944FW Closes Chapter in Their History

Reservists from the 944th Fighter Wing here bid farewell to the last three F-16 Fighting Falcons after almost 20 years. The unit's F-16s are being reassigned to other locations on the recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

"This is like a family that's moving on," said Lt. Col. Donald Lindberg, the 302nd Fighter Squadron commander. He compared the emotions of the event to sending a child to college.

The 302nd Fighter Squadron, which traces its roots to the Tuskegee Airmen, will be inactivated at Luke AFB but will return to the Air Force Reserve Command when it stands up as an F-22 associate unit at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

The 944th FW will continue its mission of training F-16 pilots.

Red Flag turns stealthy

2/14/2007 - A B-2 Spirit lands after a Red Flag mission Feb. 12 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. All three of the Air Force's stealth aircraft models, the B-2 Spirit, F-117 Nighthawk and F-22, are taking part in Red Flag, which sharpens aircrews' warfighting skills in realistic combat situations. Crews are flying missions during the day and night to the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range where they take part in highly realistic aerial combat. The Air Force and Navy, along with Australia and the United Kingdom militaries, are participating in this Red Flag. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Estrada)

Mil Exercise on 3277?

I have just received a report from a Euro reporter of a lot of mil activity on 3277 kHz USB. Stations in this net are using trigraphs (i.e. U0G, etc) and there are frequent messages - in english - and are not in "clear" form. Based on what my reporter has submitted this looks like a naval Composite Warfare (CWC) net. Does anyone have any details on what is happening in the Med on 3277 kHz? I do not have anything in my database from this part of the world. I just checked the frequency at DXTuners and it definitely sounds like a US Navy CWC net. Lots of interference from an adjacent frequency.

USAF ACC Aerial Events Schedule Feb 2007

Here is the latest schedule through the end of February for the ACC Flight Demo Teams.

NOTE: The F-15E Strike Eagle Demo Team will be represented as F-15E SE in the schedule below. The F-15 West Team will now be represented as F-15C West. There is no F-15 East Team.

Date / Location / Event / Aircraft

15 / Moody AFB, GA / CSAA / CSAR Demonstration / 2 x HH-60 Tactical Demonstration

17-18 / Lima, Peru / Air Show / F-16 West (pending airlift)

18 / Daytona Beach, FL / NASCAR Daytona 500 / 4 x F-15 Flyover

22 / Shaw AFB, SC / Chaplains Day / F-16 East

24 / Yuma, AZ / Air Show / A-10 West

Hurricane Hunters track Pacific winter storms

A WC-130J Hercules, also known as a Hurricane Hunter, takes off with an aircrew from the 815th Airlift Squadron and support members from the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. Airmen and two Hurricane Hunters from Keesler AFB are on a month-long mission to support the winter storm reconnaissance program in Anchorage, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Here is a heads up to my west coast readers, especially my readers in Alaska, you may have an opportunity to monitor the world famous hurricane hunters on the HF-GCS net over the next month of so. Listening closely for the Teal ## callsign.

The current station list for the HC-GCS net is as follows:

Andersen AB, Guam (Voice call Guam Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Andrews AFB, Maryland (Voice call Andrews Global) HC-GCS CNCS
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 8058.0 11053.0 11159.0 11181.0 11214.0 11220.0 13960.0 14863.0 18015.0 kHz

Ascension Island (Voice call Ascension Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 9043.0 11159.0 11226.0 14497.0 kHz

Croughton AB, United Kingdom (Voice call Croughton Global)
4724.0 6712.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 4894.0 5708.0 5117.0 6728.0 6731.0 6993.0 7567.0 7933.0 8032.0 9025.0 10648.0 11118.0 11129.0 11180.0 11181.0 11220.0 11226.0 11232.0 11271.0 13822.0 15042.0 15091.0 kHz

Diego Garcia NS, Indian Ocean (Voice call Diego Garcia Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 9012.0 11181.0 11226.0 11244.0 11269.0 13254.0 15095.0 20910.0 kHz

Elmendorf AFB, Alaska (Voice call Elmendorf Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Voice call Hickam Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 11181.0 13242.0 kHz

Lajes AB, Azores (Voice call Lajes Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequencies: 11220.0 13440.0 14896.0 23265.0 kHz

