"Big E" Conducts MISSILEX

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Hendrick L. Dickson, USS Enterprise Public Affairs

USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Enterprise (CVN 65) (Big E) successfully conducted a NATO Sea Sparrow Missile (NSSMS) Exercise (MISSILEX) on July 10 while operating off the East Coast of the United States.

Enterprise fired two missiles from NSSMS 1, one of two NSSMS systems onboard, at two target drones launched from Naval Station Dam Neck, Va., and successfully hit both targets.

NSSMS is the first layer of Big E’s three-point Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS), along with the Rolling Air Frame Missile (RAM) Launcher and the Close-In Weapons System (CWIS). The system uses the RIM-7 missile and has a range of nine miles and is capable is reaching speeds of nearly 1,000 miles per hour. This was the first time Enterprise launched a Sea Sparrow since November 2005.

“Everything went great,” said Fire Controlman 1st Class (SW/AW) Morgan W. Cook, Combat System (CS)-7 leading petty officer. “We have a very dedicated group of fire controlmen up here who take pride in what they do. We actually had a casualty earlier this morning to one of our systems, but they worked through it. Everyone was 100 percent engaged. It says a lot about their dedication.”

“You couldn’t have asked for anything better,” added Fire Controlman 1st Class (SW) Norman A. Edwards, CS-7 assistant leading petty officer. “Two shots, two kills. These guys did what they were supposed to do to perfection. If those would have been actual missiles, the ship would still be safe.”

Although fire controlmen spend years training and preparing to fire ship’s weapons, they don’t get the opportunity to put that training to use often. In fact, some will do an entire career without having fired. For the members of the NATO Sea Sparrow 1 team, this was the highlight of their Navy careers so far.

“I’ve been training for this moment since I came in the Navy in October 2005,” said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Timothy L. Butler, radar set console (RSC) 1A operator. “To get to fire so early in my career is just amazing. This is something I’ll remember, and talk about until the day I die.”

As to be expected, the fire controlmen spent a lot of hours the last few days doing pre-checks and maintenance to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. But after a success like this, the consensus is -- it was well worth it.

“We have had a lot of early mornings and late nights the last couple of days getting ready for this,” said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Jonathan D. Pope, RSC 1B operator. “But all of the long hours and hard work is definitely worth it. It’s a great way to start off the deployment.”

According to Fire Controlman 2nd Class Vernon Jackson, fire control console operator, the success shows that Enterprise is ready to accomplish its mission and keep the ship safe in the real world scenario.

“I am definitely excited about results -- two proximity kills,” said Jackson. “The system did exactly what it is designed to do and the team did exactly what they were trained to do. Of course you hope it never happens, but if the ship ever comes under attack. I am confident that this watch team will be able to defend the ship when it is called to do so.”

"Big E" Deploys

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James H. Green, USS Enterprise Public Affairs

ABOARD USS ENTERPRISE, At sea (NNS) -- The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 departed Naval Station Norfolk for a regularly scheduled deployment July 7 in support of the global war on terrorism.

This is Enterprise’s second deployment within the past 14 months. Big E returned from its most recent deployment Nov. 18.

Enterprise is the flagship for Carrier Strike Group 12, which include the guided-missile destroyers USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), USS James E. Williams (DDG 95), USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) and USS Stout (DDG 55); the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64); and the fast-attack submarine USS Philadelphia (SSN 690) all based in Norfolk, and also the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) based in Earle, N.J. There are nearly 7,500 Sailors and Marines in the strike group.

Months after their November homecoming, Big E Sailors kept busy with a rigorous training schedule which included numerous carrier qualifications as well as a Board and Inspection Survey in April. Enterprise also hosted Commander, Fleet Forces change of command ceremony as well as its own change of command ceremony May 18.

“This has been a very eventful year so far for our crew,” said Capt. Ron Horton, Enterprise commanding officer. “Big E Sailors have been focused on maintaining combat readiness since the ship returned in November. In between all the training however, we were able to spend some valuable time at home with our families and friends. Now it’s time to answer our nation’s call again. There is no doubt in my mind that this crew will perform with honor, courage and commitment as it did last year. I’m very proud to be serving with this crew, at this time, to represent this country.”

In addition to being the flagship of the strike group, Enterprise is also home to CVW 1. The air wing is comprised of the “Checkmates” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211 flying the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the “Knighthawks” of VFA-136; the “Sidewinders” of VFA-86; the “Thunderbolts” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 all flying the F/A-18 Hornet. Also joining CVW 1 are the “Dragonslayers” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 11 flying the SH-60 Seahawk; the “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 flying the EA-6B Prowler; the “Screwtops” of VAW-123 flying the E-2C Hawkeye; the “Maulers” of Sea Control Squadron (VS) 32 flying the S-3B Viking; and the “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 flying the C-2A Greyhound.

Stennis Now Operating in the Persian Gulf

By Lt. Nathan Christensen, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 entered the Persian Gulf on June 22, escorted by the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54).

Aircraft from Stennis’ embarked air wing will provide direct support to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and conduct close air-power support, shows of force and reconnaissance missions for ground forces operating in Iraq.

As a Combined Forces Air Component Command (CFACC) asset, CVW-9 integrates closely with multinational coalition forces to prevent and counter insurgent attacks. Carrier aircraft provide close air-power support and deliver ordnance on enemy positions designated by ground forces.

Since arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO), CVW-9 has flown over 9,000 hours and has provided more than 65,000 pounds of ordnance in support of coalition forces operating on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan in approximately 200 engagements.

Stennis left its homeport of Bremerton, Wash., Jan. 16 for a regularly scheduled deployment and began operating with coalition forces in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOO Feb. 19.

While operating in the region, the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSCSG) has provided support to coalition ground forces in Afghanistan and Iraq participating in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and OIF, as well as conducting maritime operations.

Maritime operations help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment and complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts in regional nations’ littoral waters. Coalition forces also conduct maritime operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters so that commercial shipping and fishing can occur safely in the region.

The squadrons of CVW-9 include the “Black Knights” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154, “Blue Diamonds” of VFA-146, the “Argonauts” of VFA-147, the “Death Rattlers” of Marine Strike Fighter Squadron 323, the “Yellow Jackets” of Electronic Attack Squadron 138, “Golden Hawks” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112, “Top Cats” of Sea Control Squadron 31, “Eightballers” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 8 and “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30.

Stennis is the flagship for JCSCSG, which includes its embarked air wing, CVW-9, Destroyer Squadron 21, guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54), guided-missile destroyers USS Preble (DDG 88) and USS O’Kane (DDG 77), and the fast combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10).

