Hurricane Michael DoD Hurrevac Intercepts

Below is a list of aircraft that have been hurrevac'ed ahead of Hurricane Michael approaching the AL/FL Gulf coast. (Intercepts from the author in WNC and Paul Sharritt in Athens AL)

Coyote 61 C-145A 12-0338 6Th Sos/492ND Sow

Dawg 10 C-130H 93-1563 158Th As/165Th Aw

Dawg 11 C-130H 94-6708 158Th As/165Th Aw

Dawg 6 C-130H 94-6706 158Th As/165Th Aw

Dawg 7 C-130H 94-6707 158Th As/165Th Aw

Dawg 75 C-130H 94-6705 158Th As/165Th Aw

Dawg 8 C-130H 93-1561 158Th As/165Th Aw

Diesel 51 C-145A 12-0331 6Th Sos/492ND Sow

Diesel 52 C-145A 12-0337 6Th Sos/492ND Sow

Dingo 87 C-146A 15-3086 859Th Sos/919Th Sow

Dingo 88 C-146A 10-3068 859Th Sos/919Th Sow

Dingo 89 C-146A 16-3020 859Th Sos/919Th Sow

Hound 92 C-146A 11-3104 524Th Sos/492ND Sow

Hound 93 C-146A 99-3106 524Th Sos/492ND Sow

Hound 94 C-146A 12-3040 524Th Sos/492ND Sow

Opus 21 MC-130H 89-0282 15Th Sos/1St Sow

Opus 22 MC-130H 88-0195 15Th Sos/1St Sow

Peach 61/66 TE-8 86-0416 461St Acw

Peach 62 E-8C 00-2000 461St Acw

Peach 63 E-8C 01-2005 461St Acw

Peach 64 E-8C 93-1097 461St Acw

Peach 65 E-8C 94-0284 461St Acw

Shadow 75 AC-130J 14-5797 73Rd Sos/1St Sow

Shadow 76 AC-130J 13-5783 73Rd Sos/1St Sow

Shadow 77 AC-130J 12-5753 73Rd Sos/1St Sow

Shadow 78 AC-130J 12-5772 73Rd Sos/1St Sow

Spooky 44 AC-130U 90-0167 4Th Sos/1St Sow 

Spooky 46 AC-130U 90-0164 4Th Sos/1St Sow

Spooky 47 AC-130U 90-0165 4Th Sos/1St Sow

Spooky 48 AC-130U 89-1053 4Th Sos/1St Sow

Spooky 49 AC-130U 89-0512 4Th Sos/1St Sow

Tabby 61 C-145A 12-0335 6Th Sos/492ND Sow

Talon 11 MC-130H 87-0125 15Th Sos/1St Sow

Talon 11 MC-130H 88-0193 15Th Sos/1St Sow

Talon 14 MC-130H 90-0162 15Th Sos/1St Sow

Talon 16 MC-130H 87-0126 15Th Sos/1St Sow

Talon 17 MC-130H 89-0280 15Th Sos/1St Sow

Texan 013 T-6B 166013 Taw-5

Texan 079 T-6B 166079 Taw-5

Texan 133 T-6B 166133 Taw-5

Texan 230 T-6B 166230 Taw-5

More as we see it.

Update: DoD Assigned Dynamic Mode-S Addresses

I have long suspected that DoD units operating outside CONUS may in some cases be assigned Mode-S addresses from a pool of addresses not specific or regularly assigned to that aircraft. I may have finally found official proof of that in a USAF in Europe instruction. And I quote:

"Mode S Address. Prior to each flight, ensure the Mode S address is entered correctly. MAJCOMs will manage assigned dynamic addresses to ensure no two aircraft are airborne with the same address."

The way I read it, it would imply that there is a pool of Mode-S addresses they can call upon for certain operational missions/situations. That now makes some of my Mode-S hex address holes and blocks even more interesting to watch.

Mode-S address update:

I have found a second reference regarding Mode-S aircraft addresses. Here are the highlights of the  DoD Mode-S guidelines:

• No two aircraft should have the same AA!
• “Default” address assigned to specific tail numbers
• “Dynamic” address assigned only to military aircraft
• Block of addresses to aid in day-to-day OPSEC
• Distributed by DoD AIMS/PO to MAJCOMs
• Mode S address are unclassified, and considered FOUO information.

Each aircraft uses a unique 7-character “Aircraft ID” (a.k.a. Flight ID). Flight Plan Callsign assigned to mission (i.e. EAGLE11). What ATC controllers see on their screens. Allows for flight plan correlation to Mode S response.

MODE S ADDRESS - Also known as:  Default Code, Default Address, Aircraft address , 24-BIT Address, 8 digit Mode S address

• DEFAULT – 24-Bit Address permanently assigned to a particular aircraft that correlates with its BUNO or Tail Number.

• DYNAMIC – 24-Bit Address that is temporarily issued to an aircraft and is for specific mission use (CONOPS required)

• TEMPORARY – 24-Bit Address that is issued to an aircraft and is used for platform development and integration tests.

Now if I could only find a copy of the DoD Mode-S handbook, that would make me a happy camper.

Hurricane Harvey Houston Aircraft Activity

Three HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters carrying pararescuemen depart from Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 28, 2017. The crews are flying to Houston to conduct search and rescue missions after Hurricane Harvey caused massive flooding. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel H. Farrell

I have had several request asking about government and military aircraft activity in support of rescue operations in the Houston area associated with Hurricane Harvey.

Up until two days ago, weather really hampered air ops. Starting on June 27-28th, but especially yesterday (29 Jun), US government and military operations really cranked up in the Houston TFR (Temporary Flight Restrictions).

Here is a snapshot of all the aircraft flying in the Houston TFR from Jun 25-29. I should note that there were even aircraft registered to Mexico that appear to be part of this major operation. On both the 25-26th hurricane hunter aircraft were flying in the Houston area.