McClellan, California (Voice call McClellan Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Offutt AFB, Nebraska (Voice call Offutt Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz
Discrete Frequency: 10589.0 11053.0 11159.0 11181.0 12087.0 kHz

Salinas, Puerto Rico (Voice call Puerto Rico Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 Khz
Discrete Frequencies: 7690.0 9006.0 10648.0 11056.0 11220.0 11484.0 15087.0 kHz

Sigonella NS, Sicily, Italy (Voice call Sigonella Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Yokota AB, Japan (Voice call Yokota Global)
4724.0 6739.0 8992.0 11175.0 13200.0 15016.0 kHz

Hurricane Hunters track Pacific winter storms by Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett
403rd Wing Public Affairs

2/13/2007 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNEWS) -- While most people flee when a pending storm is coming, Keesler AFB Airmen go right into the heart of storms to provide detailed information about storms to warn people of hazardous weather.

Airmen and WC-130J Hercules aircraft, also known as Hurricane Hunters, left here Feb. 12 for Anchorage, Alaska, for a month-long mission in support of the 2007 winter storm reconnaissance program.

In addition to two WC-130Js, Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing officials put together a team composed of aircrew, operations, maintenance, aerial port and other specialties. Like tropical reconnaissance missions, winter storm routes can keep crews in the air more than 12 hours at a time.

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction, part of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, directs the operations. When a tasking for a flight comes into the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron's deployed operations center at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, a crew is alerted and aircraft maintainers prepare an aircraft for the sky.

Showtime and pre-flight are similar to the Hurricane Hunters' normal missions except, depending on weather, maintenance teams de-ice the aircraft just prior to take off.

Winter missions require crews to fly at higher altitudes than they normally fly in tropical weather systems, above 30,000 feet. The new WC-130 J-model is an improvement over the previous WC-130H in that it can fly much higher, allowing for collection of more data and thereby improving the forecast models even more than in the past.

"On average, the data we provide along with the NOAA aircraft lead to a 10 to 20 percent reduction in error in the targeted forecasts," said Lt. Col. Roy Deatherage, the mission commander for the 53rd WRS and an aerial reconnaissance weather officer since 1988. "As a result, numerical forecast guidance issued 48 hours prior to the events become as accurate as 36-hour lead time forecasts."

Use of weather reconnaissance aircraft have improved the forecast models more since 1999 than the previous 25 years of satellite data, according to the NCEP.

Unlike in tropical storms, on a winter mission the crew is not trying to pinpoint the center of the storm, in fact, there may not even be a "storm."

"Often, the crews are flying from one to four days in advance of a potential storm system in the Pacific that appears headed for either Alaska or the continental United States," Colonel Deatherage said.

On board the aircraft, the aerial reconnaissance weather officer and weather reconnaissance loadmaster take atmospheric observations at predetermined points along a flight track where the measurements are expected to have the greatest chance of improving the forecasts.

The weather reconnaissance loadmaster drops highly sensitive devices called dropsondes, which fall at about 2,500 feet per second, in areas of the atmosphere as requested by NCEP. As they fall toward the ocean, the dropsondes measure temperature, wind speed, humidity and pressure. Aircraft follow what are called synoptic patterns, huge ovals sometimes more than 3,000 miles round-trip.

Colonel Deatherage said during a typical tropical mission, dropsondes are released at certain points defined by the National Hurricane Center. This is usually four drops every time the aircraft passes through the eye with an additional four to eight per mission in the most significant wind bands. In contrast, Pacific winter missions average 16 to 22 sondes dropped. For impending Atlantic winter missions the average is lower, closer to five.

The information collected is checked onboard and then relayed by satellite to the NOAA Weather Service supercomputer, which incorporates it into the agency's numerical prediction models. This information helps "fill-in-the-blanks" or bolster the data in computer climate models that forecast storms and precipitation for the entire United States.

"The goal is to make a good forecast so cities can be prepared with snowplows, and other snow removal and mitigation equipment to diminish the impact of a winter storm on a city," Colonel Deatherage said. "If they are better prepared, like we've seen with several cities already this year, they can recover more quickly. That can be crucial for residents living in harm's way. These forecasts provide people in the path of the storms with warnings that can save lives."