Blog Status

I wanted to update my readers on the status of this blog. As you have noticed there have been no post since June 25. This is due to a hard drive failure on my main computer. It is in the shop and I hope to have it back shortly. Once it gets back I will resume normal traffic on this site.l

TASCOMM Net Confirmed

While I have commented publicly on the UDXF newsgroup about my suspicions on the true identity of the widely reported UK XSS HF ALE net, I pretty much let those in Europe set the agenda regarding what this net should be called - UK DHFCS or TASCOMM?

Wellt that is now going to change. Thanks to a new intercept posted by my old friend Ary Boender to the UDXF group last week, I think the more accurate tag for this net is the UK TASCOMM HF ALE network. Based on the intercept and a report I posted on these pages last summer, I am convinced that the UK DHFCS net is not a correct identifier and does not tell the whole story. I support this conclusion with information presented in a press release at http://www.vtplc.com/newsandevents/newsdetails.asp?ItemID=646.

This whole XSS-US DHFCS-TASCOMM discussion reminds me of an argument I had several years ago on an internet newsgroups with a hardhead on whether the US JCS network should be called the Scope Command Network or HF-GCS (then GHFS). Official publications eventually showed that I was right in that discussion. It was the HF-GCS network (then GHFS) and not the Scope Command Network.

The operable paragraph that pins this TASCOMM tag for me from the VT press release at the link above is:

"Under DHFCS, Terrestrial Air Sea Communications (TASCOMM) is available for use by RN, RAF and the Army. TASCOMM is a ground-air-ground, ship-shore and ground-to-ground HF radio communications service designed for NATO and National use. Previously known as STCICS, TASCOMM has its control centre at the NCS at Forest Moor with an alternative network control centre (ANCS) located at RAF Kinloss. Both the NCS and ANCS will control, transmit and receive assets around the world to provide an efficient and responsive service to the users. Combined with the introduction of new RAF and RN platform HF communications equipment supplied under separate contracts, DHFCS will take full advantage of the modern high-speed waveforms to provide rapid data throughput, eventually including HF email. ALE, ARQ and ALM techniques both simplify and speed up the process of establishing HF communication channels."

And now the intercept that Ary posted for Michael, DH5FAU in Germany:

"On June 20st at 1208 Z I logged an unusual message on the british XSS-Net on 9019,0. XSS was calling UKE307 then:

[AMD]XSS [THIS IS TASCOM ARE YOU RECEIVING MY TEXTS?]> I think that we now know who XSS is. XSS=TASCOM!!!"

In fact, XSS is the net control station for this TASCOMM net, probably with the control head located at Forest Moor (transmitters, unknown???).

So to my readers of the MT Milcom blog, in future posting I will be reporting to this and other venues the ID of the XSS ALE stations/frequencies as the TASCOMM HF ALE network, not just as the UK DHFCS. Of course, if someone else who has better contacts than me wants to set the record completely straight, drop me a note privately at the email in the masthead. But for right now, I think this XSS bunch is operating on the UK TASCOMM ALE Network.

BTW the August issue of MT has a complete writeup on freqs, addresses, etc on this net by my MT colleague, Hugh Stegman in his Ute World column. So I won't bother to steal his thunder by posting all that stuff here on these pages. The August Monitoring Times has everything you need.

Fight Over Secret Satellite Program Is Revived

It appears that the Misty Stealth Recon Satellite program is on the chopping block again. Read the complete story by CQ Today staffer Tim Sparks at
http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002537553.html.

Another interesting angle on this story on the DefenseTech.org blog at http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001272.html.

And here on Arms Control Wonk.com (http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/311/spysat-revealed-its-misty), a possible drawing of a Misty spacecraft?

It is believed there have been two spacecraft launched under the Misty program banner:

1990-019B 20516 AFP-731/Misty 1/SRS 2 USA 53 2/28/1990 0750 UTC ETR
STS-36 Shuttle Period-88.6 Inc-62.00 242 x 238 km orbit

1999-028A 25744 Misty 2/NRO-8x/EIS-1 USA 144 5/22/1999 0936 UTC WTR SLC4E
Titan 404B Period-148.4 Inc-63.40 3133 x 2688 km orbit. Note: This Titan used 50 foot fairing instead of 66 foot fairing used for Lacrosse radar imaging satellites.

More on this as we have it.

Military Satellite Launch Manifest Update

Here is the latest US Military Satellite Manifest courtesy of Steven S. Pietrobon at Small World Communications, in Payneham South SA, Australia. Source: http://www.sworld.com.au/steven/space/usmil-man.txt

UNITED STATES MILITARY MANIFEST (18 Jun 2007)
 USA     Date    Launch Vehicle      
                 Payload
---------------------------------------------
  -    9 Mar 07  Atlas V401 (AV-013) 
                 STPSat 1, Orbital Express
                 (NEXTSat-CSC, ASTRO), STPSat
                 1, CFESat, Falconsat 3,
                 MidSTAR 1, MEPSI Picosat (2)
* -   20 Mar 07  Falcon I F2         
                 DemoSat
  -   24 Apr 07  Minotaur I F7       
                 NFIRE (Near-Field Infrared
                 Experiment)
 194  15 Jun 07  Atlas V401 (AV-009) 
                 NROL-30R (Ocean Surveillance)
         Jun 07  Delta IVM           
                 NROL-25
         Jul 07  Delta II (732X)     
                 SBIRS II
       1 Aug 07  Minotaur I          
                 MDA-DST
      10 Aug 07  Atlas V421 (AV-011) 
                 WGS-1
         Sep 07  Delta IVH/4050H     
                 DSP-23
         Sep 07  Falcon I            
                 TacSat 1, [Celestis 05]
         Sep 07  Delta II (7925)
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIRM-4
      24 Oct 07  Atlas V401
                 NROL-24
         Oct 07  Delta IVM
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-1
       8 Nov 07  Delta II
                 Block 2010 Spacecraft
                 Risk Reduction
      25 Nov 07  Delta II
                 STSS 1, STSS 2 (Block 2006)
         Nov 07  Atlas V521
                 NROL-29
         Nov 07  Delta II (7925)
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIRM-5
         Dec 07  Minotaur I
                 TacSat 3
         Dec 07  Delta IVH
                 NROL-26
         Dec 07  Atlas V411 (AV-006)
                 NROL-28
         Dec 07  Delta II
                 XSS-12
         Dec 07  Atlas V401
                 SBIRS-High F-1
             07  Atlas V521
                 WGS-3
             07  Delta II (732X)
                 SBIRS I
---------------------------------------------
         Jan 08  Delta II
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIRM-6
         Jan 08  TBD
                 MPE (Multiple Payload Ejector)
#        Feb 08  Delta IVM
                 WGS-2
#        Apr 08  Delta II
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIRM-7
#        Apr 08  Falcon IX
                 US Government
#        Apr 08  Minotaur IV
                 TacSat 4
         Apr 08  Atlas V501
                 NROL-39
         Apr 08  Atlas V531
                 AEHF F-1            
         Apr 08  Atlas V401
                 DMSP-5D3 F18
      18 Jun 08  Pegasus XL
                 C/NOFS (P00-3, CINDI)
         Dec 08  Minotaur IV
                 SBSS
             08  Atlas V401
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-2
             08  Atlas V401
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-3
             08  Atlas V401
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-4
             08  Delta IVM
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-5
             08  Atlas V401
                 SBIRS H-2
             08  Atlas V401
                 NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-6
---------------------------------------------
              09  Atlas V401
                  NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-7
              09  Atlas V401
                  NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-8
              09  Delta IVM
                  NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-9
---------------------------------------------
              10  Delta IVM
                  NAVSTAR/GPS IIF-10
              10  Delta IVM+(4,2)
                  SBIRS H-3
---------------------------------------------
                  Minotaur    MightySat-II.2
                  Atlas V501  NROL-41
                  Atlas V501  NROL-45
---------------------------------------------
*       Launch failure
-       No USA number assigned
#       Change since beginning of month
AEHF    Advanced Extreme High Frequency
        Satellite
ASTRO   Autonomous Space Transporter and
        Robotic Orbiter
CFESat  Cibola Flight Experiment Satellite
C/NOFS  Communication/Navigation Outage
        Forecasting System
DMSP    Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
GPS     Global Positioning System
MDA-DST Missile Defense Agency Direct to
        Satellite Telemetry
METOC   Naval Meteorological and Oceanography
        Command
MLV     Medium Launch Vehicle
NEXTSat-CSC  Next Generation Satellite and
        Commodities Spacecraft
NROL    National Reconnaissance Office Launch
SBIRS-H Space Based Infra Red Sensor -
        High Altitude
SBSS    Space Based Surveillance System
STPSat  Space Test Program Satellite
STSS    Space Tracking and Surveillance System
SVN     Space Vehicle Number
WGS     Wideband Gapfiller Satellite
XSS     Experimental Satellite System

