EC-130E ABCCC Battle Staff

Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center crews flying the EC-130E with the USC-48 ABCCC III capsule — 23 secure radios, 15 computerized consoles, and a battle staff directing close air support and interdiction from the airframe.

The Story

ABCCC battle staffs ran the Vietnam tactical air war under call signs like Cricket, Hillsboro, and Moonbeam — and ran close-air-support coordination over Iraq, Bosnia, and Kosovo right up until the unit was inactivated. The capsule itself rolled in and out of a standard C-130 on rails.