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Air Force FOD Sweepers for Military Airfields

The gold standard in military airfield safety

Meet FOD*BOSS: the most effective speed sweeping solution designed to efficiently minimise military FOD incidents, ensuring longer, uninterrupted use of critical airfield areas. Towed behind a single vehicle, it clears runways in minutes, making it a proven air force FOD sweeper for military tarmacs.

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///// about

Why the world’s leading air forces trust the FOD*BOSS air force FOD sweeper

Made with patented technology, the FOD*BOSS airfield sweeper is designed to provide an unrivalled foreign object debris (FOD) pick-up rate to give you absolute confidence in the safety of your surfaces.

FOD in military aviation is one of the most costly and preventable threats to mission readiness. A single loose bolt, rivet or piece of safety wire can be ingested by a jet engine, grounding aircraft and causing damage ranging from minor repairs to significant airframe or engine damage. US Air Force data shows FOD events between 1995 and 2004 cost around $240 million, an average of roughly $300,000 per incident.

FOD*BOSS gives maintenance and airfield management teams a faster, more consistent way to control FOD, reducing reliance on manual sweeps and freeing up personnel for mission-critical tasks.

Key features

Sweep speeds of up to 40 m/ph (65 km p/h) 

FOD collection rate of 99%

Unique patented technology for ultimate safety

One-of-a-kind pickup and retention

Made to last, with lifespan of 4,500 miles (7,200 km’s)

10-year warranty

Money back guarantee

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Patented technology designed for unrivalled military FOD pickup, retention and removal 

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Effective debris management requires not only collection but also secure retention within the sweeper. Our debris retention blades securely hold debris within the catchment zones, preventing it from falling back onto the surface, even when slowing down or turning corners. This is a feature unique to FOD*BOSS, and one of the reasons it performs so reliably as an air force FOD sweeper on active flight lines.

The FOD*BOSS triple elevator steps guide smaller debris, or debris collected at lower speeds, into the debris capture zones. This FOD*BOSS exclusive feature enhances debris retention, ensuring it remains securely contained and does not return as FOD. That includes the small fasteners, rivets and safety wire fragments that pose the greatest risk to jet engines.

The FODStop barriers securely retain collected debris within each capture zone, preventing transverse movement, particularly as the sweeper is turning. This exclusive FOD*BOSS feature further ensures that debris remains contained and does not exit the sweeper once collected. This level of containment is critical when sweeping around high-value military aircraft and engine intakes.

The FOD*BOSS-exclusive GroundForce tow hitch enables efficient debris collection at high sweeping speeds of up to 40 mph (65 kph). This unique design keeps the front of the sweeper firmly grounded, preventing lift and minimising drift during turns for optimal performance. This stability lets crews sweep quickly between sorties without compromising pickup.

The FOD*BOSS duplex or triplex system enables sweeping with either two or three sweepers wide simultaneously. Combine that with maximum sweeping speeds of up to 40 mph (65 kph), and an 8,000ft (2.4km) runway can be swept of debris in under 30 minutes. That’s a fraction of the time and personnel needed for a full Air Force FOD walk.

Aerosweep offers a range of towing adaptors and accessories designed to fit the diverse tow points on vehicles. Options include 50mm tow ball, 50mm gooseneck, pintle hook, coupler, and tow pin/E hitch. This flexibility means units can deploy FOD*BOSS with the flight line and support vehicles already in their fleet, with no need for specialised towing equipment.

///// what our customers say

“Our lack of F.O.D. incidents are directly correlated to the use of your product, the FOD*BOSS”

Technical Seagent, US Air Force

“The FOD*BOSS so far has picked up more than the ramp vacuum sweeper”

Flight Research Centre, NASA

“Once we received our FOD*BOSS, we did not have another damaged engine. So with that, I say thank you!”

AMO, US Naval Airforce

“FOD prevention at a premium thanks to the FODBOSS!!!!! On behalf of the Leadership at 1st Fighter Wing (LAFB) allow me to say thanks for all of your advice and help in our fight against FOD.”