The dates listed are those for GMT. All information was obtained from public sources. If anyone can fill in the question marks or provide corrections which is public knowledge please let me know. Square brackets indicate secondary non-military payloads.

Steven S. Pietrobon, Small World Communications, 6 First Avenue, Payneham South SA 5070, Australia fax +61 8 8332 3177 mailto:steven@sworld.com.au http://www.sworld.com.au

USNO Block II GPS Satellite Information

Information below courtesy if the US Naval Observatory. This is an update to some material that I have published previously on the GPS constellation in my Monitoring Times Milcom column. I will be doing additional updates as time permits on other military satellite constellations in future post to this blog.

Blog Note: You can get the current status of the GPS Satellite Constellation by going to the USNO ftp site at ftp://tycho.usno.navy.mil/pub/gps/gpstd.txt

GPS OPERATIONAL SATELLITES (BLOCK II/IIA/IIR/IIR-M)
The operational GPS satellites are designated BLOCK II, BLOCK IIA, BLOCK IIR and BLOCK IIR-M.

The BLOCK II satellites, space vehicle numbers (SVN) 13 through 21, are the first full scale operational satellites developed by Rockwell International. Block II satellites were designed to provide 14 days of operation without contact from the Control Segment (CS). The Block IIs were launched from February 1989 through October 1990.

The BLOCK IIA satellites, SVNs 22 through 40, are the second series of operational satellites, also developed by Rockwell International. Block IIA satellites were designed to provide 180 days of operation without contact from the CS. During the 180 day autonomy, degraded accuracy will be evident in the navigation message. The Block IIAs were launched November 1990 through November 1997.

The design life of the Block II/IIA satellite is 7.3 years; each contain four atomic clocks: two Cesium (Cs) and two Rubidium (Rb); and have the Selective Availabity (SA) and Anti-Spoof (A-S) capabilities. The Block II/IIA satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, aboard the Delta II medium launch vehicle (MLV).

The BLOCK IIR satellites, SVNs 41 through 62, are the operational replenishment satellites developed by Lockheed Martin and will carry the GPS well into the next century. Block IIR satellites are designed to provide at least 14 days of operation without contact from the CS and up to 180 days of operation when operating in the autonomous navigation (AUTONAV) mode. Full accuracy will be maintained using a technique of ranging and communication between the Block IIR satellites. The cross-link ranging will be used to estimate and update the parameters in the navigation message of each Block IIR satellite without contact from the CS. The design life of the Block IIR satellite is 7.8 years; each contains three Rb atomic clocks and have the SA and A-S capabilities. Launching of the Block IIRs began in January 1997.

LAUNCHES
GPS IIR-16M (SVN58/SVN12) was launched on 17 Nov 2006 at 1912 UT from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

CURRENT BLOCK II/IIA/IIR/IIR-M SATELLITES
 
LAUNCH              LAUNCH      FREQ       
ORDER    PRN  SVN   DATE        STD  PLANE  SSC#**
*II-1    14   14    FEB 1989                19802
*II-2    13   10    JUN 1989                20061
*II-3    16   18    AUG 1989                20185
*II-4    19   21    OCT 1989                20302
*II-5    17   11    DEC 1989                20361
*II-6         18   24 JAN 1990              20452
*II-7         20   26 MAR 1990              20533
*II-8         21   02 AUG 1990              20724
*II-9         15   01 OCT 1990              20830
*IIA-10       23   26 NOV 1990              20959
 IIA-11  24   24   04 JUL 1991  Cs   D6     21552
 IIA-12  25   25   23 FEB 1992  Rb   A5     21890
*IIA-13       28   10 APR 1992              21930
 IIA-14  26   26   07 JUL 1992  Rb   F2     22014
 IIA-15  27   27   09 SEP 1992  Cs   A4     22108
 IIA-16  01   32   22 NOV 1992  Cs   F6     22231
*IIA-17  29   29   18 DEC 1992  Rb   F5     22275
*IIA-18       22   03 FEB 1993              22446
*IIA-19       31   30 MAR 1993              22581
 IIA-20  07   37   13 MAY 1993  Rb   C5     22657
 IIA-21  09   39   26 JUN 1993  Rb   A1     22700
 IIA-22  05   35   30 AUG 1993  Rb   B4     22779
 IIA-23  04   34   26 OCT 1993  Rb   D4     22877
 IIA-24  06   36   10 MAR 1994  Rb   C1     23027
 IIA-25  03   33   28 MAR 1996  Rb   C2     23833
 IIA-26  10   40   16 JUL 1996  Cs   E3     23953
 IIA-27  30   30   12 SEP 1996  Cs   B2     24320
 IIA-28  08   38   06 NOV 1997  Cs   A3     25030
***IIR-1      42   17 JAN 1997
IIR-2    13   43   23 JUL 1997  Rb   F3     24876
IIR-3    11   46   07 OCT 1999  Rb   D2     25933
IIR-4    20   51   11 MAY 2000  Rb   E1     26360
IIR-5    28   44   16 JUL 2000  Rb   B3     26407
IIR-6    14   41   10 NOV 2000  Rb   F1     26605
IIR-7    18   54   30 JAN 2001  Rb   E4     26690
IIR-8    16   56   29 JAN 2003  Rb   B1     27663
IIR-9    21   45   31 MAR 2003  Rb   D3     27704
IIR-10   22   47   21 DEC 2003  Rb   E2     28129
IIR-11   19   59   20 MAR 2004  Rb   C3     28190
IIR-12   23   60   23 JUN 2004  Rb   F4     28361
IIR-13   02   61   06 NOV 2004  Rb   D1     28474
IIR-14M  17   53   26 SEP 2005  Rb   C4     28874
IIR-15M  31   52   25 SEP 2006  Rb   A2     29486
IIR-16M  12   58   17 NOV 2006  Rb   B5     29601