0D066B ------ ---   2017-08-29 23:58:07 ------ Mexico ---    
AE09EF 82-23661 ---   2017-08-29 23:56:06 UH-60A United States ---
AE11EA 80-0137 ---   2017-08-29 23:48:04 E-3C United States USAF | 3WG | 962AACS [PAED]
AE5B6A 169228 RANGR32   2017-08-29 23:08:04 KC-130J United States USMC | VMGR-234 [KNFW]     1200  --- 
AE0ED7 84-23991 ---   2017-08-29 22:56:06 UH-60A United States CO ARNG | 2-135 AVN [KBKF]     6400  --- 
A0B93D N146CS ---   2017-08-29 22:34:08 Lockheed P-3BAEW Orion United States CBP     5455
ADFDCD 93-2105 KING25   2017-08-29 22:30:09 HC-130N United States AK ANG | 176WG | 211RQS [PAED]     5306  --- 
ADFE69 91-1238 DERBY21   2017-08-29 22:22:11 C-130H United States KY ANG | 123AW | 165AS [KSDF]     2504  --- 
ADFDF9 92-9000   2017-08-29 22:00:09 VC-25A United States USAF | 89AW | PAS [KADW]
AE27FD 6012 ---   2017-08-29 21:58:09 MH-60T United States USCG     5461  --- 
ADFE1B 1715 ---   2017-08-29 21:54:09 HC-130H United States USCG | CGAS Sacramento [KMCC]     2513  --- 
AE02DB 89-1183 PROPS91   2017-08-29 21:30:19 C-130H United States TN ANG | 118AW | 105AS [KBNA]     2407  --- 
AE061B 66-0222 KING 46  2017-08-29 21:30:18 HC-130P United States NY ANG | 106RQW | 102RQS [KFOK]    
AE0668 62-3523 SNAP94   2017-08-29 21:28:05 KC-135R United States USAF | 22ARW [KIAB]     2433  --- 
ADFE4D 94-0321 ---   2017-08-29 21:26:22 C-12R United States USARC | 6-52 AVN (TA)
AE4BEF 2315 ---   2017-08-29 21:24:11 HC-144A United States ---     4610  --- 
AE10C1 01 C101   2017-08-29 21:18:15 C-37A United States USCG | CGAS Washington [KDCA]     6403  1200 
AE1459 06-6155 ---   2017-08-29 21:16:06 C-17A United States USAF | 60AMW | 21AS [KSUU]    
AE11EA 80-0137 SNTRY25   2017-08-29 21:02:22 E-3C United States USAF | 3WG | 962AACS [PAED]     6152  --- 
ADFE67 91-1236 ---   2017-08-29 20:58:14 C-130H United States KY ANG | 123AW | 165AS [KSDF]     2472  --- 
AE4BE0 09-5707 ---   2017-08-29 20:48:14 HC-130J United States USAF | 563RQG | 79RQS [KDMA]    
AE223A 2303 ---   2017-08-29 20:40:07 HC-144A United States USCG |     4651  --- 
ADFD66 88-2102 ---   2017-08-29 20:36:13 HC-130N United States NY ANG | 106RQW | 102RQS [KFOK]     1067  --- 
ADFE4D 94-0321 R40321   2017-08-29 20:22:29 C-12R United States USARC | 6-52 AVN (TA)     ---  12900 
AE116F 84-0180 ---   2017-08-29 20:22:28 C-12U-3 United States US ARMY | E/6-52 AVN [EDDS]     2732  --- 
AE0B1D ------ ---   2017-08-29 20:18:25 UH-60 ??? United States ---    
AE29DC 08-3172 E83172   2017-08-29 20:16:07 C-130J-30 United States USAF | 317AG [KDYS]    
AE080B 99-0165 RCH396T   2017-08-29 20:14:30 C-17A United States AFRC | 445AW | 89AS [KFFO]    
AE146C 07-7174 RCH460T   2017-08-29 20:14:30 C-17A United States USAF | 436AW | 3AS [KDOV]    
ADFECB 84-0485 00000000  2017-08-29 19:58:30 C-12T-3 United States KY ARNG | OSACOM DET-11 [KFFT]    
ADFE67 91-1236 DERBY23   2017-08-29 19:56:13 C-130H United States KY ANG | 123AW | 165AS [KSDF]     2472  --- 
AE4EBD 168439 ---   2017-08-29 19:46:32 P-8A United States USN | VP-16 [KNIP]     2474  35000 
AE57C4 168999 PELCN24   2017-08-29 19:42:32 P-8A United States USN | VP-45 [KNIP]     2434  9825 
A4B960 N403SK ---   2017-08-29 19:32:06 Lockheed P-3B Orion United States CBP    
AE2913 6036 ---   2017-08-29 19:28:12 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]     5327  --- 
A2796C N259FB ---   2017-08-29 19:26:41 OH-58A Kiowa United States United States Army    
AE27FA 6009 ---   2017-08-29 19:24:09 MH-60T United States USCG     5330  --- 
AE116F 84-0180 REEL82   2017-08-29 19:22:20 C-12U-3 United States US ARMY | E/6-52 AVN [EDDS]     2732  --- 
AE0404 84-0160 REEL16   2017-08-29 19:12:12 C-12U-3 United States US ARMY | F/6-52 AVN [ETOU]     7304  19950 
AE27FD 6012 C6012   2017-08-29 19:12:08 MH-60T United States USCG     5461  --- 
AE12C9 66-0212 ---   2017-08-29 19:08:08 MC-130P United States CA ANG | 129RQW | 130RQS [KNUQ]     6155  --- 
AE2682 6540 ---   2017-08-29 19:02:30 MH-65D United States USCG |     4424  --- 
AE12CB 66-0219 ---   2017-08-29 18:44:08 MC-130P United States CA ANG | 129RQW | 130RQS [KNUQ]     4672  --- 
AE2682 6540   2017-08-29 18:40:09 MH-65D United States USCG |     4424  --- 
AE1171 02-1099 ---   2017-08-29 18:38:26 C-17A United States USAF | 437AW [KCHS]     2457  -
AE12CB 66-0219 ALLIED 1  2017-08-29 18:24:13 MC-130P United States CA ANG | 129RQW | 130RQS [KNUQ]     4672  --- 
AE223C 2305 00000000  2017-08-29 18:22:30 HC-144A United States USCG |     24  --- 
AE4EBD 168439 PELCN02   2017-08-29 18:22:30 P-8A United States USN | VP-16 [KNIP]     2474  35000 
AE12C9 66-0212 KING59   2017-08-29 17:24:10 MC-130P United States CA ANG | 129RQW | 130RQS [KNUQ]     6155  --- 
AE4DFE 6046 ---   2017-08-29 17:20:17 MH-60T United States ---     0446  --- 
AE4AE4 09-27021 C2712   2017-08-29 17:00:06 C-27J United States MS ANG | 186AW | 153AS     4647  --- 
AE1171 02-1099 RCH2099   2017-08-29 16:20:12 C-17A United States USAF | 437AW [KCHS]     2457  --- 
ADFDF8 82-8000 ---   2017-08-29 16:06:38 VC-25A United States USAF | 89AW | PAS [KADW]    
ADFD66 88-2102 KING22   2017-08-29 15:48:08 HC-130N United States NY ANG | 106RQW | 102RQS [KFOK]     1067  --- 
AE09DC 86-24508 ---   2017-08-29 15:46:37 UH-60A United States ---    
AE2665 6511 ---   2017-08-29 15:44:13 MH-65D United States USCG |     7416  --- 
A0F740 N161V ---   2017-08-29 15:36:17 Hawker Beechcraft Corp King Air 350C --- United States Dept of Homeland Security     4566  --- 
AE2913 6036 C6036   2017-08-29 15:36:17 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]     5327  --- 
AE02ED 85-1364 ROPER51   2017-08-29 15:22:33 C-130H United States TX ANG | 136AW | 181AS [KNFW]     2432  --- 
A2796C N259FB N259FB   2017-08-29 14:58:44 OH-58A Kiowa United States United States Army    
AE26AA 6584 ---   2017-08-29 14:48:08 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5361  --- 
AE266C 6518 ---   2017-08-29 14:40:21 MH-65D United States USCG |    
AE2673 6525 ---   2017-08-29 14:35:13 MH-65D United States USCG |     5374  --- 
AE27F2 6001 ---   2017-08-29 14:32:10 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5367  --- 
AE27FA 6009 C6009   2017-08-29 14:28:07 MH-60T United States USCG     5330  --- 
AE26A0 6574 ---   2017-08-29 14:24:08 MH-65D United States USCG |     7100  --- 
A0B586 N145CS ---   2017-08-29 14:20:10 Lockheed P-3BAEW Orion United States CBP     0202
AE2673 6525 CG6525   2017-08-29 13:48:09 MH-65D United States USCG |     5374  --- 
ADFD73 91-0503 ---   2017-08-29 13:48:08 C-26D United States WI ARNG? | OSACOM DET-52 [KMSN]     1667  --- 
AE26A0 6574 CGNR6574  2017-08-29 13:42:41 MH-65D United States USCG |     7100  --- 
AE0D5C 78-22982 ---   2017-08-29 13:38:48 UH-60A United States USArmy     0441  --- 
AE5641 86-24558 ---   2017-08-29 13:38:48 UH-60M United States CBP    
AE4DFE 6046 C6046   2017-08-29 13:34:57 MH-60T United States ---     0446  --- 
AE26A7 6581 ---   2017-08-29 13:31:38 MH-65D United States USCG |     5361  --- 
AE2919 6042 ---   2017-08-29 13:19:24 MH-60T United States USCG     1277  --- 
AE26AA 6584   2017-08-29 13:12:12 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5361  --- 
AE2664 6510 ---   2017-08-29 13:07:27 MH-65D United States USCG |     0457  --- 
AE2684 6543 ---   2017-08-29 13:03:30 MH-65D United States USCG |     0445  --- 
AE26A7 6581   2017-08-29 12:54:57 MH-65D United States USCG |     5361  --- 
AE2919 6042 C6042   2017-08-29 12:51:16 MH-60T United States USCG     1277  --- 
AE2684 6543 CGNR6543  2017-08-29 12:32:11 MH-65D United States USCG |     0445  --- 
AE26A2 6576 ---   2017-08-29 12:24:22 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5332  --- 
AE2664 6510 CGNR6510  2017-08-29 12:08:11 MH-65D United States USCG |     0457  --- 
AE27F2 6001 C6001   2017-08-29 12:06:59 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5367  --- 
AE26A2 6576   2017-08-29 11:52:10 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5332  --- 
AE2697 6565 ---   2017-08-29 11:28:12 MH-65D United States USCG |     4426  --- 
AE2697 6565   2017-08-29 11:07:15 MH-65D United States USCG |     4426  --- 
AE0581 87-0036 RCH564   2017-08-29 09:22:46 C-5M United States USAF | 436AW | 9AS [KDOV]    
AE1F51 08-72066 ---   2017-08-29 08:43:13 UH-72A United States US Army |    
AE26B1 6591 ---   2017-08-29 07:20:12 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Atlantic City [KACY]     4425  --- 
AE26B1 6591 CGNR6591  2017-08-29 05:56:05 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Atlantic City [KACY]     4425  --- 
AE2665 6511 CGNR6511  2017-08-29 05:04:04 MH-65D United States USCG |     7416  --- 
AE596D 13-5782 KING32   2017-08-29 04:20:08 HC-130J United States USAF | 23 Wing | 71RQS [KVAD]    
AE1F51 08-72066 ---   2017-08-29 03:30:11 UH-72A United States US Army |    
AE04A0 99-1933 ---   2017-08-29 02:16:06 EC-130J United States PA ANG | 193SOW | 193SOS [KMDT]    
A0B93D N146CS ---   2017-08-29 01:10:08 Lockheed P-3BAEW Orion United States CBP     0764
AE0605 80-0326 ---   2017-08-29 00:58:07 C-130H United States 103AW/118AS
AE02EC 85-1363 ROPER62   2017-08-29 00:42:24 C-130H United States TX ANG | 136AW | 181AS [KFWH]    
AE1171 02-1099 RCH983   2017-08-29 00:06:10 C-17A United States USAF | 437AW [KCHS]     3021  --- 


