABNSOTD) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The
Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate
formally began as a service board activated in
December 1944 at Camp Mackall, North
Carolina. Its history can be traced back through the Testing and
Developing Section of the Airborne Command, organized in 1942 at
Camp Mackall, to the original Parachute Test Platoon, activated at
Fort Benning, Georgia, in June 1940. Following the end of World War
II, the Airborne Board was incorporated into Army Ground Forces
Board on 1 October 1945.
As a
direct descendant of the original parachute test
platoon in 1940, this directorate is not only
responsible for the testing of new parachutes
and airborne equipment, but is also chartered to
certify every item of Army equipment to be
airdropped, airlifted, sling-loaded, or in any
way transported or delivered by Army or Air
Force aircraft.
Certification for every class and type of
aircraft for airdrop of personnel and equipment,
including new military, foreign, and commercial
aircraft, comes as a result of testing by this
directorate and is finalized with the
publication of approved airdrop rigging
procedures in the appropriate technical and
training manuals.
Directorate personnel perform extensive testing
of Soldier equipment to be employed in airborne
operations, ranging from new personnel parachute
systems to any new or modified combat equipment
or individual weapons systems.
The ABNSOTD
Military Free-Fall Section tests numerous
state-of-the-art components and procedures
directly related to Special Operations Forces (SOF)
infiltration and exfiltration requirements to
meet both present day immediate operational
needs and those of the future.
The Electronics Branch uses state-of-the-art
instrumentation placed on test jumpers or test
loads to indicate and record specific test data
as directed by the test officers. Data includes
G-force opening shock load, heavy drop load
force transfer, pitch-roll-yaw, and time coded
positional data.
ABNSOTD has the critical responsibility to
provide dynamic, responsive, and quality testing
in order to meet the needs of the airborne and
special operations communities.