The Praetorian STARShip The Untold Story of the Combat Talon J ERRY L. THIGPEN Colonel, USAF, Retired Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama December 2001 Air University Library Cataloging Data Thigpen, Jerry L., 1946– The Praetorian STARShip : the untold story of the Combat Talon / Jerry L. Thigpen. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-58566-103-1 1. Hercules (Turboprop transports)—History. 4. Search and rescue operations—United States—History. 5. Airdrop—History. I. Title. 358.41‘35‘0973—dc21 Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited. ii This book is dedicated to all Special Operators, both living and dead. All men dream: but not equally. Those who Dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds Wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the Dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they May act their dream with open eyes, to make it Possible. This I did. —T. E. Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Definitions Praetor: A high elected magistrate of the Roman Republic, ranking below the consulate and functioning for one year as a high judge and for the next year as the chief administra- tor of a province. Praetorian Guard: The elite guard of the Roman emperors, usually numbering about 5,000 men. Originally the bodyguard of a praetor under the Roman Republic. STARS: Acronym for the surface-to-air recovery system (or Fulton Recovery System). The Praetorian STARShip: A unique unconventional warfare aircraft designed to infil- trate, resupply, and exfiltrate elite US Army Special Forces, US Navy SEALs, and US Air Force Air Commando personnel into denied areas utilizing both clandestine and covert operational procedures—more commonly known as Combat Talon. Note: At the request of the author, some first names are omitted after chapter 7. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER . ii DEDICATION . iii DEFINITIONS . v FOREWORD . xv ABOUT THE AUTHOR . xvii PREFACE . xix A WORD FROM THE COMMANDER . xxiii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . xxv INTRODUCTION . xxix 1 Establishment of Combat Talon . 1 Notes . 17 2 The Combat Talon Weapons System . 19 Notes . 57 3 Combat Knife (The Pope Air Force Base Years: 1965–74) . 59 Notes . 74 4 Combat Spear (The Vietnam War Years: 1966–74) . 77 Notes . 120 5 Combat Arrow (Europe: 1968–74) . 123 Notes . 136 6 The Son Tay Prisoner of War Raid (1970) . 139 Notes . 157 7 Between the Wars (1975–79) . 159 Notes . 177 8 The Iranian Rescue Mission (1979–80) . 179 Notes . 233 9 Project Honey Badger and Credible Sport (1980–81) . 235 Notes . 250 10 From Desert One to Point Salines (1981–83) . 251 Notes . 287 11 Road to Combat Talon II (1984–89) . 291 Notes . 315 12 Operation Just Cause (1989–90) . 317 Notes . 335 vii Chapter Page 13 Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990–91) . 337 Notes . 366 14 Mount Pinatubo to Operation Joint Endeavor (1991–95) . 369 Notes . 416 15 Operation Assured Response to the New Millennium (1996–2000) . 419 Notes . 458 EPILOGUE . 461 Appendices A Live Fulton STARS Made by Combat Talon Aircraft . 467 B Partial Summary of Upgrades, MOD-90 Combat Talon I . 473 GLOSSARY . 477 INDEX . 485 Illustrations Figure 1 Servicing Diagram for C-130E(I), circa 1967 . 20 2 C-130A/B Fulton Skyhook Installation (External View) . 31 3 C-130A/B Fulton Skyhook Installation (Internal View) . 32 4 Miscellaneous Recovery Equipment for STARS-Equipped C-130E . 34 5 Typical Recovery Sequence a. Aircraft Approaches Lift Line . 35 b. Aircraft Engages Lift Line . 35 c. Lift Line Engaged by Parahook . 35 d. Snatch Block Attached to Lift Line . 35 e. Anchor Clamp Attached to Lift Line . 35 f. Snatch Block and Parahook Removed from Lift Line . 36 g. Lift Line Released from Sky Anchor . 36 h. Lift Line Attached to Primary Winch . 37 j. Package Retrieved and Stopped at Davit Pulley . 37 k. Package Brought Aboard Aircraft . 37 6 Monopulse Resolution Improvement Technique . 40 7 Antenna Scan Patterns . 41 8 Zero Command Line . 41 9 Template Shift Due to Gross Weight Changes . 42 10 Template Shift Due to an Increase in Flight Vector . 42 11 Template Shift Due to an Increase in Negative Flight Vector . 42 12 Template Shift Due to an Increase in Tailwind . 42 viii Figure Page 13 Template Shift Due to a Change in Set Clearance . 43 14 Radar Blanking Zone . 43 15 Obstacle Warning Template . 43 16 Terrain-Avoidance Mode . 44 17 Terrain-Following Mode . 45 18 Cross-Scan Mode . 47 19 Fail Light Maintenance Panel . 48 20 Components of the Sling Ejection System . 50 21 SEDS Plan View . 51 22 Forward Fuselage—Upper Structure with UARRSI Opening . 53 23 UARRSI Installed on Combat Talon . 53 24 Typical Point-Parallel Procedure . 55 25 First Resupply Mission into North Vietnam, 17 January 1967 . 85 26 Route of Flight, Crew S-01, 28/29 December 1967 . 95 27 Map of North Vietnam with Son Tay POW Prison . 140 28 Aircraft Participating in Son Tay POW Raid . 152 29 Route of Flight into North Vietnam, Son Tay POW Raid . 153 30 The First Plan Developed by SOD, 16 November 1979 . 186 31 C-130 Formation Plan and Actual Formation Flown . 220 32 Desert One, Fixed-Wing Arrival . 224 33 Desert One, Rotary-Wing Arrival . 226 34 Desert One, Bluebeard 3 Collides with Republic 4 . 227 35 Grenada and the Caribbean . 272 36 Map of Grenada Area . 283 37 Map of Grenada with Urgent Fury Objectives . 285 38 Map of Panama . 318 39 H-Hour Deployments, Operation Just Cause . 324 40 Schematic of Rio Hato AB, Panama . 329 41 Map of Panama with Operation Just Cause Objectives . 334 42 Map of the Philippine Islands . 338 43 Map of Southwest Asia . 342 ix Figure Page 44 AFSOC Deployed Locations during Desert Shield/Desert Storm . 348 45 Batman Depicted in Eastern Turkey, North of Turkish/Iranian Border . 359 46 BLU-82B Drop Locations . 365 47 Map of Bangladesh . 370 48 Map of the Philippines Depicting Mount Pinatubo and Clark AB . 371 49 7th SOS Operating Locations in the Balkans . 415 50 Operation Assured Response Objective Areas . 421 51 Map of Palau, Located in the South Pacific . 428 52 Route of Whisk 05, 1997 MacKay Trophy Winner . 437 53 Route of Flight, Operation High Flight . 439 54 Route of Flight, 7th SOS Crew Shark 01, 1998 Tunner Award . 442 55 Map of Mongolia . 444 Photographs Carpetbagger B-24, circa 1945 . 3 581st ARCW B-29 over North Korea . 7 ARS C-119 in French Markings . 8 Heavy Hook C-123 with Outboard Jets . 13 C-130E(I) Aircraft 64-0523 . 16 Robert Fulton’s Stinson Aircraft with V Fork . ..