A0F740 N161V ---   2017-08-28 23:42:09 Hawker Beechcraft Corp King Air 350C --- United States Dept of Homeland Security    
AE4BEE 2314 ---   2017-08-28 23:40:04 HC-144A United States ---    
AE2673 6525 ---   2017-08-28 23:08:04 MH-65D United States USCG |     5363  --- 
AE0B1D ------ ---   2017-08-28 23:02:08 UH-60 ??? United States ---    
ADFD66 88-2102 ---   2017-08-28 22:44:24 HC-130N United States NY ANG | 106RQW | 102RQS [KFOK]     2311  --- 
AE1458 06-6154 ---   2017-08-28 22:40:08 C-17A United States USAF | 60AMW | 21AS [KSUU]    
AE4E17 11-5725 KING35   2017-08-28 22:28:05 HC-130J United States USAF | 23 Wing | 71RQS [KVAD]    
AE2664 6510 ---   2017-08-28 22:22:10 MH-65D United States USCG |    
ADFE4D 94-0321 ---   2017-08-28 22:18:11 C-12R United States USARC | 6-52 AVN (TA)     ---  9875 
AE10E9 2003 C2003   2017-08-28 22:10:12 HC-130J United States USCG | CGAS Elizabeth City [KECG]    
AE49C3 09-9207 RCH207   2017-08-28 22:10:12 C-17A United States USAF | 437AW [KCHS]    
AE02DD 89-1185 ROPER92   2017-08-28 22:10:11 C-130H United States 136AW/181AS [KNFW]    3636  --- 
A0B586 N145CS ---   2017-08-28 21:58:11 Lockheed P-3BAEW Orion United States CBP    
AE2684 6543 ---   2017-08-28 21:46:13 MH-65D United States USCG |     5351  --- 
AE26A2 6576 ---   2017-08-28 21:46:13 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5346  --- 
ADFE4D 94-0321 R40321   2017-08-28 20:54:19 C-12R United States USARC | 6-52 AVN (TA)     ---  9875 
AE02DA 89-1182 ROPER63   2017-08-28 20:42:25 C-130H United States 136AW/181AS [KNFW]
0514  --- 
AE0572 86-0021 RCH6021   2017-08-28 20:26:19 C-5M United States AFRC | 433AW | 68AS [KSKF]    
AE1448 04-4138 RCH399T   2017-08-28 19:04:07 C-17A United States AFRC | 452AMW | 729AS [KRIV]     7005  --- 
AE2919 6042 ---   2017-08-28 18:56:07 MH-60T United States USCG     0450  --- 
AE2664 6510 CGNR6510  2017-08-28 18:52:07 MH-65D United States USCG |    
AE02EA 85-1361 ---   2017-08-28 18:50:23 C-130H United States TX ANG | 136AW | 181AS [KFWH]     2437  --- 
AE07D7 92-3293 RCH398T   2017-08-28 18:34:28 C-17A United States USAF | 437AW [KCHS]     5420  --- 
AE02EA 85-1361 ROPER98   2017-08-28 18:26:32 C-130H United States TX ANG | 136AW | 181AS [KFWH]     2437  --- 
AE26A2 6576   2017-08-28 17:56:10 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5346  --- 
AE09DC 86-24508 ---   2017-08-28 17:50:30 UH-60A United States ---     5364  --- 
AE4BEF 2315 ---   2017-08-28 17:24:12 HC-144A United States ---     2361  --- 
AE2913 6036 ---   2017-08-28 17:18:32 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]    
AE080B 99-0165 RCH396T   2017-08-28 17:16:14 C-17A United States AFRC | 445AW | 89AS [KFFO]    
AE2684 6543 CGNR6543  2017-08-28 17:14:32 MH-65D United States USCG |     5351  --- 
AE1459 06-6155 RCH397T   2017-08-28 17:04:09 C-17A United States USAF | 60AMW | 21AS [KSUU]    
AE290E 6031 ---   2017-08-28 16:56:10 MH-60T United States USCG     5370  --- 
AE41AA ------ SPAR216   2017-08-28 16:56:10 C-21 United States ---    
AE2673 6525 CG6525   2017-08-28 15:56:08 MH-65D United States USCG |     5363  --- 
AE2697 6565 ---   2017-08-28 15:48:12 MH-65D United States USCG |     4221  --- 
AE27F2 6001 ---   2017-08-28 15:46:18 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5356  --- 
AE26B1 6591 ---   2017-08-28 15:36:15 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Atlantic City [KACY]     5313  --- 
AE4BE8 2313 ---   2017-08-28 15:34:41 HC-144A United States ---    
ADFD66 88-2102 KING22   2017-08-28 15:26:27 HC-130N United States NY ANG | 106RQW | 102RQS [KFOK]     2311  --- 
AE2913 6036 C6036   2017-08-28 15:26:26 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]    
AE4DFE 6046 ---   2017-08-28 14:58:35 MH-60T United States ---     6003  --- 
AE2915 6038 C6038   2017-08-28 14:58:34 MH-60T United States USCG    
AE290E 6031 C6031   2017-08-28 14:46:31 MH-60T United States USCG     5370  --- 
AE2238 2302 ---   2017-08-28 14:44:08 HC-144A United States ---     0522  --- 
AE2919 6042 C6042   2017-08-28 14:42:32 MH-60T United States USCG     0450  --- 
AE27F2 6001 C6001   2017-08-28 14:36:11 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5356  --- 
AE0D5C 78-22982 ---   2017-08-28 14:22:37 UH-60A United States USArmy     5373  --- 
AE26A7 6581 ---   2017-08-28 14:14:38 MH-65D United States USCG |     5352  --- 
AE0403 84-0158 REEL82   2017-08-28 14:12:08 C-12U-3 United States US ARMY | B/6-52nd AVN [ETOU]    
AE268C 6554 ---   2017-08-28 14:06:39 MH-65D United States USCG |     0506  --- 
ADFEC0 96-0110 ---   2017-08-28 13:31:18 UC-35a1 United States USARC | DET C/6-52 AVN (TA) [KGRK]     4616  --- 
AE2686 6547 ---   2017-08-28 13:28:09 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]     0453  --- 
AE26A0 6574 ---   2017-08-28 13:24:08 MH-65D United States USCG |     5711  --- 
AE26B1 6591 CGNR6591  2017-08-28 13:16:13 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Atlantic City [KACY]     5313  --- 
AE268C 6554 6554   2017-08-28 13:10:48 MH-65D United States USCG |     0506  --- 
AE2697 6565   2017-08-28 13:10:46 MH-65D United States USCG |     4221  --- 
AE26A7 6581   2017-08-28 13:06:56 MH-65D United States USCG |     5352  --- 
AE2665 6511 ---   2017-08-28 13:04:10 MH-65D United States USCG |     3651  --- 
AE26A0 6574 CGNR6574  2017-08-28 12:58:44 MH-65D United States USCG |     5711  --- 
AE2686 6547 C6547   2017-08-28 12:48:14 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]     0453  --- 
AE2665 6511 CGNR6511  2017-08-28 06:42:56 MH-65D United States USCG |     3651  --- 
AE1211 03-0726 ---   2017-08-28 02:04:04 UC-35C United States USARC | 2-228 AVN     2416  ---


