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BACK TO : PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS (PSYOPS) - General. Rebranded 2010 as MISO
Commando Solo Fact Sheet 
FACT SHEET 193RD SPECIAL OPERATIONS WING COMMANDO SOLO Service: Air Force/Air National Guard (ANG) Primary Function: Psychological Operations (PSYOP) broadcasts Builder: Lockheed Date of Manufacture: 1963 Power Plant: Four Allison T56-A-15 Turboprop Engines Thrust: 4.910 shaft horsepower per engine Length: 100 ft 6 in (30.9 meters) Height: 38 ft 6 in (11.7 meters) Wingspan: 132 ft 7 in (40.4 meters) Speed: 299 mph Ceiling: 20,000 ft Maximum Takeoff Weight: 155,000 lbs (70,455 kg) Range: 2,100 miles (3,380 km) Crew: Four officers (pilot, copilot, navigator, mission control chief/EWO); seven enlisted (flight engineer, loadmaster, five mission crew) IOC: 1992 Unit Flyaway Cost: More than $70 million Air Force Mission: Commando Solo conducts psychological operations and civil affairs broadcast missions in the standard AM, FM, HF, TV, and military communications bands. Missions are flown at maximum altitudes possible to ensure optimum propagation patterns. The EC-130 flies during either day or night scenarios with equal success, and is air refuelable. A typical mission consists of a single-ship orbit which is offset from the desired target audience. The targets may be either military or civilian personnel. Secondary missions include command and control communications countermeasures (C3CM) and limited intelligence gathering. Air Force Features: Highly specialized modifications have been made to the latest version of the EC-130 (Commando Solo). Included in these modifications are enhanced navigation systems, self-protection equipment, and the capability of broadcasting color television on a multitude of worldwide standards throughout the TV VHF/UHF ranges. Air Force (ANG) Inventory: 6 - All flown by 193rd Special Operations Wing. Air Force Background: Air National Guard EC-130 aircraft flown by the 193rd Special Operations Group were deployed to both Saudi Arabia and Turkey in support of Desert Storm. Their missions included broadcasts of "Voice of the Gulf", and other programs intended to convince Iraqi soldiers to surrender. Their "preparation of the battlefield" helped to minimize both enemy and friendly casualties by contributing to the massive Iraqi defections and surrenders. The EC-130 was originally modified using the mission electronic equipment from the EC-121 aircraft, known at the time as Coronet Solo. Soon after the 193rd SOG received its EC-130's, the unit participated in the rescue of U.S. citizens in Operation Urgent Fury in 1983, acting as an airborne radio station informing those people on Grenada of the U.S. military action. Volant Solo, as the mission was now known, was instrumental in the success of coordinated psychological operations (PSYOP) in Operation Just Cause in 1989, again broadcasting throughout the initial phases of the operation to help end the Noriega regime. Most recently, in 1994, Commando Solo was utilized to broadcast radio and television messages to the citizens and leaders of Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy. The EC-130's of the 193rd deployed very early in the operation, highlighting the importance of PSYOP in avoiding military and civilian casualties. President Aristide himself was featured in the broadcasts, which contributed significantly to the orderly transition from military rule to democracy. In 1990 the 193rd joined the newly formed Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and has been designated Commando Solo, with no change in mission. This one-of-a-kind aircraft is consistently improving its capabilities. The next few years should see continued enhancements to the EC-130 and its worldwide missions. (Current as of Aug 1997) E-Mail the PaANG Main Index Join the ANG 100% Tuition 111th Fighter Wing PaANG Units ANG Home Page DMVA Home 171st Air Refueling Wing Lightning Force Academy Privacy and Security Notice 193rd Special Operations Wing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please send technical comments and problems to .
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