* Satellite is no longer in service.
** US SPACE COMMAND, previously known as the NORAD object number; also referred to as the NASA Catalog number. Assigned atsuccessful launch.
*** Unsuccessful launch.

HISTORY OF BLOCK II/IIA/IIR/IIR-M SATELLITES AND STATUS
SVN/PRN
13/02 Launched 10 JUN 1989; usable 10 AUG 1989; decommissioned 12 MAY 2004. Set unusable 22 Feb 2004 at 1037 UT (NANU 2004025). Decommissioned from active service 12 MAY 2004 at 1701 UT.

14/14 Launched 14 FEB 1989; usable 15 APR 1989; decommissioned 14 APR 2000. Unusable 29 AUG 1992 2030 UT to 01 SEP 1992 1425 UT due to the failure of its operational frequency standard and change to its second Cs frequency standard. Unusable 26 JAN 2000 0130 UT to 03 FEB 2000 1816 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Set unusable 26 MAR 2000 at 2348 UT. Decommissioned from active service 14 APR 2000 at 1347 UT.

15/15 Launched 01 OCT 1990; usable 15 OCT 1990; decommissioned 15 MAR 2007. Unusable 10 NOV 1992 1604 UT to 13 NOV 1992 1910 UT due to change in operational Cs frequency standards. Set as a test vehicle on 17 NOV 2006. Decommissioned from active service 14 MAR 2007.

16/16 Launched 18 AUG 1989; usable 14 OCT 1989; decommissioned 13 OCT 2000. Unusable 07 JAN 1991 1200 UT to 09 JAN 1991 1639 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs. Unusable 06 FEB 1996 0556 UT to 21 FEB 1996 1648 UT due to change in operational Cs frequency standards. Unusable 04 MAR 2000 0955 UT to 07 APR 2000 2112 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Decommissioned from active service 13 Oct 2000 at 0045 UT.

17/17 Launched 11 DEC 1989; usable 06 JAN 1990; decommissioned 23 FEB 2005. Unusable 06 APR 2001 1848 UT to 16 APR 2001 2253 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 07 OCT 2002 0110 UT to 15 OCT 2002 1626 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs. Unusable 26 JUN 2003 1942 UT to 22 JUL 2003 1600 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Decommissioned from active service 23 Feb 2005 at 2200 UT.

18/18 Launched 24 JAN 1990; usable 14 FEB 1990; decommissioned 18 AUG 2000. Unusable 07 MAY 1996 0406 UT to 09 MAY 1996 1737 UT due to change in operational Cs frequency standards. Decommissioned from active service 18 Aug 2000 at 0742 UT.

19/19 Launched 21 OCT 1989; usable 23 NOV 1989; decommissioned 11 SEP 2001. Unusable 16 OCT 1994 0545 UT to 19 OCT 1994 1354 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. The course acquisition (C/A) code deficiency problem on PRN19 was corrected effective 04 JAN 1994 at 0000 UT; performance no longer degraded. Unusable 30 DEC 1994 0536 UT to 04 JAN 1995 1740 UT due to change in operational Rb frequency standards. Unusable 22 SEP 1999 1715 UT to 04 OCT 1999 1727 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs. Unusable beginning 16 MAR 2001 at 0126 UT and will remain unusable until further notice. Decommissioned from active service 11 SEP 2001 at 2200 UT.

20/20 Launched 26 MAR 1990; usable 18 APR 1990; decommissioned 13 DEC 1996. Unusable 06 AUG 1994 0000 UT to 17 AUG 1994 1908 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 13 JAN 1996 0937 to 1355 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs. Set unusable 21 MAY 1996 at 2242 UT and will not return to service. Boosted out of the GPS constellation 13 Dec 1996.

21/21 Launched 02 AUG 1990; usable 22 AUG 1990; decommissioned 27 JAN 2003. Unusable 07 OCT 1996 1430 UT to 10 OCT 1996 2152 UT due to change in operational Cs frequency standards. Set unusable 25 SEP 2002 at 1830 UT and decommissioned from active service 27 JAN 03 at 2200 UT.

22/22 Launched 03 FEB 1993; usable 04 APR 1993; decommissioned 06 AUG 2003. Unusable 07 OCT 1998 1102 UT to 14 OCT 1998 2229 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 28 JUL 2001 2358 UT to 11 AUG 2001 0413 UT due to change in operational Rb frequency standards. Unusable 05 NOV 2002 1756 UT to 18 NOV 2002 1403 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs. Set unusable 03 DEC 2002 at 1402 UT and decomissioned from active service 06 AUG 2003 at 2200 UT.

23/23 Launched 26 NOV 1990; usable 10 DEC 1990; decommissioned 13 FEB 2004. Unusable 04 JAN 1991 1600 UT to 06 JAN 1991 2049 UT due to change in operational Cs frequency standards. Unusable 13 NOV 2003 0121 UT to 25 NOV 2003 2104 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Set unusable 05 FEB 2004 at 2030 UT and decommissioned from active service 13 FEB 2004 at 2200 UT. An initial assessment period for SVN23 utilizing PRN32 was accomplished 01 DEC to 06 DEC 2006; SVN23 is no longer transmitting L-band. During this assessment period SVN23 was broadcasting L-band and set unhealthy. SVN23 was not included in the operational constellation almanac.

24/24 Launched 04 JUL 1991; usable 30 AUG 1991; Operates on Cs std.
Unusable 23 JAN 1994 1745 UT to 01 FEB 1994 1516 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 01 JUL 1995 0750 UT to 07 JUL 1995 2223 UT due to change in operational Rb frequency standards. Unusable 07 SEP 2000 1742 UT to 11 SEP 2000 2020 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs.

