Flightline ramps, supply areas amongst 28 new mission-related Wi-Fi areas at RAFM

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  It's been decades coming, but wireless Internet capability will very soon be available on 52 flightline ramp areas at RAF Mildenhall, along with various supply warehouses, medical supply areas and group commander- (and above) level conference rooms around base.

"This is an Air Force downward-directed program providing a secure, wireless infrastructure for base customers, from the Combat Infrastructure Transport System (the program management office for this project)," said Frank Vasquez, 100th Communications Squadron project manager.

"They've selected bases throughout the Air Force to install wireless infrastructure in certain core areas that have been identified."

There are 28 locations at RAF Mildenhall where antennas have been installed, mostly on the outside of buildings, to provide wireless capability.

"It means that workers on the flightline can go out with their laptops, and fill out forms and documents while working on the airplane, instead of having to go all the way back to their section to input information," said Mr. Vasquez. "It's a timesaver for the maintainers, so they can do what they do much more quickly and efficiently."

The project manager said that Wi-Fi internal coverage is also being put in the dental and flight surgeons' offices, enabling them to inventory medical supplies easier and faster.

"It will also be in the supply warehouses," he said. "It's there to help them do their inventories and track their assets. They have hand-held devices, used to read barcodes and information on supplies. Right now, they have to go back to their computer and download that information onto it.

"Once this (Wi-Fi connectivity installation) is done, they'll do all that wirelessly, so they can communicate with their server, or wherever they put that information," Mr. Vasquez said.

Wi-Fi has also been installed in commanders' conference rooms for the 3rd Air Force, 100th ARW, 100th Mission Support Group, 100th Maintenance Group, and 100th Operations Group.

"This offers convenience and time savings, and allows people to remotely access the base network," Mr. Vasquez said. "Whatever you can do on a work (personal computer), you can now do on your laptop, anywhere on base where there is the wireless system."

He pointed out that to use these specific Wi-Fi areas, laptops must have the correct operating software and have undergone stringent security requirements. The design of the system is very secure and monitors all activity. It also has the capability to shut off any laptop it considers to be a 'rogue' on the system.

"The beauty of this is that if there is a valid mission requirement in areas not currently receiving the coverage, there will be a follow-on contract that will enable customers to submit their requirements. When the follow-on contract takes place in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012, if we have other customer requirements, we'll be able to identify them to the CITS office and hopefully get them funded," Mr. Vasquez said.

For one person in particular, this has been a long time coming.

"I've been involved in several projects over the last 20 years that have tried to get wireless technology out to the flight line, so it is great to finally see it happen," said. Col. Charles Westgate, 100th MXG commander.

"This capability will provide incredible efficiencies and prevent our technicians from traveling back and forth across the 1.6 mile-long aircraft parking ramp just to perform routine tasks - everything will be right at their fingertips."

Installation of the new Wi-Fi areas is now complete, and a team from the project management office will be here this month to complete an acceptance test. The system should be fully running by the start of February.

For more information, call Mr. Vasquez at DSN 238-7101.