Joseph Mather
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Sustaining avionic systems for aircraft spanning several decades is no small task, but the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, has the electronic engineering services to complete that task.
The 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group’s Engineering Branch provides engineering expertise to help sustain and support aircraft avionics for the entire Air Force.
William Hale, 402nd EMXG engineering technical specialist, said the group is the center of excellence for avionics and repairs in the Air Force’s avionics systems that includes communication, navigation, radar, targeting and more.
“The Engineering Branch specializes in operating, repairing, and maintaining critical production electronic testers and radar ranges,” he said. “Engineering actively modernizes automatic test equipment and test ranges, replacing or integrating the latest advancements to enhance sustainability and effectiveness of the 402nd EMXG test and repair capabilities.”
Hale said they research and procure new sustainable and maintainable test equipment that will replace obsolete equipment.
“The new equipment can vary from new individual test instruments to the latest Air Force family tester, the Versatile Diagnostic Automatic Test Station, better known as VDATS,” he said. “The Engineering Branch maintains a 20-year plan for equipment modernization that prioritizes legacy test stations by their age, mission capable rate, mission impact, workload and production.”
Mario Herrera, 402nd Reverse Engineering Avionics Redesign and Manufacturing engineering technical specialist, said another section of the 402nd Engineering Branch is the Reverse Engineering Avionics Redesign and Manufacturing Section, and they exist to provide other components of the Air Force the same kind of engineering services as you would find in the private industry.
“The REARM section focuses on creating what the Air Force needs to either organically repair existing items and systems or complete the manufacturing of redesigned replacements,” he said. “A majority of our workload comes in from supply chain management, though we have also worked directly with a number of Air Force Life Cycle Management Center System Program Offices.”
Herrera said REARM can bridge the gap for maintaining legacy weapons systems until a new system is available to replace them.
“Having a section like REARM aids in keeping those legacy assets going either through repair development or redesigns that meet the form, fit and function of the legacy asset,” he said. “It’s generally much more efficient to continue keeping a legacy asset flying than it is going through the entire acquisitions process to field something new for a whole fleet.”
Hale said he is proud to support the Air Force mission.
“I may not turn a wrench, but I can help make sure those who do the direct repairs have what they need to get the job done and keep the planes in the air,” he said, “My 35 years of experience at Robins has provided me with pride and purpose knowing that I am at least indirectly responsible for the Air Force’s air superiority. Ensuring their functionality is vital for mission success since the avionics systems are the nerve center of a modern aircraft.”
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Nghia Le, right, 402nd Software Engineering Group electronics engineer, and Logan Hulsey, 402nd Software Engineering Group electronics engineer, use an oscilloscope to trouble shoot a Versatile Diagnostic Automated Test Station at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, April 9, 2024. The VDATS system had AM94 Legacy Test System data loaded onto it to run the analog systems workload. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather) 
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Hector Martinez-Santiago, 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group electronics engineer, tests a digital to analog converter at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, April 9, 2024. A functional test library was created for the component to perform a function check test on an analog to digital microchip. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather) 
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Brandon Deal, 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group electronics technician, repairs a multiple output power supply to a circuit board at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, April 9, 2024. The repaired circuit board is returned to the Defense Logistics Agency supply chain system. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather) 
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Mark Berndt, 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group electronics technician, troubleshoots an aircraft circuit board to identify a defective component at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, April 9, 2024. The technician tested a good board and bad circuit board to identify what parts on the bad board needed repair and replacement. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather) 
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Nghia Le, left, 402nd Software Engineering Group electronics engineer, and Anthony Morris, 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group electronics engineer support, transfer data from an AM94 Legacy Test System to a Versatile Diagnostic Automated Test Station at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, April 9, 2024. The VDATS system replaced the 30-year old AM94 Legacy Test System. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joseph Mather)