25/25 Launched 23 FEB 1992; usable 24 MAR 1992; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 01 DEC 1993 1904 UT to 05 DEC 1993 1941 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs on 02 DEC 1993. Unusable 07 JAN 1995 1938 UT to 12 JAN 1995 1821 UT due to change in operational Cs frequency standards. Unusable 22 Mar 2006 0149 UT to 28 Mar 2006 0144 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

26/26 Launched 07 JUL 1992; usable 23 JUL 1992; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 10 Mar 1998 1541 UT to 16 Mar 1998 1818 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

27/27 Launched 09 SEP 1992; usable 30 SEP 1992; Operates on Cs std. Unusable 10 Jun 2002 1516 UT to 20 Jun 2002 1402 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 14 MAY 2005 1955 UT to 31 MAY 2005 1749 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs.

28/28 Launched 10 APR 1992; usable 25 APR 1992; decommissioned 15 AUG 1997. Unusable beginning 04 NOV 1996 1634 UT and will remain unusable until further notice (NANU 179-96309). Removed from broadcast almanac of all GPS satellites 15 AUG 1997.

29/29 Launched 18 DEC 1992; usable 05 JAN 1993; Operates on Rb std.
Unusable 21 MAY 1997 1504 UT to 31 MAY 1997 0355 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

30/30 Launched 12 SEP 1996; usable 01 OCT 1996; Operates on Cs std. Unusable 29 Aug 2001 2102 UT to 04 Sep 2001 2055 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 02 JUN 2006 to 07 JUN 2006 due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs.

31/31 Launched 30 MAR 1993; usable 13 APR 1993; decommissioned 24 OCT 2005. Unusable 17 JAN 1995 1705 UT to 25 JAN 1995 2013 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb on 18 JAN 1995. The MCS and P-code users experienced intermittent lock on the L2 navigation signal of PRN31 from 13 Apr 1993 2053 UT to 16 Jun 1993 0824 UT. Since corrective maintenance was performed on 16 Jun 1993, the MCS has not experienced lock problems on PRN31's L2 navigation signal. Change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs on 23 JUL 1997. Unusable 15 APR 2002 1431 UT to 23 APR 2002 2018 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 28 DEC 2004 0042 UT to 04 APR 2005 0913 UT, during the outage a change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs.

32/01 Launched 22 NOV 1992; usable 11 DEC 1992; Operates on Cs std. Unusable 28 JAN 1993 2000 to 2200 UT for maintenance and changed the Pseudo Range Number (PRN) from 32 to 01. Unusable 03 MAY 1995 0604 UT to 12 MAY 1995 1528 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 16 AUG 1996 1655 UT to 22 AUG 1996 1620 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs.

33/03 Launched 28 MAR 1996; usable 09 APR 1996; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 18 JUN 2006 to 29 JUN 2006 due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

34/04 Launched 26 OCT 1993; usable 22 NOV 1993; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 13 Sep 1998 1728 UT to 21 Sep 1998 2214 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

35/05 Launched 30 AUG 1993; usable 28 SEP 1993; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 02 Jun 2003 1518 UT to 09 Jun 2003 1417 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 26 Sep 2003 0745 UT to 14 Oct 2003 1633 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs. Unusable 08 SEP 2005 0032 UT to 16 SEP 2005 1945 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

36/06 Launched 10 MAR 1994; usable 28 MAR 1994; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 27 Apr 1995 1447 UT to 03 May 1995 0541 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs. Unusable 17 Mar 2004 1531 UT to 29 Mar 2004 1558 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

37/07 Launched 13 MAY 1993; usable 12 JUN 1993; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 20 Apr 1999 0437 UT to 26 Apr 1999 1533 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb. Unusable 30 MAR 1994 0730 UT to 04 APR 1994 1330 UT due to change in operational Cs frequency standards. Unusable 20 Apr 1999 0437 UT to 26 Apr 1999 1533 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Cs to Rb.

38/08 Launched 06 NOV 1997; usable 18 DEC 1997; Operates on Cs std. Unusable 05 May 2004 0906 UT to 18 May 2004 0142 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs.

39/09 Launched 26 JUN 1993; usable 21 JUL 1993; Operates on Rb std. Unusable 15 Oct 1993 1200 UT to 07 Dec 1993 1940 UT due to testing.

40/10 Launched 16 JUL 1996; usable 15 AUG 1996; Operates on Cs std. Unusable 28 Nov 1996 2018 UT to 01 Dec 1996 2325 UT due to change in operational frequency standard from Rb to Cs.

41/14 Launched 10 NOV 2000; usable 10 Dec 2000; Operates on Rb std

43/13 Launched 23 JUL 1997; usable 31 Jan 1998; Operates on Rb std

44/28 Launched 16 JUL 2000; usable 17 Aug 2000; Operates on Rb std

45/21 Launched 31 MAR 2003; usable 12 Apr 2003; Operates on Rb std

46/11 Launched 07 OCT 1999; usable 03 Jan 2000; Operates on Rb std

47/22 Launched 21 DEC 2003; usable 12 Jan 2004; Operates on Rb std

51/20 Launched 11 MAY 2000; usable 01 Jun 2000; Operates on Rb std

52/31 Launched 25 SEP 2006; usable 12 OCT 2006; Operates on Rb std

53/17 Launched 26 SEP 2005; usable 16 Dec 2005; Operates on Rb std

54/18 Launched 30 JAN 2001; usable 15 Feb 2001; Operates on Rb std

56/16 Launched 29 JAN 2003; usable 19 Feb 2003; Operates on Rb std

58/12 Launched 17 NOV 2006; usable 13 Dec 2006; Operates on Rb std

59/19 Launched 20 MAR 2004; usable 05 Apr 2004; Operates on Rb std

60/23 Launched 23 JUN 2004; usable 09 Jul 2004; Operates on Rb std

61/02 Launched 06 JUN 2004; usable 22 Nov 2004; Operates on Rb std

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND MANEUVERS
The backup cesiums on-board each Block II/IIA satellite require periodic, approximately twice per year, pumping of the beam tube to maintain working order. This maintenance requires, on average, 18 hours of unusable time for each satellite.

Once per year each satellite requires a stationkeeping maneuver, also referred to as repositioning or Delta-V, to move the satellite back to its original orbital position. The satellites have a tendency to "drift" from their assigned orbital positions, one reason being the earth's gravitational pull. These maneuvers require, on average, 12 hours of unusable time for each satellite.

CURRENT GPS CONSTELLATION
The current GPS constellation consists of 30 Block II/IIA/IIR/IIR-M satellites. The first operational, Block II, satellite was launched in February 1989.
--
File gpsb2.txt
Last updated: Wed Mar 14 13:28:51 UTC 2007

USNO Block I GPS Satellite Information

Information below courtesy of the US Naval Observatory.

GPS BLOCK I SATELLITES
The satellite vehicle numbers (SVN) 1 through 11 are designated as Block I. The Block I satellites were launched from 1978 to 1985 at Vandenberg AFB, California using the Atlas E/F. Block I are referred to as the original concept validation satellites developed by Rockwell International and reflect various stages of system development.