While the Hurricane Hunters are patrolling the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, NOAA is using its Gulfstream G-IV aircraft to fly missions from Honolulu. Between the two units, they are able to cover the parts of the Pacific Ocean that directly affect the United States.

Each year, the 53rd WRS and NOAA rotate deployed locations to better improve the forecasting models. The G-IV flies higher and collects a slightly different data set than that of the WC-130J. Since 1996, the two organizations have been flying these frosty missions in support of the NCEP.

People taking part in the first half of the deployment, about 57 of them, left for Anchorage Feb. 12 for two weeks. Another rotation departs about halfway through with all expected to return by March 13.

This project does not cover all of the 53rd WRS's winter taskings. Due to an unusually warm winter so far this year, the unit has only received minimal taskings for the East Coast of the United States to assist forecasters with pending Nor'easters.

The Hurricane Hunters normally fly several of these missions in support of the National Weather Service each season beginning Dec. 1 and ending April 30.

In seasons past, the tropical storm season, beginning June 1 and officially ending Nov. 30, has crossed over into the winter storm season. In 2005, the Hurricane Hunters flew winter storm missions and tropical missions at the same time. That year, the final storm of the hurricane season was recorded in early January.

Kings Bay 380-400 MHz LMR TRS Reported

I have a field report that three new 380-400 MHz TRS frequencies have been monitored in the Kings Bay, Georgia, Naval Station area. All three channels were P25 encrypted. The three frequencies are 385.0125, 385.2125, and 386.1875 MHz. No control channels have been reported as of this writing.

Additional field reports are welcomed and appreciated from the Kings Bay area.

New Florida 380-400 MHz System Uncovered

My close friend Robert Wyman has found a new 380-400 MHz TRS control channel in the Jacksonville, Florida, area. Robert said his 996 was reporting SID 014 Ch-0113 and the frequency was 386.225. No TGs reported yet.

I believe this is part of the Phase 4 USMC 380-400 MHz system deployment and this TRS is located at Blount Island, Florida. I am seeing all these system using the system ID of 14c.

If you are near the following bases please check out the 380-400 MHz LMR subband for one of these new systems.

Phase 1 MCB Camp Lejeune, NC; MCAS Cherry Point, NC
Phase 2 MCAS Yuma, AZ; MCMWTC Bridgeport, CA; MCAGCC 29 Palms, CA
Phase 3 MCAS Beaufort, SC; MCRD Parris Island, SC; MCLB Albany, GA; Henderson Hall, VA
Phase 4 MCLB Barstow, CA

There will also be deployable UHF LMR systems at Camp Pendleton and Camp Lejeune.

If you are in any of the areas above please do a search in the 380-400 MHz band (nfm, 12.5-kHz spacing) and let us know what you have found. I believe there are new trunk radio systems at the bases above.

United Kingdom Coast Guard MSI Broadcast

You can find details about the United Kingdom Coast Guard MSI HF broadcast on my personal blog - The Btown Monitoring Post at http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/2007/02/uk-coast-guard-broadcast.html.

Ronald Reagan Strike Grp Enters 7th Fleet

The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Group (RRSG) entered the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of responsibility (AOR) Feb. 9, as part of a surge deployment to promote peace, cooperation and stability in the region.

Led by Rear Adm. Charles W. Martoglio, the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group will be filling the role of USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), the Navy’s only permanently forward deployed aircraft carrier, which is undergoing scheduled maintenance in Yokuska, Japan.

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is comprised of CCSG 7, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), the guided-missile destroyers USS Russell (DDG 59) and USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 11, Det. 15. More than 6,000 Sailors are currently assigned to RRSG.

The squadrons of CVW-14 include the “Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, the “Fist of the Fleet” of VFA-25, the “Stingers” of VFA-113, the “Eagles” of VFA-115, the “Black Eagles” of Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113, the “Cougars” of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 139, the “Providers” of Carrier Logistics Support (VRC) 30, and the “Black Knights” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4.

Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet is permanently embarked aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), which is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. The 7th Fleet AOR includes more than 52 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian oceans -- stretching from the international date line to the east coast of Africa, and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south.

