21st Special Operations Squadron
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The 21st Special Operations Squadron Is an active unit within the 352d Special Operations Group (352 SOG), United States Air Force, United States European Command, and is currently based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Essex, eastern England.
[edit] Mission
21st Special Operations Squadron is the rotary wing portion of the 352 SOG, and as such is the only US Squadron based in Europe able to support ground forces under extremely difficult circumstances, where support is unable to be provided by the "Combat Talon II" or "Combat Shadow" aircraft, such as in an urban setting, deep forest, or close in to the target, and allows precise deployment and extraction of personnel or supplies.
[edit] Assignments
The assigned aircraft here are the Sikorsky MH-53M "Pave Low IV" Helicopter, a specially adapted CH-53 "Sea Stallion", with updated avionics, the "Interactive Defensive Avionics System/Multi-Mission Advanced Tactical Terminal" or IDAS/MATT system, which enhance its ability to approach its target with very little fuss, and with high amounts of information being fed to it from higher up the chain, is able to plan on the run, and able to respond to any contingency. This makes it a very powerful tool for the USAF, and the squadrons that fly them.