The Block I satellites operated in circular 10,900 nm orbits, with a 12-hour period, the same as the Block II satellites. The Block I satellites are/were positioned in the same orbital planes as the Block II, but at an inclination angle of 63 degrees. Each Block I satellite contained one cesium and two rubidium atomic clocks. The
design life of the Block I satellites was 5 years, but a majority performed well beyond their life expectancy.

                BLOCK I SATELLITES
 
                       LAUNCH     US SPACE**
         SVN  PRN       DATE      COMMAND
       -------------------------------------
         *01   04     22 FEB 78    10684
         *02   07     13 MAY 78    10893
         *03   06     06 OCT 78    11054
         *04   08     10 DEC 78    11141
         *05   05     09 FEB 80    11690
         *06   09     26 APR 80    11783
         *07                        NONE
         *08   11     14 JUL 83    14189
         *09   13     13 JUN 84    15039
         *10   12     08 SEP 84    15271
         *11   03     09 OCT 85    16129
 
       *  Satellite is no longer in service.
      **  US Space Command, previously known as the NORAD Object No.; also referred
          to as the NASA catalog number.

HISTORY OF BLOCK I SATELLITES AND STATUS

SVN01/PRN04 Launched 22 FEB 78; usable 29 MAR 78; no longer in service. Last onboard frequency standard failed 17 Jul 85, 1730 UT.

SVN02/PRN07 Launched 13 May 78; usable 14 JUL 78; no longer in service. L1 signal power permanently turned off in week 8-12 FEB 88.

SVN03/PRN06 Launched 06 OCT 78; usable 13 NOV 78; no longer in service. Operations terminated 18 MAY 92 at 2341 UT.

SVN04/PRN08 Launched 10 DEC 78; usable 08 JAN 79; no longer in service. Crystal oscillator activated 27 OCT 86, 2105 UT. L-band permanently turned off on 14 OCT 89, 1857 UT. L-band enabled 20 FEB 90 1615 UT for testing; disabled sometime in MAY 1990.

SVN05/PRN05 Launched 09 FEB 80; usable 27 FEB 80; no longer in service. Turned off 11 MAY 84.

SVN06/PRN09 Launched 26 APR 80; usable 16 MAY 80; no longer in service. Operations terminated 06 MAR 91, 0342 UT.

SVN07 Unsuccessful launch 18 DEC 81

SVN08/PRN11 Launched 14 JUL 83; usable 10 AUG 83; no longer in service. Changed operational frequency std from Cs to Rb 4 APR 92. Changed operational frequency std to its last usable Rb between 29 Sep 92 1943 UT to 6 Oct 92 1430 UT.Set unusable 04 MAY 93 at 0020 UT and will not return to service.

SVN09/PRN13 Launched 13 JUN 84; usable 19 JUL 84; no longer in service. Changed operational frequency std from Cs to Rb during period 30 Sep 93 to 09 Oct 93. Unusable 4 Nov 93 1640 UT to 13 Dec 93 2130 UT for maintenance. Unusable beginning 28 Feb 94 1345 UT due to end of life testing; PRN13 was boosted to a higher orbit for disposal on 20 Jun 94 at 1817 UT

SVN10/PRN12 Launched 08 SEP 84; usable 03 OCT 84; no longer in service. Changed operational frequency std from Cs to Rb 6 FEB 92. Unusable beginning 18 Nov 95 1845 UT due to end of life testing; PRN12 was boosted to a higher orbit for disposal on 26 Mar 96 (NANUs 242-95325, 051-96086).

SVN11/PRN03 Launched 09 OCT 85; usable 30 OCT 85; no longer in service. Set unusable since 27 Feb 94 0233 UT and permanently set unusable 13 Apr 94 1500 UT due to navigation payload shutdown in preparation for final disposal. PRN03 was thrust out of orbit 14 Apr 94 2100 UT.

REPOSITIONING MANEUVERS

1. Reconfiguration of Block I satellites to a five-vehicle constellation that optimized continental US system performance occurred October 29, 1986 to October 22, 1987 with the repositioning of PRN03/SVN11 to another in-plane location.

2. Reconfiguration of the GPS constellation to increase two-dimensional(2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) capabilities occurred March 15, 1990 to December 20, 1990. The Block I satellites involved in the maneuver were: PRNs 3 and 11. The Block II satellites involved in the maneuver were: PRNs 2, 14, 16, 18 and 19.
--
File gpsb1.txt
last updated: Fri Apr 12 23:05:00 UTC 1996

Air Force Supports International Paris Air Show

by Airman 1st Class Marc Lane, 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

6/20/2007 - PARIS (AFPN) -- Hundreds of flight enthusiasts flooded the Le Bourget Airport to attend the opening of the 47th International Paris Air Show.

This year's air show, boasting more than 2,000 exhibits from 42 countries, opened to trade visitors June 18 and the general public can visit from June 22-24.

With planes all around and in the sky, every direction holds something appealing.

A range of U.S. aircraft and approximately 70 aircrews from bases in Europe and stateside have flown to Paris to participate in this event. Air Force and Navy members created a display of the finest and most functional aircraft they have to offer to showcase the equipment necessary for present and upcoming military operation successes.

The Air Force also has an exhibit honoring its 60th anniversary. The aim of the exhibit is to highlight several of the significant achievements made by the Air Force over the past sixty years.

"Our mission has three parts," said Master Sgt. John Carter, the superintendent of the Air Force 60th Anniversary Task Force.

"First, to commemorate 60 years of heritage, second, educate the public and our allies of what we bring to the mission, and third to appreciate our partnerships with our allies," he said.

Barksdale bombers to fly in Koa Lightning

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) -- Four B-52 Stratofortress aircraft and aircrew from the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed here from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., are scheduled to fly to Hawaii and back this week to participate in the latest Koa Lightning exercise.

The B-52s will fly more than 18 hours and 6,880 nautical miles non-stop to Hawaii and back while taking on more than 180,000 pounds of fuel during the flight mission.

The Pacific Command's Koa Lightning exercise will consist of air to air intercept training with F-15 Eagles based at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. The bomb squadron will have an opportunity to work with a wide variety of units and aircraft from the other branches of the U.S. military that will provide challenging scenarios designed to hone their combat edge thus enhancing the capability of providing the U.S. Pacific commander a continuous bomber presence to deter and dissuade any potential aggressor in the Pacific region.

During some of the missions, a single group of fighter aircraft will practice escorting the B-52s while another group of aircraft will practice intercepting the incoming bombers.

The continuous bomber presence at Andersen AFB is aimed at enhancing regional security, demonstrating U.S. commitment to the Pacific region, and providing integrated training opportunities for deployed Airmen. Besides bolstering security, the rotational deployment increases training opportunities that thoroughly integrate B-52 bomber operations into PACOM's joint and coalition exercises from forward bases such as Andersen, officials said.