AE26B1 6591 ---   2017-08-27 23:34:10 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Atlantic City [KACY]    
AE266C 6518 ---   2017-08-27 23:18:14 MH-65D United States USCG |     1277  --- 
AE26B1 6591 CGNR6591  2017-08-27 23:12:04 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Atlantic City [KACY]    
AE266C 6518 C6518   2017-08-27 22:36:09 MH-65D United States USCG |     1277  --- 
AE268C 6554 ---   2017-08-27 22:22:08 MH-65D United States USCG |     1200  --- 
AE2665 6511 ---   2017-08-27 21:20:07 MH-65D United States USCG |     1277  --- 
AE27F2 6001 ---   2017-08-27 21:20:07 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5376  --- 
AE4BEF 2315 ---   2017-08-27 21:04:06 HC-144A United States ---     4075  --- 
AE10E9 2003 C2003   2017-08-27 20:56:07 HC-130J United States USCG | CGAS Elizabeth City [KECG]     4533  --- 
AE223A 2303 ---   2017-08-27 20:54:25 HC-144A United States USCG |     1200  --- 
AE268C 6554 6554   2017-08-27 20:54:25 MH-65D United States USCG |     1200  --- 
AE2673 6525 ---   2017-08-27 20:46:16 MH-65D United States USCG |     5031  --- 
AE080F 99-0169 RCH136T   2017-08-27 20:28:09 C-17A United States USAF | 437AW [KCHS]    
AE26A2 6576 ---   2017-08-27 20:12:09 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     1277  --- 
AE26A2 6576   2017-08-27 19:48:10 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     1277  --- 
AE2686 6547 C6547   2017-08-27 19:46:19 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]     1277  --- 
AE26A0 6574 ---   2017-08-27 19:24:18 MH-65D United States USCG |     4365  --- 
AE4BEE 2314 ---   2017-08-27 19:12:12 HC-144A United States ---    
AE0ED7 84-23991 ---   2017-08-27 19:04:09 UH-60A United States CO ARNG | 2-135 AVN [KBKF]     5307  --- 
AE4BE8 2313 ---   2017-08-27 18:32:05 HC-144A United States ---     5565  --- 
AE2673 6525 CG6525   2017-08-27 18:30:31 MH-65D United States USCG |     5031  --- 
AE2913 6036 ---   2017-08-27 18:00:06 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]     5  --- 
AE09DC 86-24508 ---   2017-08-27 17:40:12 UH-60A United States ---    
AE2665 6511 CGNR6511  2017-08-27 16:56:12 MH-65D United States USCG |     1277  --- 
AE26A0 6574 CGNR6574  2017-08-27 16:50:35 MH-65D United States USCG |     4365  --- 
AE27F2 6001 C6001   2017-08-27 16:50:34 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5376  --- 
AE290A 6026 ---   2017-08-27 16:14:41 MH-60T United States USCG     537  --- 
AE4DFE 6046 ---   2017-08-27 16:00:08 MH-60T United States ---     5366  --- 
AE27FA 6009 ---   2017-08-27 15:22:26 MH-60T United States USCG     5310  --- 
AE2906 6022 ---   2017-08-27 15:22:26 MH-60T United States USCG     2512  --- 
AE2906 6022 C6022   2017-08-27 14:48:09 MH-60T United States USCG     2512  --- 
AE2913 6036 C6036   2017-08-27 14:48:09 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS San Diego [KSAN]     5  --- 
AE080B 99-0165 RCH137T   2017-08-27 14:32:12 C-17A United States AFRC | 445AW | 89AS [KFFO]     7211  --- 
0D067E ------ ---   2017-08-27 14:22:39 ------ Mexico ---    
AE4DFE 6046 C6046   2017-08-27 14:22:39 MH-60T United States ---     5366  --- 
AE290A 6026 C6026   2017-08-27 14:14:39 MH-60T United States USCG     537  --- 
AE27FA 6009 C6009   2017-08-27 14:08:11 MH-60T United States USCG     5310  --- 
AE10C1 01 C101   2017-08-27 14:04:09 C-37A United States USCG | CGAS Washington [KDCA]     ---  43025 
AE26A7 6581 ---   2017-08-27 12:52:14 MH-65D United States USCG |     0442  --- 
AE26B2 6592 ---   2017-08-27 12:52:14 MH-65D United States USCG |     4420  --- 
AE26A7 6581   2017-08-27 12:28:13 MH-65D United States USCG |     0442  --- 
AE26AA 6584 ---   2017-08-27 12:28:13 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5317  --- 
AE2697 6565 ---   2017-08-27 12:12:15 MH-65D United States USCG |     5365  --- 
AE26B2 6592 6592   2017-08-27 11:38:20 MH-65D United States USCG |     4420  --- 
AE2697 6565   2017-08-27 10:28:11 MH-65D United States USCG |     5365  --- 
AE26AA 6584   2017-08-27 08:44:12 MH-65D United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]     5317  --- 


AE26A7 6581   2017-08-26 19:22:19 MH-65D United States USCG |     1200  --- 
0D0930 --- ---   2017-08-26 19:14:21 --- Mexico ---     2463  --- 
0D09A5 --- ---   2017-08-26 16:42:33 --- Mexico ---     4043  --- 
AE0116 97-5305 TEAL72   2017-08-26 05:16:07 WC-130J United States AFRC | 403AW | 53WRS [KBIX]    
AE0116 97-5305 ---   2017-08-26 03:22:14 WC-130J United States AFRC | 403AW | 53WRS [KBIX]     2511  --- 
AE0116 97-5305 TEAL72   2017-08-26 01:30:09 WC-130J United States AFRC | 403AW | 53WRS [KBIX]     2511  --- 


0D067E ------ ---   2017-08-25 23:40:06 ------ Mexico ---     7210  --- 
AE2697 6565   2017-08-25 23:00:04 MH-65D United States USCG |    
AE01AB 84-0072 SPAR190   2017-08-25 21:04:09 C-21A United States ---     3171  --- 
AE27F2 6001 C6001   2017-08-25 20:06:26 MH-60T United States USCG | CGAS Mobile [KMOB]    
0D08D7 --- ---   2017-08-25 19:40:13 --- Mexico ---    
ADFFB6 64-13257 ---   2017-08-25 18:52:14 T-38C United States ---     5121  --- 
0D0972 --- ---   2017-08-25 18:28:11 --- Mexico ---     0676  --- 
AE0258 98-5307 TEAL71   2017-08-25 17:46:35 WC-130J United States AFRC | 403AW | 53WRS [KBIX]     2716  --- 
ADFC95 92-0340 ---   2017-08-25 17:14:36 T-1A Jayhawk United States USAF | 12FTW | 99FTS [KRND]     3541  --- 
AE0238 58-0074 E80074   2017-08-25 15:30:35 KC-135T United States PA ANG | 171ARW [KPIT]    
AE0572 86-0021 RCH6021   2017-08-25 15:00:12 C-5M United States AFRC | 433AW | 68AS [KSKF]    
152C97 RA-76951 VDA5132   2017-08-25 13:42:43 IL76-90VD  Russia Volga-Dnepr Airlines     2440  5225 
AE123A 04-4128 BOE28   2017-08-25 13:18:31 C-17A United States USAF | 305AMW | 6AS [KWRI]     4055  --- 

U.S. Military Open Skies OC-135B makes emergency landing in Russia

Will Stewart reporting for the Daily Mail.com is reporting that United States Open Skies aircraft has made an emergency landing in eastern Russia.

USAF OC-135 Aircraft (USAF Photo)

The surveillance Boeing OC-135B aircraft was flying a mission over Siberia as allowed under the Treaty on Open Skies when it reported a problem with its landing gear.

The unarmed plane made an emergency landing at Khabarovsk airport, but a military source in Russia has questioned whether the technical glitch was genuine.

Under the treaty, signatories are allowed to overfly the skies of each other gathering information about military forces and activities of concern to them.

The American military aircraft had left after a stopover in Ulan-Ude, in the Republic of Buryatia, and was due to fly north to Yakutsk, capital of Siberia's diamond-rich Sakha Republic.

Instead, after take-off the crew noticed the problem and the Boeing went east and made a landing 1,660 miles away in Khabarovsk.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3712608/US-spy-plane-makes-emergency-landing-Russia-problem-landing-gear.html#ixzz4FiVFLFXh

A DoD E-6B TACAMO used a most unsual radio call word last week!

According to Mode-S intercepts from the Live Mode-S network, yesterday an E-6B Mercury TACAMO (serial number 162784) aircraft departed from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, early yesterday morning and flew south over central U.S at over 20,000 feet towards Arkansas/Texas.

Based on the information gathered by Live Mode-S and Planefinder.net, both of which I feed via my ADS-B station, the E-6B was using the call word - TRUMP - for their Mode-S call. Here are the Mode-S intercepts courtesy of the Live Mode-S ADS-B network.

AE040F 162784   TRUMP 2016-03-13 13:20:32 E-6B United States USN | SCW-1 [KTIK] Marvell, AR, US ---  29000   
AE040F 162784   TRUMP 2016-03-13 17:23:45 E-6B United States USN | SCW-1 [KTIK] Abilene, TX, US ---  26000
AE040F 162784   TRUMP 2016-03-13 18:02:43 E-6B United States USN | SCW-1 [KTIK] Dardanelle AR, USA ---  28975
AE040F 162784   TRUMP 2016-03-13 19:31:59 E-6B United States USN | SCW-1 [KTIK] Dallas, TX 2650  20175   
AE040F 162784   TRUMP 2016-03-13 23:44:25 E-6B United States USN | SCW-1 [KTIK] Dallas, TX 2650  20175   
AE040F 162784   TRUMP 2016-03-14 02:36:46 E-6B United States USN | SCW-1 [KTIK] Benbrook, TX, US ---  26000   
Was the use of the TRUMP call word triggered by some of the weekend bare knuckled political activity we saw on the Presidential campaign trail? Not hardly. The call word was actually used earlier in the week on Tuesday, 8 March as indicated by this entry below.
AE040F 162784   TRUMP 2016-03-08 08:12:30 E-6B United States USN | SCW-1 [KTIK] Abilene KS, US ---  ---  
So will we see any other candidates pop up as call words onboard the DoD ABNCP? Is Trump really part of the AFKAI-1/VCSL-1 pub where these daily tac call words come from? Only time and monitoring will tell for sure. Stay tuned faithful readers.

US aerospace command moving comms gear back to Cold War bunker

Blog Editor's Note: YahooNews has picked up the following AFP story. HF radio monitors should keep an eye on the following frequencies for activity related to this story (Mode ALE/USB): 4950.0 6770.0 7718.5 7990.0 9350.0 10800.0 12090.0 14550.0 kHz

Washington (AFP) - The US military command that scans North America's skies for enemy missiles and aircraft plans to move its communications gear to a Cold War-era mountain bunker, officers said.

The shift to the Cheyenne Mountain base in Colorado is designed to safeguard the command's sensitive sensors and servers from a potential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, military officers said.

The Pentagon last week announced a $700 million contract with Raytheon Corporation to oversee the work for North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command.

