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MCAS Cherry Point News

 

New communication system extends Marines' reach

9 Dec 2010 | Lance Cpl. Cory D. Polom Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

Leathernecks from 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion returned from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., Oct. 26, after conducting training with weapons and tactics instructor’s course students.

“Marines with 2nd LAAD conducted various operations to include air defense and the testing of a new communications system that is being developed,” said Lance Cpl. Joshua B. Stewart, an assistant gunner with Battery B, 2nd LAAD.

According to Stewart the 2nd LAAD Marines trained with the FIM-92 Stinger missle armed with tracing head trainers (THT), which are an electronic system that allows a Marine to conduct all the launcher’s functions without firing the projectile.

“While some of the Marines fired the THT shots, several other Marines and myself tested a new communication system called the joint range extension system,” said Sgt. Andrew J. Couey, a section leader with Battery B.

Pfc. Nicholas J. Torcia said with LAAD’s older system teams could only move about 1,000 meters away from the communications truck, but with the new system the teams were able to move 28,000 meters away.

“I love how with this new system you do not need to see the communication truck,” said Torcia. “All you need to do is maintain communications with at least one other team who has contact with the truck, and you can bounce the information from team to team.”

Torcia said the first big field test on this new system was a huge success.

“We put that system to what we thought was the max and then pushed past it,” said Torcia. “We need that system in the combat zone as soon as possible, so we wanted to really test its capabilities.”


Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point