Air Guard retires last F-16A in service

by Capt. Gabe Johnson, 162nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TUCSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ariz. (AFPN) -- The last operational F-16A Fighting Falcon flew its final mission here June 15, taking off from the Air National Guard base for indefinite storage at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

The 162nd Fighter Wing, having flown the A and B models since taking on the F-16 training mission in 1985, retired its one remaining F-16A and two F-16B model aircraft, completing its conversion to the more modern F-16C and F-16D.

"As one of the world's premier F-16 training units, we must stay relevant," said Brig. Gen. Rick Moisio, 162nd Fighter Wing commander. "We constantly transition to newer, more advanced aircraft because that's what pilots will fly when they graduate from our program."

"The F-16 is currently the most popular fighter in the world," he said, "and we've trained pilots from 22 of 24 countries that fly the aircraft today."

Over the last 22 years, the wing trained 1,640 U.S. and allied pilots in the F-16A/B alone.

The retirement marks the end of an era and finalizes the Air Guard's seamless transition to the newer aircraft, said Col. Greg Stroud, 162nd Maintenance Group commander and F-16 pilot.

"Some of our maintenance crew chiefs have known these planes for more than 20 years," said the colonel. "They were built in '82 and '83. Imagine owning a car that long. It's a real testament to the expertise and hard work of countless Air Guardsmen, active and retired, who kept these planes in great condition."

"Our instructor pilots and our maintainers have undergone the necessary upgrade training for the F-16C and D and will continue to provide the best training and the safest aircraft available."

The F-16A, a single-seat model, first flew in December 1976. The first operational F-16A was delivered in January 1979 to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Improvement programs throughout the years led to the F-16C and F-16D aircraft, which are the single- and two-seat counterparts to the F-16A and F-16B, and incorporate the latest cockpit control and display technology. All active duty units and most Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units converted to the F-16C and D years ago.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the F-16 has been a major component of the combat forces committed to the war on terrorism flying thousands of sorties in support of operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.

The last time the wing retired an aircraft model was in 1992 when the last A-7D Corsair II was delivered to AMARG.

USAFE fighter squadron deploys to Kunsan

by Staff Sgt. Alice Moore, 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs


F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 555th Fighter Squadron from Aviano Air Base, Italy, arrive June 19 at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. Airmen are here for a 120-day deployment. This is the first time a U.S. Air Forces in Europe fighter unit has deployed to a Pacific Air Force base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Barry Loo)

KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFPN) -- Airmen of the 555th Fighter Squadron from Aviano Air Base, Italy, reunited with the 8th Fighter Wing June 19 here after being away for years during the squadron's deployment to Kunsan AB.

The 555th FS has lineage to Kunsan AB dating back to 1966 when the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron moved to Ubon AB, Thailand, to join the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing.

Approximately 300 Aviano AB Airmen and 18 F-16 Fighting Falcons arrived here marking the first U.S. Air Forces in Europe unit to deploy to a Pacific Air Forces unit as an air expeditionary force rotation for the next four months. The unit will fully integrate and be a part of the 8th FW.

"They will be integrating completely and totally with our base and our (Republic of Korea) allies flying training missions here," said Col. Preston Thompson, the 8th FW vice commander.

"We run regular deployments here because it's important for us to practice our ability to move our aircraft around the world," Colonel Thompson said. "It's also important for us to show our ROK allies that we have the ability to deploy planes here quickly if they ever had a need for us to do so. So it behooves us to train to that and bring planes in here every so often to practice that capability of rapidly deploying forces here if there were ever a need."

The colonel also discussed the benefits of training with the 555th FS Airmen.

"They will be flying normal training missions we fly every day to give our pilots a chance to train with the pilots from our squadrons in Europe and to give our ROK allies a chance to train with other pilots other than what we have here on the peninsula," he said. "It's a continual way for us to improve our relations and to improve our abilities as a joint force team effort."

Members of the 8th FW worked to ensure there were no problems for the arrival of the Aviano AB Airmen.

"It's definitely been a challenge for all of us to prepare for their arrival," said Staff Sgt. Omar Aguilar of the 8th Operations Support Squadron. "It's been a total team effort to get them here and we're glad to have them as part of the 8th Fighter Wing."

"I'm looking forward to a new experience. Usually when you deploy you start from scratch, but here you're actually a part of a wing that's already been established," said Senior Airman Amy Clunk of the 555th FS. "The main challenge I see is that it's a little bit of a cultural difference coming from Europe to Asia."

The deployment of these fighter aircraft into the Pacific Command theater signifies the United States' continued commitment to the regional stability and security in the region.

Training Air Wing 2 Marks 500,000th Training Hour

By Jon Gagne, Training Air Wing 2 Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 8, 2007) - Personnel assigned to Training Air Wing (TRAWING) 2 perform a post flight inspection on one of the squadrons T-45 Goshawk aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Truman is currently underway conducting carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes.

NAS KINGSVILLE, Texas (NNS) -- Training Air Wing (TW) 2 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville marked its 500,000th training hour in the T-45 Goshawk aircraft June 10.

Lt. Cmdr. Dave Anderson and student aviator Marine 1st Lt. Philip Buckhahn recorded the milestone during a return flight from Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla., where they had been conducting carrier qualifications off the Florida coast along with 30 other instructors and students from Training Air Wings 1, 2 and 24.

“The instructor pilots assigned to Training Air Wing 2 have the serious responsibility of shaping the future of naval aviation,” said TW-2 Commander Capt. Mike Warriner. “They rely on the T-45 Goshawk to train nearly 200 student naval aviators (SNA) that are assigned [here] for training at any one time and who represent the bright future of naval aviation."

Warriner went on to say that together, Training Air Wing 2 and the T-45 Goshawk have trained close to 3,000 naval aviators since 1992.

"Surpassing 500,000 flight hours is just the most recent of many milestones Training Air Wing 2 has accomplished during the 15-years the Goshawk has been used to train student naval aviators,” he said.

Anderson and Buckhahn flew "side-number-284" from Cecil Field in to NAS Kingsville, and logged the historic milestone along the flight route. Anderson, who is assigned to Training Squadron (VT) 21 as operations officer, is responsible for the robust training scheduling of the T-45 aircraft on a daily basis.

Buckhahn, a student aviator who is nearing the completion of nearly 13 months of training, is assigned to VT-22 and is the newest soft-winged Marine Corps aviator in the command. The two aviators were returning from Jacksonville having just completed carrier qualifications on board USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

When “side-number-284” came to a stop after landing at NAS Kingsville, the pair was greeted by a host of TW-2 personnel who congratulated them on their accomplishment. In addition to Warriner, the welcoming party included TW-2 Chief Staff Officer Cmdr. Tim Carr; VT-21 Executive Officer Cmdr. Bill Bulis; Boeing Aircraft Co. representative Dick Nelson; and multiple officers and family members of each command.

