Blue Devil I operational demonstration ends
31 December 2013 · four King Airs returning to Leidos
Attributed via Inside the Air Force, 22 Jan 2014, quoting USAF officials. The four leased King Airs were returning to Leidos, so the original Afghanistan fleet was not an operational candidate on 8 March 2014. The multi-INT sensor package remained US Government property and was being assessed for reassignment (MC-12 and MQ-9 mentioned, not selected). The sensors did not disappear with the lease.
Congress simultaneously required preservation of Blue Devil I capability (WAMI plus precision signal geolocation) and funded $10m for NVDF/WAMI integration. Block 1 (manned King Airs, Angel Fire-derived WAAS + SIGINT) and Block 2 (the cancelled airship) are not the same hardware trail, but they are the same family. Block 2 residuals went to Greenville in 2012 as reusable GFE. Block 1 sensors in January–March 2014 are a separate property-book question (DD-1149 / AFRL / 645 AESG) — destination open, including other Air Force hosts.
Sources
- Inside the Air Force, 22 January 2014
Related
Blue Devil I / II
Operational Block 1 WAAS + SIGINT · Block 2 residuals to BIG SAFARI
Where was the Blue Devil I government-owned sensor package in January–March 2014?
Where did Blue Devil residual components go?
Gorgon Stare
BIG SAFARI wide-area surveillance · podded, not MQ-9-only