Roosevelt-Truman Underway in Atlantic

Sailors from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) attach a cargo pendant to an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter during a vertical replenishment (VERTREP) with USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Roosevelt is underway in the Atlantic Ocean maintaining qualifications in support of the Fleet Response Plan. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Javier Capella

Iron Thunder Roars Through Shaw

by Senior Airman John Gordinier
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

2/12/2007 - SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNEWS) -- Thunder was heard throughout the Carolinas in early February as more than 100 Air Force, Navy, Marine and Royal Air Force aircraft participated in Exercise Iron Thunder.

The four-day, multiservice and multinational exercise, hosted by the 77th Fighter Squadron here, prepared participants for future contingency operations by offering a chance for players to be exposed to missions identical to those faced in combat.

Participating aircraft included B-1 Lancers from Dyess AFB, Texas, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., E-8 Joint STARS from Robins AFB, Ga., F/A-18 Hornets from both Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 77th, 79th and 55th Fighter Squadrons here and the Alabama Air National Guard in Montgomery, Ala., and KC-135 Stratotankers from RAF Mildenhall, England, as well as refueling tankers from all over the Southeast and Northeast.

An E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system from Tinker AFB, Okla., and a British E-3 from RAF Waddington, England, participated in the exercise as well, said Capt. Kevin Pugh, the 79th FS weapons and tactics large force exercise officer.

The E-3 from Britain participates in many American exercise scenarios to include Iron Thunder and Red Flag, said RAF Squadron Commander Gary Coleman, an 8th Squadron pilot.

"It is a benefit for us to get the chance to train with coalition aircraft," the squadron commander said. "Training and getting familiar with the way coalition forces operate helps us when we assist in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom."

Iron Thunder had suppression of enemy air defense and air-to-air combat scenarios, Captain Pugh said. There were two phases in the exercise. One phase had blue air protecting a target from red air, the aggressors. The other had blue air attacking an enemy target. Who flew blue or red air during the exercise, which was off the North Carolina coastline, was determined each day.

On a typical day during Iron Thunder, the E-3 and about six or seven tankers took off, then the fighters rolled out to the coastlines between Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Charleston, S.C. They flew north toward the North Carolina coastline and received fuel from tankers. The fighters were approximately 120 miles off the coast of North Carolina when the first phase of exercise play began, Captain Pugh said. There are approximately 85 blue air aircraft, which includes escorts, versus about 15 red air aircraft. Blue air, which targets were along the coastline, headed west and red air headed east. Blue air performed simulated attacks toward red air until the threat was destroyed.

For the next phase, blue air attacked an enemy location on the North Carolina coastline, he said. They simulated dropping bombs.

"Iron Thunder trains our pilots and coalition pilots to perform better for future contingencies," Captain Pugh said. "That way, when we are all called upon to fight, we can successfully fight together."

Raptors Invade Nevada

For my monitoring friends in the Las Vegas area - heads up!

An F-22 Raptor flies off after being refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker during the Red Flag exercise Feb 7 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The two KC-135 Stratotankers from the 319th Air Refueling Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., make up the lead tanker unit during the exercise. Red Flag is an exercise designed to hone the warfighting skills of Air Force pilots for conflicts. (U.S. Air Force photo/1st Lt. Randi Norton)

German Radio Callsign List

You will find a pretty comprehensive list of German Radio callsigns, both civilian and military, posted on my personal blogsite, the Btown Monitoring Post at http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/2007/02/german-radio-callsign-list.html. I hope you will find the list useful.

Orbcomm sat with USCG AIS will launch in 2007

The US Coast Guard plans to launch a new space based Automatic Identification System (AIS) in 2007.

The Coast Guard has been studying the feasibility of receiving maritime automatic identification system (AIS) signals from space since 2001. In May 2004 the Coast Guard contracted with ORBCOMM, a satellite data communications company, to develop and build the capability to receive process and forward AIS signals from space via an AIS receiver onboard a communications satellite. In addition, ORBCOMM will provide the ground systems capable of processing the AIS signals and relaying the collected messages to the Coast Guard.

"This line of sight system was originally designed as a collision avoidance tool, but Coast Guard engineers and scientists quickly realized that significant ship tracking capabilities could be accomplished far out to sea if a receiver were placed on a spacecraft," said Dana Goward, director of the Coast Guard's maritime domain awareness program.

