U.S. Air Force personnel of the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron simulate transporting COVID-19 patients on a static C-130 Hercules aircraft during training on the Negative Pressurized Conex- Lite (NPC-L) at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. USAF photo by Senior Airman Ashley Perdue, 07AUG2020.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in the Air Force….. ….This is a crazy effort.”-Captain Conner Favo, 28th Test & Evaluation Squadron, a famous last words statement as a similar device was used during Viet Nam (see below)
Travis AFB, California. USAF photo by Lan Kim, 05AUG2020.
A multi-agency team involving the U.S. Department of Defense, contractors and universities, has been preparing for massive aeromedical evacuation operations of pandemic victims (prior to the Pandemic, some how), and has developed what it calls Negative Pressure Conex (NPC) containers to isolate those future victims in while being flown to military hospitals.
“The team in the 28th TES is no stranger to bio-containment. We provided this support when developing the Transportation Isolation System for the Ebola crisis, and we’re making every effort to ensure our fellow service members have safe transportation during these times.”-Captain Conner Favo, 28th Test & Evaluation Squadron
Video, NPC testing on the ground:
They modified a steel cargo container known as a Conex (most often seen on cargo ships and tractor-trailer rigs) with an air conditioning system to create a negative pressure inside the Conex while being flown on a C-17 Globemaster-3 or C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft. This is considered important to be able to keep the positive pressurized aircraft and its crew from being contaminated.
NPC testing on Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Chris Drzazgowski, 01MAY2020.
Video, NPC testing onboard C-17 transport:
NPC testing on Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Chris Drzazgowski, 01MAY2020.
The NPC is designed to transport up to 28 victims and medical personnel.
NPC-Lite system loaded inside a C-130 Hercules, on Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. U.S. Army photo by Brian Feeney, 13JUN2020.
Official USAF video report:
Testing was done in April/May of 2020, by the personnel of 437th Airlift Wing, at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. Other U.S. Air Force units involved include the Agile Combat Support Directorate and the CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) Defense Systems Branch.
U.S. Army Contracting Command slashed a 4-month contracting award process to just 7 days, with delivery of the prototype in only 13 days at an approximate cost of $2-million. The first operational NPCs are expected to go into use by the end of May 2020.
USAF photo sometime between March & April 1973, Clark Air Base, Philippines.
Realize that a lot of tax dollars have been spent on this not so new technology that is being sold as innovative. I say not so new, because back in the early 1970s the USAF used a similar ‘NPC’ on a C-141A Starlifter.
USAF photo sometime between March & April 1973, Clark Air Base, Philippines.
It was called Special Aerial Medical Care Unit (SAMCU), and could be environmentally controlled. However, the USAF had only one SAMCU, based in the Philippines, in case it was needed to evacuate extremely wounded personnel from Viet Nam. When looking at the photos of the SAMCU, notice how similar it looks to the ‘new’ NPC.
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