Admiral William Gortney, head of NORAD and Northern Command, said that "because of the very nature of the way that Cheyenne Mountain's built, it's EMP-hardened."

"And so, there's a lot of movement to put capability into Cheyenne Mountain and to be able to communicate in there," Gortney told reporters.

"My primary concern was... are we going to have the space inside the mountain for everybody who wants to move in there, and I'm not at liberty to discuss who's moving in there," he said.

The Cheyenne mountain bunker is a half-acre cavern carved into a mountain in the 1960s that was designed to withstand a Soviet nuclear attack. From inside the massive complex, airmen were poised to send warnings that could trigger the launch of nuclear missiles.

But in 2006, officials decided to move the headquarters of NORAD and US Northern Command from Cheyenne to Petersen Air Force base in Colorado Springs. The Cheyenne bunker was designated as an alternative command center if needed.
That move was touted a more efficient use of resources but had followed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of modernization work at Cheyenne carried out after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Now the Pentagon is looking at shifting communications gear to the Cheyenne bunker, officials said.

"A lot of the back office communications is being moved there," said one defense official.

Officials said the military's dependence on computer networks and digital communications makes it much more vulnerable to an electromagnetic pulse, which can occur naturally or result from a high-altitude nuclear explosion.

Under the 10-year contract, Raytheon is supposed to deliver "sustainment" services to help the military perform "accurate, timely and unambiguous warning and attack assessment of air, missile and space threats" at the Cheyenne and Petersen bases.

Raytheon's contract also involves unspecified work at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

The Department of Defense Prepares for Hurricane Sandy

At the direction of Secretary Panetta, the Department of Defense is taking aggressive steps to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and State authorities as Hurricane Sandy moves northward.

With the goal of helping to save lives and property during the storm, the Secretary has agreed with the Governors of Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to appoint Dual Status Commanders as the storm approaches.

Dual Status Commanders are authorized to command both Federal and State National Guard forces. This special authority enables them to effectively integrate the defense support operations and capabilities that Governors request. The Secretary is prepared to quickly agree to similar requests from other States.

At the federal level, the Department's disaster preparedness and response efforts support the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, and rapidly meet the requests for assistance they provide.

United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is placing aviation assets such as light and medium lift helicopters and rescue teams on 24 hour Prepare to Deploy Order status in response to Hurricane Sandy. USNORTHCOM is also providing military installations for FEMA to use to conduct response operations, and is providing specialized planners who will help expedite DoD's response to requests for assistance.

The National Guard Bureau is in close coordination with Adjutants General (TAGs) and their disaster response teams in every East Coast state. These State National Guard organizations are coordinating with their respective state emergency management agencies and FEMA regions.

Is military's communications system interfering with garage doors?

Blog Editor Note: This has been a very common occurence since DoD stood up their 380-399.9 MHz LMR subband. Back in 2003, I first documented the garage door interefence vs DoD trunk LMR system in my Monitoring Times Milcom column at Eglin AFB, Fl. When I called the PAO at Eglin and asked about what was causing the problem, they released a statement to me that they had just stood up a new 380-399.9 trunked radio system on their base. In my June 2004 Milcom column, I finally uncovered the paper trail on these new DoD LMR system:

"In a Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum date August 1, 2001, the various military departments were given specific guidance regarding the purchase of equipment for Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Systems. This memo addressed the existing mandates set down in the NTIA Redbook regarding the change to narrowband technologies between 2005-2008 (see our April 2004 Milcom column in MT).

"But there was also an interesting mention of another LMR allocation in the 225-400 MHz band.

“In addition, new LMR radios or services procured after the promulgation date of this memorandum (1 Aug 2001-LVH) that operate in the 380-399.9 MHz band (which is not subject to the NTIA mandate) shall nevertheless be designed for narrowband (12.5 kHz) operation in order to make efficient use of the available spectrum.”

"So apparently what we have here is a hidden LMR band that has been created by the Department of Defense for use by the military only."

So the hits keep on coming as illustrated in the article below from the Stars and Stripes website. Story By Jennifer McDermott, The Day, New London, Conn.

MONTVILLE, Conn. — Sondra Tuchman used to open her garage door from halfway down the block. Now she has to get out of her car, stand in front of the door and press the remote. Sometimes she gives up and just walks through a side door.

On Thursday, Tuchman and a neighbor in the Hillcrest senior retirement community collected the signatures of about 50 people in their Uncasville neighborhood who said their garage doors also weren't working.

Tuchman said a salesman from Overhead Door Company of Norwich, Inc. told her the company had received similar complaints from customers in Groton, New London, Waterford, Montville and Gales Ferry. The company referred questions about the problem to the corporate office, saying that its equipment was not defective.

Rather, a new radio system operating at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton may be to blame. Known as Enterprise Land Mobile Radio, the communications system is being used at most U.S. military installations to connect military personnel and civilian first responders over a wide area, and it "may interfere with nearby garage door openers in the surrounding community," said base spokesman Chris Zendan.

The base began using the system in July 2011. ELMR uses radio frequencies between 380 and 399.9 megahertz, which have been reserved for the Department of Defense since World War II for air and ground communications but have been underutilized until now.

Some radio-controlled garage door openers operate legally at very low power on the same frequencies but are not licensed to do so. Because they are unlicensed devices, the owner/operator has no right to protection from interference.

"In response to the increased needs of homeland security, the Department of Defense now must make more use of these frequencies to deploy new mobile radio systems on and around certain military bases," the Federal Communications Commission said in a public notice. "Some consumers near these bases may experience interference to their garage door openers that can reduce operating range or cause the remote control to cease functioning."

Residents in communities near military bases across the country, from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia and Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, have reported jammed garage doors. The Providence Journal reported in May 2011 that a public relations consultant for Warwick's Overhead Door Co. said the company ordered replacement parts and will install them for free.

The commander of the Groton submarine base can't modify the system because of complaints from local residents or offer any compensation to those affected, Zendan said. The base has only heard from one other person complaining of a possible interference issue — in December 2011, he added.

Tuchman said she was told by Overhead Door Company she would have to pay about $300 to change her system to another frequency. A manager at the company told a reporter that replacing the equipment is "not our responsibility" because "it all has to do with homeland security."

California Air Guard members participate in largest Rim of the Pacific exercise

By Air National Guard Master Sgt. David J. Loeffler, 144th Fighter Wing, California National Guard

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcons from the California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing, have begun to rip across the blue Hawaiian skies as more than 25,000 U.S. and foreign military service members participate in the 2012 Rim of the Pacific exercise.

RIMPAC 2012 – largest Rim of the Pacific exercise ever – is the twenty-third exercise in a history of bi-annual drills that dates back four decades, providing a unique and dynamic training environment in which multiple nations can exchange ideas and train together with the primary mission of securing open sea-lanes and protecting maritime lines of communication.

Since its inception in 1971, RIMPAC has grown in overall numbers as well as numbers of countries participating with India, Russia, Norway, Mexico, the Philippines, and Tonga participating for the first time this year.

“RIMPAC is a great opportunity for our team,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Seyfarth, the project officer of the 144th FW. “We will be working with 22 nations, 42 surface ships, seven submarines, more than 170 aircraft, and over 25,000 personnel.

“This will be the largest RIMPAC exercise to date. The lessons learned and experience gained in integrating with the other international exercise partners will be invaluable,” he said. “This exercise allows us to work with our partner nations at both a strategic and tactical level.”

The 144th FW arrived here July 13 with eight of their F-16s, 32 pallets of cargo, and 110 California Guard members. The wing’s mission will be to launch sorties to meet the air tasking order, providing a unique opportunity for the pilots of the 144th FW to fight in a joint dissimilar air combat environment with other U.S. Air Force and Navy units, as well as Canadian air force units.

“We have brought over one hundred highly dedicated and well trained Airmen to this RIMPAC exercise to support our mission,” Seyfarth said.

“None of this would be possible without the support from the most junior Airman on the maintenance or logistic teams all the way up the chain. Without their hard work and dedication, our pilots don’t fly,” said Seyfarth.

The best training comes when the unit executes its primary mission of air dominance while providing air escort for large strike packages against simulated air and surface threats.

“During the exercise, the wing will be flying over 140 sorties, which equates to approximately 300 hours of flight time,” Seyfarth said. “This training is perfectly tailored to allow our pilots and Airmen to train to our primary real-world mission of providing air superiority worldwide,” he said.

The men and women of the 144th FW will continue to support the RIMPAC exercise through its conclusion in early August.

Pentagon Bulks Up Defenses in the Gulf

A U.S. military facility in 2008 in the Negev desert in Israel that deploys an X-Band radar system. The Pentagon is building a new radar station in Qatar for an X-Band as part of a buildup to counter Iran. (Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)

The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that the Pentagon is building a missile-defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar and organizing its biggest-ever minesweeping exercises in the Persian Gulf, as preparations accelerate for a possible flare-up with Iran, according to U.S. officials.

The radar site will complete the backbone of a system designed to defend U.S. interests and allies such as Israel and European nations against Iranian rockets, officials told The Wall Street Journal. The minesweeping exercises, in September, will be the first such multilateral drills in the region, and are expected to be announced by U.S. officials Tuesday.