Studies conducted at Johns Hopkins University in 2003 indicated this concept was feasible, but it was not proven until a Dec. 16, 2006, launch by the Department of Defense of the TACSAT-2 satellite, which was equipped with an automatic identification receiver.

The Coast Guard's ORBCOMM CDS-3 (Concept Demonstration Satellite-3) satellite is scheduled to launch in the first or second quarter of 2007, and ORBCOMM has announced plans to include automatic identification system receivers in future communications satellites.

This Orbcomm-CDS 3 satellite will provide standard ORBCOMM service, and will also have a U.S. Coast Guard payload to support their Automatic Identification System (AIS). This satellite will receive signals emitted from vessels, enhancing U.S. Coast Guard monitoring techniques as part of their homeland security initiatives. This satellite is scheduled to be launched on board the russian Kosmos-3M carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

In addition to assisting the U.S. Coast Guard receive the AIS transmissions, this launch is the first of a planned series of replenishment satellites.

In addition to performing the same communications tasks as ORBCOMM's existing satellites, the new satellites, like the U.S. Coast Guard concept validation satellite, will be able to receive the Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals for global maritime monitoring.

The USAF ACC "Raymond" Callsign

From time to time I am asked about the old USAF TAC callsign - "Raymond." Yes, it is still used and reported on various newsgroups occasionally. So as a special for my Milcom blog readers here is my latest list of confirmed USAF ACC "Raymond" callsigns. You will most likely hear these callsigns used on 311.0, 321.0 and 381.3 MHz. If you have a new confirmed Raymond callsign or update to share with our readers, please pass it along to larryvanhorn @ monitoringtimes.com.

Please no old list, etc. I am looking for what has been heard recently.

Raymond 01 / ACC Headquarters Command Post - Langley AFB, VA [Has not been reported in quite some time and will be removed from my list unless someone has heard it recently]
Raymond 06 / *2BW Command Post - Barksdale AFB, LA
Raymond 07 / *27FW Command Post - Cannon AFB, NM
Raymond 08 / *355 Wing Command Post - Davis Monthan AFB, AZ
Raymond 11 / *33FW Command Post - Eglin AFB, FL
Raymond 12 / *5BW Command Post - Minot AFB, ND
Raymond 14 / *49FW Command Post - Holloman AFB, NM
Raymond 16 / *1FW Command Post - Langley AFB, VA
Raymond 18 / *56FW Command Post - Luke AFB, AZ
Raymond 19 / *93ACW Command Post - Robins AFB, GA
Raymond 21 / *55 Wing Command Post - Offutt AFB, NE
Raymond 22 / *57 Wing Command Post - Nellis AFB, NV
Raymond 23 / *388FW Command Post - Hill AFB, UT
Raymond 24 / *552ACW Command Post - Tinker AFB, OK
Raymond 25 / *4FW Command Post - Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
Raymond 26 / *20FW Command Post - Shaw AFB, SC
Raymond 27 / *366 Wing Command Post - Mountain Home AFB, ID
Raymond 31 / 9RW Command Post Beale AFB, CA
Raymond 33 / *28BW Command Post - Ellsworth AFB, SD
Raymond 36 / *102FW/101FS Command Post Otis ANGB, MA [This entry listed in official publications is suspect. I believe based on good monitoring by Matt Cawby and others in the Pacific NW that this callsign is not used by Otis, but by Fairchild]
Raymond 36 / 92ARW Command Post Fairchild AFB, WA
Raymond 37 / *7BW Command Post - Dyess AFB, TX

Listing marked with an asterisks have been confirmed through listings in official sources (i.e. DoD IFR Sup, etc).

Late breaking - NORAD exercise planned for Washington D.C. Today

Information courtesy of Alan Henney and the SCAN-DC newsgroup.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), will conduct Exercise Falcon Virgo 07-05 Thursday in the National Capital Region (Washington, D.C.).

This exercise comprises a series of training flights held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Command Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, and NORAD's Northeastern Air Defense Sector.

Exercise Falcon Virgo 07-05 is designed to test NORAD's intercept and identification operations. Civil Air Patrol aircraft, Cessna's, US Air Force, F-16's and C-38, and the US Coast Guard, HH-65 helicopter will participate in the exercise. Residents in the area can expect flights to occur during the late night and early morning hours.

In the event of inclement weather the exercise will push to the next day, until all exercise requirements are met.