Wing FOD Manager, Langley Air Force Base, US Air Force

“We log over 40 miles a day on average within a 24 hour period. Our lack of F.O.D.incidents are directly correlated to the use of your product, The FODBOSS.”

TSGT, US Air Force Reserve

“On the first test run on what we thought was a pretty clean airfield we returned with about a half a gallon of FOD which included two nuts, a vacuum hose T junction, and a thick, curled piece of metal.”

Chief, Ops Support, RAF Fairford. Royal Air Force

“We tested the FOD*BOSS on Friday. This thing is unreal! Picks up everything.”

Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. US Air Force

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The FOD*BOSS range

Whether you need a single sweeper for aprons and hardstands or a Triplex configuration to clear full-length military runways, there’s an air force FOD sweeper in the FOD*BOSS range to suit your airfield.

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The FOD*BOSS Ultimate Single

Sweeper width:
8ft (2.4m)
Runway length:
2300m (7546ft)
Runway width:
45m (197ft)
Avg sweep time:
44:24

The FOD*BOSS Ultimate Duplex

Sweeper width:
16ft (4.8m)
Runway length:
2300m (7546ft)
Runway width:
45m (197ft)
Avg sweep time:
23:15

The FOD*BOSS Ultimate Triplex

Sweeper width:
24ft (7.3m)
Runway length:
2300m (7546ft)
Runway width:
45m (197ft)
Avg sweep time:
16:06

///// the fod*boss in real life

Discover how air forces worldwide are using FOD*BOSS to tackle FOD in military aviation

Our technology is trusted by world class organisations

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At Aerosweep

We’re committed to ensuring that your high value surfaces are safe and primed for performance.

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Trusted on flight lines around the world

From fighter wings in the US to RAF bases in the UK, military units rely on FOD*BOSS to cut military FOD, protect engines and spend less time on the Air Force FOD walk. Here’s what they have to say about the air force FOD sweeper in action.

 

“Once we received our FOD*BOSS, we did not have another damaged engine. So with that, I say thank you!”

AMO, US Naval Air Force

 

“We log over 40 miles a day on average within a 24 hour period. Our lack of F.O.D. incidents are directly correlated to the use of your product, The FOD*BOSS.”

TSGT, US Air Force Reserve

 

“FOD prevention at a premium thanks to the FOD*BOSS!!!!! On behalf of the Leadership at 1st Fighter Wing (LAFB) allow me to say thanks for all of your advice and help in our fight against FOD.”

Wing FOD Manager, Langley Air Force Base

 

“On the first test run on what we thought was a pretty clean airfield we returned with about a half a gallon of FOD which included two nuts, a vacuum hose T junction, and a thick, curled piece of metal.”

Chief, Ops Support, RAF Fairford

 

“We tested the FOD*BOSS on Friday. This thing is unreal! Picks up everything.”

US Air Force, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana

 

“The FOD*BOSS so far has picked up more than the ramp vacuum sweeper.”

NASA Flight Research Centre

Military FOD FAQs

Foreign object debris (FOD) is any loose object on a runway, taxiway or apron that can damage an aircraft or be ingested by an engine, from nuts, bolts and rivets to stones, tools and safety wire. In military aviation, where many jet engines are positioned close to the ground and aircraft operate at a high tempo, even small debris can ground an aircraft and put crews at risk.

An Air Force FOD walk is a coordinated line search where personnel walk the flight line side by side, picking up debris by hand. FOD walks remain an important part of FOD prevention, and FOD*BOSS complements them by sweeping large areas quickly and consistently in between.

FOD*BOSS is a towed sweeper that needs no engine, fuel or power source of its own. As it’s towed, patented debris retention intake blades, triple elevator steps and FODStop barriers collect and hold debris, delivering a 99% FOD collection rate at speeds of up to 40 mph (65 kph).

Using the FOD*BOSS Ultimate Triplex, a 2,300m x 45m runway can be swept in an average of around 16 minutes. The Ultimate Duplex averages around 23 minutes and the Ultimate Single around 44 minutes for the same area.