Read the complete copyrighted online story at by clicking here.

Army National Guard Soldiers take part in Operation Golden Cargo, move ammunition thousands of miles

By Army Sgt. Daniel Haun and Army Staff Sgt. Gary Witte, 300th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

WINNEMUCCA, Nev. - Soldiers from the Army National Guard took to the road recently with other troops from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps Reserves as part of Operation Golden Cargo, a logistics operation designed to move ammunition to military installations throughout the United States.

The operation involved more than 2,000 service members and marked a real-world opportunity to put their training to use.

"It provides a real-world mission for the soldiers to accomplish," said Army Capt. Robert L. Blankenship, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 329th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, which took care of troops as they came through Winnemucca. "It's not just a training exercise. There's cargo to be moved. There's Soldiers to be taken care of and there's a logistical side to all of it."

A few miles away outside Winnemucca is an asphalt-covered Department of Transportation yard, converted into a staging area where service members exchange trailers loaded with ammunition.

By transferring the cargo from one truck to another driven by service members from a different unit, the operation maximizes safety and keeps the shipment moving. Soldiers are only allowed to drive a limited number of hours before they have to stop and rest.

Army Pvt. Phil C. England, of Payson, Ariz., a truck driver with the Arizona Army National Guard’s 1404th Transportation Company, began checking his vehicle after arriving at the staging area. He said he has only been with his unit about four months.

"It's all new stuff," he said of the operation. "It's a completely fresh environment. Nothing that I'm used to."

The newness extends to England's vehicle -- a Palletized Loading System truck -- a type he had never driven before Golden Cargo.

"It's a bit of a learning curve, but it was good," he said.

Other Soldiers were also enthusiastic about the start of the operation. Army Sgt. Hannah Wilson, also a truck driver with the 1404th Trans. Co., said this is her first annual training with the unit.

"I'm looking forward to getting my driving time in," she said. "Getting on the road."

Almost 200 soldiers at any given time are expected to stay at the National Guard armory in Winnemucca, where they are provided a necessary break from the road. They sleep on cots in the gym-like drill hall and are fed using a dining facility run by the 729th Transportation Company, an Army Reserve unit out of Fresno, Calif.

The facility and local operations are handled by the Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 329th CSSB, in Parsons, Kan. The real-world operation serves as a way for its Soldiers to practice their skills in making sure the troops are provided for.

"It puts a little bit of motivation behind what we're trying to do, because if somebody drops the ball then a Soldier's not getting taken care of," Blankenship said. "And that's what we're about -- taking care of soldiers."

Meanwhile, similar activities are underway at Blue Grass Army Depot in Lexington, Ky., as the exercise kicks off.

"Golden Cargo is the simple movement of ammunition out of the Blue Grass Army Depot here in Lexington, Ky., to other depots within the United States," said Lt. Col. David Gayle, battalion commander of the South Carolina Army National Guard’s 1050th Transportation Battalion and Task Force Wildcat. "The purpose is to move ammunition to other depots for shipment to other parts of the United States Central Command to support the war fight for overseas contingency operations," he said.

Gayle, a Blythewood, S.C., native, emphasized the importance of ammunition movement training taking place across several state lines.

"It's important because we're supporting the war fight and supporting the Joint Munitions Command,” he said. “It's more or less the culminating event for Guard and Reserve units: they do a lot of drill weekends throughout the year and this is the culminating event that brings it all together," said Gayle.

As Task Force Wildcat begins operations, Gayle underscored the need for safety considerations.

"The biggest thing they need to do is to be safe. They need to look out for each other, watch for the hazards, and be able to mitigate those hazards," he said.

Spc. Jeremy Gullo, a Buffalo, N.Y., native and movement control specialist with the 888th Movement Control Team out of Providence, R.I., said he hoped to use these skills in preparation for mobilization.

"I am hoping to do more of my military occupational specialty,” he said. “I just reclassified one week ago. I am hoping to get real in-depth with it and learn what I can for this mobilization. I think this is going to be an excellent mission and I am looking forward to doing what I can do."

Army Staff Sgt. Brenden Wells, from Philadelphia, another 888th MCT member, also emphasized the importance of this training leading up to mobilization.

"We are a mobilizing unit so we'll also be conducting pre-mobilization in between our missions. We're just ensuring that all convoys are taking the proper safety guidelines to make sure they are following all the requirements," said Wells.

"I hope the mission goes successfully that all the soldiers gain even more expertise and knowledge," he said.

Is the Cold War Really Over??

Bill Gertz on the Washington Free Beacon website has a really interesting article dated July 6 for Milcom monitors to digest titled: Putin’s July 4th Message -- Russian nuclear-capable bombers intercepted near West Coast in second U.S. air defense zone intrusion in two weeks.

According to Gertz, "Two Russian strategic nuclear bombers entered the U.S. air defense zone near the Pacific coast on Wednesday and were met by U.S. interceptor jets, defense officials told the Free Beacon.

"It was the second time Moscow dispatched nuclear-capable bombers into the 200-mile zone surrounding U.S. territory in the past two weeks.

"An earlier intrusion by two Tu-95 Bear H bombers took place near Alaska as part of arctic war games that a Russian military spokesman said included simulated attacks on “enemy” air defenses and strategic facilities.

"A defense official said the Pacific coast intrusion came close to the U.S. coast but did not enter the 12-mile area that the U.S. military considers sovereign airspace.

"The bomber flights near the Pacific and earlier flights near Alaska appear to be signs Moscow is practicing the targeting of its long-range air-launched cruise missiles on two strategic missile defense sites, one at Fort Greely, Alaska and a second site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif."

You can read the entire Gertz article online at http://freebeacon.com/putins-july-4th-message/.

If you are new to Milcom monitoring and want to monitor DoD Air Defense action, program the following nationwide frequencies in your scanner: 228.900 232.500 (Canada) 234.600 234.700 (Canada) 235.900 238.400 241.200 252.000 254.200 254.475 260.900 265.400 270.200 271.000 274.400 277.600 278.000 281.600 282.600 288.400 293.600 316.300 320.600 324.000 327.900 328.000 349.550 355.200 360.150 364.200 369.000 386.000 MHz (AM mode)

HF monitors should keep an eye on 4727 5705 6736 9022 13206 15046 18027 kHz USB.
These HF freqs are all tertiary backup freqs at best between the AWACS and the Air Def Sectors. They are also shared with other DoD users and are "NOT" dedicated Northcom/USAF/NORAD freqs. Don't expect to hear a lot of air def comms on these HF freqs these days. Most of the old HF stuff we use to hear has now moved on a secure UHF milsatcom channel that we have heard them refer to many times on their UHF aero freqs listed above.

Top Secret America- A hidden world, growing beyond control

If you think you know all there is to know about the U.S. government and its various federal agencies, think again. The government that we knew prior to 9/11 has changed dramatically since that faithful day in 2001.

For instance, it has been interesting to stand on the edges and see changes in military communications since that day. We have seen a major overhaul in the VHF/UHF spectrum subbands that is used by the DoD. The 225-400 MHz bandplan from several years ago is not what we observe today.

If you would like to learn more about the hidden world of our government, I highly recommend you visit the Washington Post website and read the online article - Top Secret America- A hidden world, growing beyond control by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin.

Priest and Arkin conducted a two-year investigation for The Washington Post that discovered what amounts to an alternative geography of the United States, a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine.

The investigation's other findings include:

* Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States.

* An estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.

* In Washington and the surrounding area, 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001. Together they occupy the equivalent of almost three Pentagons or 22 U.S. Capitol buildings - about 17 million square feet of space.

* Many security and intelligence agencies do the same work, creating redundancy and waste. For example, 51 federal organizations and military commands, operating in 15 U.S. cities, track the flow of money to and from terrorist networks.

* Analysts who make sense of documents and conversations obtained by foreign and domestic spying share their judgment by publishing 50,000 intelligence reports each year - a volume so large that many are routinely ignored.

There is also a very interesting online database that as a Milcom monitor you will find very interesting and useful at http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/

I will have more on this from a monitors point of view in an upcoming issue of Monitoring Times magazine in my monthly Milcom column.

New Indian Ocean Region UHF Milsat Downlinks Discovered

(IS-22: Credit Boeing Artist Concept)

According to a report filed on the Hearsat-L newsgroup, Ronald Rensen in the NL has uncovered several new UHF milsat downlinks in the IOR region. He gave a rough location for the emitter at 70E. Milsat monitoring ace Paul J. Marsh, contributor to: http://www.uhf-satcom.com - http://twitter.com/UHF_Satcom, believes these signals could well be from the Intelsat hosted payload aboard IS-22 at 72 deg East.

http://www.intelsat.com/_files/resources/satellites/IS-22-factsheet.pdf
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/702/intelsat/intelsat.html

The frequencies that Ronald monitored were

251.600 wide
252.300 wide
254.025 narrow
254.500 narrow
254.575 narrow
254.600 narrow
254.625 narrow
254.650 narrow
255.650 narrow
257.575 wide
257.775 wide
265.675 wide*
265.850 wide

*Was very busy between 0725-0745 UTC on 6/25/2012 with secure comms

Thanks to both Ronald and Paul for passing that along on the Hearsat-L group. Very interesting UHF milair assignments.