These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure NORAD's rapid response capability. NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

As the Continental United States (CONUS) geographical component of the bi-national command NORAD, CONR provides airspace surveillance and control, and directs air sovereignty activities for the CONUS region. CONR and its assigned Air Force assets throughout the country ensure air safety and security against potential air threats.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 2,100 possible air threats in the United States, Canada and Alaska, and have flown more than 42,000 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.

F-15s kept 'eye on the sky' during Super Bowl

2/7/2007 - HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. (AFNEWS) -- In the days leading up to Super Bowl XLI, Airmen from the Florida Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Wing at Jacksonville were ready to switch on engine power to their fighter aircraft in an instant.

While thousands of fans streamed into Miami, the wing's F-15 Eagles stepped up patrols, flying low-level patrols over local airports and Dolphin Stadium.

"Miami is one of the most heavily populated areas in the southeast," said Lt. Col. John Black an alert pilot assigned to the 125th FW. "With the Super Bowl, we just want to make sure we have the right things in place -- to take care of our people."

The alert mission allowed nearly 150 million spectators to keep an eye on the game Feb. 4, as the 125th FW Airmen kept an eye on the sky.

"Any time you can do something that makes sure our country continues to operate the way it is supposed to, it's good to be a part of that," Colonel Black said.

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, flew over the stadium at the completion of the national anthem at the Super Bowl. The team was also recognized on the pre-game show and during the game.

And here are a few of the many frequencies monitored during the Super Bowl and thanks to our South Florida Monitoring Team who forwarded their intercept info from the event.

139.825 PITMAN CAP Interplane (20FW/55FS Shaw AFB, SC)
143.850 Thunderbirds Flight Demo Group (AM)
235.250 Thunderbirds Flight Demo Group (AM)
260.900 NORAD CAP
279.550 Homestead Tower
291.600 Miami ARTCC Center (Pahokee RCAG)
307.100 Miami ARTCC Center (Pahokee RCAG)
320.600 NORAD CAP Aerial Refueling
345.000 US Coast Guard Primary
354.100 Miami Approach Control
413.275 Thunderbirds Comm Cart at Stadium (DCS 431)

And remember the March 2007 Monitoring Times magazine is in final production and it will include my new 8th annual air show guide, articles on attending/monitoring the Andrews AFB air show, and an exclusive look at the 193rd SOW. This issue always sells out so you might want to get your subscription started right now so you don't miss this or any other issue of Monitoring Times - the world's No. 1 radio hobby monitoring magazine.

Interim Polar System reaches full operational capability

2/6/2007 - LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNEWS) -- Air Force officials announced Feb. 6 the successful launch and delivery for operational service of the second Interim Polar System payload.

With this placement of the second of three planned IPS payloads, the extremely high frequency constellation is at full operational capability, providing 24-hour EHF communications coverage of the northern polar region.

"The capabilities provided by the Interim Polar System will give U.S. forces located in the polar region a critical asset for seamless communications with both CONUS-based combatant commanders and separate force elements located above the Arctic Circle," said Brig. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing commander.

The system provides secure EHF communications connectivity for support of peacetime, contingency and wartime operations. The payloads are produced by Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, Calif., and hosted on a classified platform in a highly elliptical orbit. Initial operational capability of the IPS was achieved in 1998 with the launch of the first payload, which is still providing uninterrupted service. The third payload will replace the first payload to maintain full operational capability of the system.

Author's Notes: Project 4052 - Interim Polar System
IPS or Polar Milsatsom provides protected communications (anti jam, anti scintillation, and low probablillity of intercept) for tactical users in the north polar region. Project 4052, Polar Satellite Communications, consist of scaled-down low data rate Milstar packages on three classified host satellites as an expedited, interim solution to protected communications requirements in the north polar region.

Polar MILSATCOM is studying the feasibility of maintaining some sort of Interim Polar communications capability beyond the original three host satellites.

These studies have involved the Enhanced Polar System (EPS) which will provide joint, interoperable and protected satellite communications in the northern polar region to user terminals compatible with the Advanced EHF satellite system, which is now in flight production.

The new military satellite communications system would replace the current Interim Polar System, which is limited to Milstar-compatible low-data rate service.