NORAD and USNORTHCOM conducting ARDENT SENTRY 2012 starting tomorrow

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - The North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command will conduct a major exercise, ARDENT SENTRY 2012, focused on Defense Support of Civil Authorities, May 2 – 9, 2012.

The exercise will be primarily a Command Post Exercise, but there will be field training events within the exercise. Those events will take place in North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Alaska, Connecticut and Nova Scotia and involve United States and Canadian military units.

- North Dakota, the Air Force Global Strike Command will respond to a simulated Nuclear Weapons Incident (NUWAIX) on Minot Air Force Base.

- Oregon, the Oregon National Guard will work with state and local officials to respond to numerous weather-related and security events.

- Texas, US Army North will deploy a task force to work through the process of leading a military response to a major hurricane.

- Alaska, Joint Task Force-Alaska will conduct a coordinated response to a major aircraft crash in a remote area.

- Nova Scotia, Canadian and US Naval forces will work together to handle a security related event.

ARDENT SENTRY 12 will validate existing plans, policies, and procedures, including the Federal Inter-agency Response Plan, as well as state and regional plans.

The 344.6 CONUS Metro Cleanout Continues

For decades 344.6 MHz has been a worldwide military Metro (weather frequency). Several years ago I noticed that station in the CONUS where being moved elsewhere. This was one of the first indications we had that DoD was implementing a new bandplan for the 225-400 MHz milair band.

The latest move is MacDill AFB. They have moved to the same frequency as Patrick AFB, who moved a short time ago to 225.050 MHz.

So who is left? Well in CONUS not much. Overseas we see no change which indicates to us that the new bandplan that was implemented by DoD was for CONUS only.

CONUS
McClellan Airfield CA KMCC
Grissom ARB IN KGUS
Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility MD KADW
Whiteman AFB MO KSZL
MCALF Bogue Field NC KNJM
Pope AFB NC KPOB
Wright Patterson AFB OH KFFO

Canada/Overseas
CFB Cold Lake (Capt RW McNair) AB CYOD
CFB Comox BC CYQQ
Andersen AFB GU PGUA
MCAS Kaneohe Bay HI PHNG
NSF Diego Garcia IO FJDG
Chitose JA RJCJ
Hamamatsu JA RJNH
Kadena AB JA RODN
MCAS Iwakuni JA RJOI
Miho JA RJOH
Misawa AB JA RJSM
NyutaBaru JA RJFN
Yokota AB JA RJTY
James Armstrong Richardson International MB CYWG
CFB Goose Bay NF CYYR
CFB Greenwood NS CYZX
Shearwater Heliport NS CYAW
CFB Bagotville ON CYBG
CFB North Bay ON CYYB
CFB Trenton ON CYTR
Don Mueang International THA VTBD

If you live near McClellan Airfield, Grissom ARB, Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Whiteman AFB, MCALF Bogue Field, Pope AFB or Wright Patterson AFB, please keep an eye on 344.6 and if you no longer hear activity on 344.600 MHz, we would appreciate it if you drop us some email at the address in the masthead.

Those of us who have been following these developments are betting who will be the last Metro standing on 344.600 MHz. My money is on Andrews.

DOD Identifies Unit for Upcoming Afghanistan Rotation

The Department of Defense today identified one Army brigade combat team to deploy as part of the upcoming rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan. The scheduled late Spring 2012 rotation involves more than 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

End of an Era - Almost!

Over the last few years, I have documented the wholesale changes to DoDs bandplan in the 225-400 MHz milair band. One of the casualties of the bandplan changes has been the 344.600 MHz nationwide Metro (weather) frequency. This frequency is going away and a recent NOTAM change last month documented the Cape Canaveral AFS Metro move from 344.600 MHz to 225.050 MHz. So what is left on 344.600 MHz. Here is the list of the last few Metro stations on this one that "will" be moving in the near future to another Metro frequency near you!

McClellan Airfield CA KMCC
MacDill AFB FL KMCF
MCAS Kaneohe Bay HI PHNG
Grissom ARB IN KGUS
Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility MD KADW
Whiteman AFB MO KSZL
MCALF Bogue Field NC KNJM
Pope AFB NC KPOB
Wright Patterson AFB OH KFFO

If you hear or know if any of these change, drop me some email at the address in the masthead and we will post that up here on the Milcom blog.

Failure to communicate: Inside the army's doomed quest for the 'perfect' radio

Sgt. Ryan Pike, left, and Staff Sgt. Altaf Swati erect a tactical satellite radio antenna while on patrol in Afak, Iraq, Dec. 28, 2008.

By David Axe, The Center for Public Integrity iWatch News website
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/01/10/7816/failure-communicate-inside-armys-doomed-quest-perfect-radio

As several dozen soldiers from the U.S. Army’s Task Force Rock drove into Afghanistan’s Chowkay Valley one morning in March 2010, Taliban fighters immediately began moving into ambush positions along a higher ridge. The Force’s mission was to protect a U.S. reconstruction team as it met with local village leaders, but it was stuck in place as the Taliban reached their fighting posts.

What tied them down was their radios: a forest of plastic and metal cubes sprouting antennae of different lengths and sizes. They had short-range models for talking with the reconstruction team; longer-range versions for reaching headquarters 25 miles away; and a backup satellite radio in case the mountains blocked the transmission. An Air Force controller carried his own radio for talking to jet fighters overhead and a separate radio for downloading streaming video from the aircraft.

Some of these radios worked only while the troopers were stationary; others were simply too cumbersome to operate on the move. “Not good,” said Spec. Geoff Pearman, as he watched farmers scurry indoors from their wheat fields — a sure sign that fighting was imminent.

Task Force Rock’s vulnerability that morning is routine for U.S. forces in Afghanistan today. But it was never supposed to occur at all.

Almost fifteen years ago, the Army launched an ambitious program, the Joint Tactical Radio System, aimed at developing several highly-compatible “universal” radios. Together, the JTRS radios would replace nearly all older radios in the American arsenal, greatly simplifying communications and freeing up combat units “to tap into the network on the move,” according to Paul Mehney, an Army spokesman.

But JTRS, pronounced “jitters,” failed to live up to its promise. Overly ambitious, poorly managed and saddled by incompatible goals, the program burned through $6 billion dollars while producing little working hardware. Delays forced the Army to spend $11 billion more on old-style radios to meet the urgent demands of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The Army eventually reduced the planned purchase of JTRS radios and cut the types of radios in development. In October, it canceled the vehicle-mounted version of JTRS, the most important of the new radios, which by then had grown to the size of a dormitory-sized refrigerator. For all practical purposes, JTRS is dead — at least in its original guise.

But the need for simpler battlefield communications remains. After an investment of 15 years and $17 billion, today the Army is still struggling to build better radios and estimates it may need to spend another $12 billion to get what it needs. The U.S. taxpayer has paid the bill, but frontline soldiers like those from Task Force Rock bear the true cost.

JTRS’ history is one of grand but naive technological ambition colliding with the unbending laws of physics and the unforgiving exigencies of modern warfare. After years of work, the Army discovered for itself what experts had been warning all along: It’s impossible for a single radio design to handle all the military’s different communications tasks.

The more capabilities that the Army and prime contractor Boeing packed into JTRS, the bigger, more complex and more expensive it became — until it was too bulky and unreliable for combat. In its relentless drive for conceptual simplicity, the Army found itself mired in mechanical complexity.

The Army wasn’t alone in its doomed pursuit of a technological pipe dream. The past decade has by many accounts been an era of grand ambition, flawed management and wasted treasure for all the military branches. A lengthy Harvard Business School study for the Pentagon concluded in April that despite many attempts at reform, “major defense programs still require more than 15 years to deliver less capability than planned, often at two to three times the planned cost.”

But the Army has arguably had more failures than other services. An internal report in 2010 noted that every year since 1996, the Army has spent more than a billion dollars annually “on programs that were ultimately cancelled” – including 15 cancelled since 2001. More than a third of its weapons development funds over the past seven years were spent on weapons systems deemed unusable in the end.

“I feel sorry for the Army,” said Thomas Christie, the Pentagon’s top weapons tester from 2001 to 2005. “Everything they’ve touched has turned to crap.”

Now the Pentagon faces a round of budget-cutting. So if the Army is to acquire new radios to keep its forces moving, it must do so on the cheap. That means reforming the vast, slow-moving bureaucracy entrusted to developing, testing and buying new military gear — a goal the Army is finally taking steps to reach. But it also means separating the good ideas from the bad ones at the outset, an ability that independent experts say continues to elude the world’s most powerful ground fighting force.

A Program Born in Frustration
The Army’s latest plan for overhauling its battlefield communication system was forged after the ground war to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi Army in February 1991. While preparing for the lightning Left Hook drive north and east in southern Iraq, Pentagon planners were frustrated by their need to decide everything in advance because of the Army’s inability to communicate well on the move.

They developed a plan to create a “cyberwar” force on the battlefield, upending a tradition that only leaders carry radios, and information flows not between individuals, but between squads, platoons, companies, and other units. Instead of merely pointing their rifles and scanning with their eyes, every soldier in the networked force would be an information node with his own cameras, GPS tracker and radio, all communicating perfectly with others.

The Army formally started the program in 1997, calling it the “Joint Tactical Radio.” The JTR — the “S” for “System” was soon added — was to be compatible with all previous Army radio models plus almost every radio used by the Marines, Air Force, Navy and even civilian organizations such as local police departments.

The architecture was meant to be flexible, matching the communications needs of every imaginable user, from an individual private soldier lugging a rifle across the battlefield to top generals in their high-tech headquarters deep inside friendly territory. JTRS would even work in space.

The new radio, moreover, was a key component of an even more ambitious program — a collection of new lightweight armored vehicles and weapons-carrying robots collectively known as the Future Combat Systems. They would be fast-moving, widely-spread and plugged into a vast information network. Each would carry its own JTRS radio, as would every soldier riding inside.

After a series of war games to refine the cyberwar concept, in June 2000 the Defense Department awarded Chicago-based Boeing, America’s number-two defense contractor after Lockheed Martin, a $2-million contract to begin preparing JTRS blueprints. By Pentagon standards, it was a tiny contract. The overall JTRS program, including design and production, was expected to cost at least $6 billion over the first 10 years — and up to $40 billion by the time every last JTRS radio was bought, many years later.

For Boeing, that first contract was a foot in the door for both JTRS and Future Combat Systems, which by itself was expected to cost at least $120 billion over a period of decades. Boeing was not an experienced radio maker, nor did it manufacture armored vehicles. But the company sold itself to the Army on the strength of its intellectual prowess and management skills, stressing in a press release its “proven experience in large-scale system design, development and deployment.”

A little over a year later, 9/11 opened the floodgates for defense spending. After a series of high-level Pentagon meetings in 2002, the Army got a green light to give Boeing the major contracts for both JTRS and Future Combat Systems. Under the latter contract, Boeing was to receive 10 to 15 percent profit margins, regardless of the program’s success or eventual cost.

During the review, Christie, the Pentagon’s top weapons tester, warned top officials that the Army’s plans were unrealistic. “I said there’s no way this is going to happen,” he recalls. “But they got the go-ahead anyway, by claiming there was little technical risk.”

One Size Does Not Fit All
The Army figured it would need 230,000 copies of the main JTRS radios to replace 750,000 of its older radios and lighten unit commanders’ loads. The other military branches together would buy another 90,000 or so radios, and they would all connect with a quarter-million related devices. The new radios had to be phased in gradually due to manufacturing constraints, which meant each JTRS radio had to be compatible not only with other JTRS radios and the radios belonging to the other armed services, but also with all the Army’s old-style radios.

Achieving such broad compatibility posed a daunting challenge. Traditionally, the size and shape of military radios is determined by their task. A vehicle-mounted radio piping in data from some distant headquarters is large enough to accommodate a larger antenna, more processing power and more sophisticated encryption. A radio for an infantry squad is small enough for one man to carry; it has less range, power and encryption.

In addition, radios must be equipped to interpret particular radio “languages” known as a “waveforms,” tailored for specific types of transmissions. Some are better for moving data; others are better for voice or a mix of data and voice. The Army wanted JTRS to be compatible with the 30 or so most important military waveforms, including several ideally suited for the new radios. But it gradually grasped that it was impossible for a single radio design to handle all tasks and all waveforms.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all,” admits Brig. Gen. Michael Williamson, who since March has overseen the rapidly fading JTRS program. So JTRS split into several sub-programs between 2000 and 2004, each developing a different version. Boeing handled the bulk of the work in California and Missouri, but other defense contractors – including BAE Sytems in New Jersey and Rockwell Collins in Iowa -- got slices, as well. There were sea-, air- and space-based versions.

The ground-combat branch settled on one major JTRS radio, the so-called “Ground Mobile Radio” meant for vehicles, plus a smaller version for small units marching on foot, and the handheld version for individual soldiers. The ground radio was the main focus, a key to getting Army units talking on the move to each other, to aircraft overhead, to the Navy offshore and to senior commanders far away.

“JTRS would largely lift the fog of war,” Loren Thompson, an analyst with the Lexington Institute in Virginia, crowed on his blog in December 2010. The Lexington Institute receives funding from Boeing and other military contractors, and Thompson now describes JTRS as “a mixed bag.”

JTRS’ collapse began when reality intervened, after unit commanders in the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq struggled to stay in contact while on the move. Just as the Army’s war needs expanded the demand for innovation, software problems with the new radios slowed testing. So the Army had no choice but to buy non-JTRS radios from other manufacturers -- 300,000 radios in all, worth nearly $11 billion through 2006.

Frustrated by the delays and freshly equipped with new copies of old-style radios, the Army began losing its appetite for JTRS. Between 2006 and 2008, the Army scaled back its JTRS purchasing plans by 20 percent and decided the new radio would understand just eight waveforms instead of 33.

The reductions shaved billions of dollars off the cost of developing JTRS, but also increased the overall pricetag for each one, including research and development expenses. The Army suddenly expected to pay up to $300,000 for each JTRS ground radio — roughly double its estimate in 2002. By comparison, a factory-fresh, vehicle-mounted, non-JTRS radio from another major military supplier, the Harris Corp., costs just $57,000.

Technical Problems Worsen
The technical challenges of transmitting huge amounts of data over complex new waveforms became so acute that in 2005, the Army briefly ordered Boeing to stop work on JTRS. But the Pentagon has a hard time cancelling any program – often because the contracts it signs impose steep penalties on the government for any major change of heart -- and so the Army decided to reorganize the management office while allowing Boeing to proceed.

The program did not improve. Col. Dan Hughes, who oversaw ground radio development between 2006 and 2009, watched the radio grow in complexity and cost, while continually missing design deadlines. “We tried to make it better and better and better,” he says. But in the first two years after full-scale development was approved, the number of pages in the blueprint for the ground radio design tripled, according to a Government Accountability Office report in 2005. The radio also tipped the scales at 207 pounds — several times the weight of existing radios.

Plans to hand over prototypes to the troops for realistic testing got bumped back one year, then two, then three. With each delay, the Army was forced to buy more old-style radios for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Manufacturers took the opportunity to upgrade their existing radio designs with enhanced processors, software and encryption and new waveforms, bringing them closer to the ground radio’s specs.

The Harris firm tweaked one of its popular radios to accommodate the main JTRS waveforms, and quickly sold 16,000 of the new radios, mostly to the Army.

Then, in 2010, the Army assembled 1,000 battlefield veterans at a desert training range at Fort Bliss, just outside of El Paso, to try out the key bits of JTRS technology. They criticized its size, its weight, its short range and its tendency to break down. Michael Gilmore, the Army’s top weapons tester, cited the soldiers’ complaints in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. He said the ground radio “demonstrated little military utility.”

Meanwhile, the federal government’s ballooning deficits prompted several rounds of defense cuts that shaved billions from the Army’s research and development accounts. Future Combat Systems was killed first, around the same time the evaluation troops were testing JTRS.

In October, the Army also canceled the ground radio. “The technical challenges of mobile, ad hoc networks and scalability were not well understood due to the immaturity of technology at that time,” Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall explained in letters to the chairmen of the congressional armed services committees, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Rep. Howard McKeon (R-Cal.)..

Aspects of the overall JTRS program survive. The two main JTRS waveforms are still in development. So are the air-, sea- and space-based versions of the radio, plus some of the smaller Army models — in particular, the soldiers’ hand-held version. “We don’t want more monolithic programs,” says Col. John Morrison, who oversees the Army’s network-based battle-command efforts. Under the best of circumstances, the GAO estimates, the radios will cost another $12 billion to complete.

Although the Pentagon sometimes tries to recoup money invested in failed weapons, in the case of the ground radio, the Army said it would simply allow the Boeing contract, which was good through 2012, to lapse. Boeing would not be paid to continue ground-radio work — nor would the company be penalized.

A spokesman for Boeing, Matthew Billingsley, declined to say if the nonpublic contract allowed for the company to be penalized. He said that Boeing was disappointed at the program’s cancellation, and that the company looked forward to “applying our experience and knowledge in future competitions.”

Task Force Rock, anchored to the floor of Afghanistan’s Chowkay Valley by its radios in March 2010, was lucky. It escaped an attack by fleeing the valley under the cover of U.S. helicopters firing white phosphorus rockets. Burdened with radios the Army has spent more than 20 years trying to replace, other American combat units might not be so lucky.

US-Egypt military exercise canceled

The Associated Press is reporting that this year's joint military exercises involving Egypt, the United States and other coalition nations have been canceled as Egypt moves away from the regime of ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

The State Department said yesterday that the Egyptian government and the U.S. mutually agreed to postpone the 2011 exercise "in light of ongoing transition events."

Egypt and the U.S. also agreed to start formal planning in June 2012 for the next installment of what is called Exercise Bright Star in 2013.

Exercise Bright Star is a biennial, multinational exercise sponsored by the U.S. Central Command. It is designed to improve military-to-military relationships among the U.S., Egypt and other nations, including France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Turkey and Britain.