The EPS payload, using Advanced EHF's advanced XDR waveforms, will provide much higher data rates, extended high-gain coverage and will be interoperable with next-generation Advanced EHF-compatible sea-based, ground and airborne user terminals.

The existing IPS payloads provides EHF low data rate (75 bps to 256 kbps) communications to users above 65 degrees north latitude by using satellites in high elliptical orbit (HEO) or known as Molniya orbits. IPS supports combatant commands and NATO missions with C2, DISN, and essential targeting information.

Based on information in the public domain and my DoD Satellite database here is the data on the satellites I believe are carrying the IPS EHF package.

USA 137 / 1998-005A / 25148 / SDS III-1/Capricorn 1
Launched 1/29/1998 at 18:37 UTC from ETR LC36A aboard an Atlas 2A rocket.

The second satellite launch that is the subject of this press release above by the USAF is a bit of a mystery. Based on a quick review of all my sources this morning, there was no launch from the ETR yesterday (Feb 6) despite what this article implies.

My best guess is that the IPS payload mentioned above was carried on a HEO milsat launched last year that is just now coming online for operation. The only satellite platform that fits this bill is USA 184 NROL-22/SBIRS HEO-1, 2006-027A 29249 launched on June 28. 2006.

DOD to establish U.S. Africa Command

by Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

2/6/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) -- The U.S. military will establish a separate U.S. Africa Command to oversee military operations on the African continent, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced during congressional testimony Feb. 6.

"The president has decided to stand-up a new unified, combatant command, Africa Command, to oversee security cooperation, building partnership capability, defense support to non-military missions, and, if directed, military operations on the African continent," Secretary Gates said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The command will enable the U.S. military to have a more effective and integrated approach than the current command setup, Secretary Gates said.

Responsibility for operations on the African continent is currently divided among three combatant commands: U.S. European Command, which has responsibility for most of the nations in the African mainland except in the Horn of Africa; U.S. Central Command, which has responsibility for Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya; and U.S. Pacific Command, which has responsibility for Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Indian Ocean area off the African coast.

The secretary called this arrangement an "outdated arrangement left over from the Cold War."

He added Department of Defense officials will consult closely with Congress and European and African allies to implement the effort.

GPS upgrade will require 'complicated choreography'

by Staff Sgt. Don Branum
50th Space Wing Public Affairs

1/31/2007 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Space professionals with the 2nd Space Operations Squadron have a daunting task ahead of them this summer: replacing the command-and-control system for GPS without any loss of "on-time, on-target" service to military or civil users.

The new system, called the Architecture Evolution Plan, will provide 2nd SOPS with the tools to command upcoming generations of GPS satellites, said 1st Lt. Robert Kaegy, who is assigned to 2nd SOPS' AEP migration program.

The upgrade consists of hardware and software to replace the original command-and-control system, which has operated since GPS' inception, said Capt. Brian O'Connell, GPS Modernization Flight commander.

"The system will be capable of commanding and controlling the GPS constellation much as we do today, but planned software drops will also allow us to control the new II-F block of satellites when they're ready to fly," Captain O'Connell said.

The system also lets operators link directly into the Air Force Satellite Control Network, more than doubling the number of sites they can use for satellite command and control.

"This provides us with a greater capability to command our satellites, reduce commanding visibility gaps and potentially reduce our anomaly response time," Captain O'Connell said.

The transition process won't be as simple as turning off one system and turning on another, however.

"The core of the system is something called the Kalman Filter," Captain O'Connell said. "This system takes in data from our monitoring stations worldwide and uses this data to predict where each of the satellites will be in the future. This model is constantly updated, and the model in turn is uploaded to each vehicle."

The Kalman Filter makes sure each GPS satellite is broadcasting a precise navigation and timing signal. The new system will have a new Kalman Filter--which means the system will have to be carefully aligned with the current system's Kalman Filter.

"If we didn't do this, and we began uploading satellites with data from the AEP Kalman Filter, those vehicles would tell you that you're in a different place than the vehicles that still contain 'legacy' uploads," Captain O'Connell explained. "Clearly you wouldn't want your GPS receiver trying to tell you that you're in two different places."

In addition, each GPS ground antenna and monitoring station must migrate to the new system.

"This is a complicated piece of choreography," the captain said.

The process of converting the constellation and ground system takes about five days.