The occasion was marked by photographs and Nelson presenting each crew member with a commemorative Boeing T-45 Goshawk T-shirt to mark the occasion.

“The teamwork of man and machine is critical to Naval Aviation,” Warriner said. “The machine in Training Air Wing 2 is the T-45. The Goshawk is a remarkable airplane exceptionally well-suited to teaching the multiple and varied disciplines associated with carrier aviation.”

Introduced to TW-2 in 1992 as a replacement for the T-2C “Buckeye” and ultimately the TA-4J “Skyhawk,” the T-45 is a stable and highly capable aircraft with an enviable safety record. The Goshawk is part of the T-45A Total System (TS) developed by McDonnell Douglas, and later owned and led by the Boeing Aircraft Company. As a cost-effective aircraft and overall training system, the Goshawk represents a trailblazing initiative in support of the goals of the Naval Aviation Enterprise to deliver the right readiness…at the right cost now and in the future.

In 2004, TW-2 received its first T-45C “Charlie.” This variant of the Goshawk upgraded the analog instrumentation and legacy navigation of the T-45A. The T45 “Charlie” incorporates a digital cockpit with multi-function displays, GPS navigation, and a fully-functional heads-up display. It provides the Navy and Marine Corps with a technologically compatible training platform well-suited to transition new Naval aviators to sophisticated Navy and Marine Corps fleet aircraft. Training Air Wing 2 currently instructs in both variants of the T-45.

VT-21 was the first squadron in the Chief of Naval Air Training Command (CNATRA) to transition to the new T-45 Total System. The transition began in February 1992 and the first SNAs began training in the new system in January 1993. When introduced, the Total System concept represented the newest technologies and teaching techniques, and included state-of-the-art visual simulators, a computer classroom, and the best and newest training aircraft in the world. It still does. VT-22 transitioned to the T-45A Goshawk in September 1993.

USS John C. Stennis Returns to OEF Missions

By Lt. Nathan Christensen, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 returned to the North Arabian Sea June 14 following its third port visit in the Middle East.

Starting June 15, CVW-9 will conduct missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and will provide close air-power support and reconnaissance to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops on the ground in Afghanistan. ISAF is comprised of more than 35,000 troops, with contributions from 37 nations.

“We have met every operational commitment assigned to perfection and have maintained a level of operational readiness second to none,” said Stennis’ Commanding Officer, Capt. Brad Johanson. “Our support to the troops on the ground has made a decisive difference in the region.”

As a Combined Forces Air Component Command (CFACC) asset, CVW-9 integrates closely with multinational coalition forces to prevent and counter Taliban attacks. Carrier aircraft provide close air-power support and deliver ordnance on enemy positions designated by ground forces.

“CVW-9 will be providing a variety of effects, both kinetic and non-kinetic,” said Capt. Sterling Gilliam, commander, CVW-9. “We will be tasked with close air support, reconnaissance and other tactical missions while operating in support of OEF.”

Since arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, CVW-9 has flown over 9,000 hours and has provided more than 65,000 pounds of ordnance in support of coalition forces operating on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq in approximately 200 engagements.

“Throughout our time here on station we have defeated time and time again the Taliban's efforts to launch significant offensive campaigns,” said Johanson.

“As we continue to support troops on the ground in Afghanistan we revalidate the importance of coalition forces in bringing stability and security to this critical region.”

Stennis and its strike group entered the Persian Gulf May 23, along with the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group and the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Expeditionary Strike Group.

While operating in the Arabian Gulf, the three strike groups performed Expeditionary Strike Force (ESF) training along with conducting missions in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

It was the first time Stennis, Nimitz and Bonhomme Richard strike groups operated together in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

The ESF training demonstrated the importance of the strike groups’ ability to plan and conduct multi-task force operations as part of the U.S.’s long-standing commitment to maintaining maritime security and stability in the region.

Stennis left its homeport of Bremerton, Wash., Jan. 16 for a regularly scheduled deployment and began operating with coalition forces in 5th Fleet Feb. 19.

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSSG) has provided direct support to coalition ground forces participating in OEF and OIF, as well as conducting maritime operations.

Maritime operations help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists the use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

The CVW-9 squadrons include the “Black Knights” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154, “Blue Diamonds” of VFA 146, “Argonauts” of VFA 147, “Death Rattlers” of Marine Strike Fighter Squadron 323, “Yellow Jackets” of Electronic Attack Squadron 138, “Golden Hawks” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112, “Topcats” of Sea Control Squadron 31, “Eightballers” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 8 and “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30.

JCSSG includes Stennis, CVW-9, Destroyer Squadron 21, USS Antietam (CG 54), the guided-missile destroyers USS O’Kane (DDG 77) and USS Preble (DDG 88) and the fast combat-support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10). More than 6,500 Sailors and Marines are assigned to JCSSG.

Boeing Satellite Launch Schedule

From the Boeing folks (current as of April 2007)

Satellite      Model Owner Launch Date Launch Vehicle 
1 WGS-F1        702 U.S. Air Force 2007 Atlas V 
2 GOES O        601 NASA/NOAA 2007/DIO Delta IV 
3 Spaceway F3   702 Hughes Network Systems TBD/DOG Ariane 5 
4 Thuraya-D3    702 Geo-Mobile Thuraya Sat Telecom TBD/DIO Sea Launch 
5 DIRECTV 10    702 DIRECTV, Inc. 2007/DOG Proton 
6 DIRECTV 11    702 DIRECTV, Inc. TBD/DOG Sea Launch 
7 DIRECTV 12    702 DIRECTV, Inc. Ground Spare TBD 
8 WGS-F2        702 U.S. Air Force 2008 Atlas V 
9 GPS IIF SV-1  GPS U.S. Air Force 2008 Atlas V 
10 WGS F-3      702 U.S. Air Force 2008 Delta IV 
11 GOES P       601 NASA/NOAA 2008/DIO Delta IV 
12 GPS IIF SV-2 GPS U.S. Air Force 2009 Delta IV 
13 GPS IIF SV-3 GPS U.S. Air Force 2009 Atlas V 
14 GPS IIF SV-4 GPS U.S. Air Force 2009 Atlas V 
15 GPS IIF SV-5 GPS U.S. Air Force 2009 Delta IV 
16 MSV-1        702 Geo-Mobile Mobile Satellite Ventures 2009/DIO TBD 
17 MSV-2        702 Geo-Mobile Mobile Satellite Ventures 2010/DIO TBD 
18 GPS IIF SV-6 GPS U.S. Air Force 2010 Atlas V 
19 GPS IIF SV-7 GPS U.S. Air Force 2010 Atlas V 
20 GPS IIF SV-8 GPS U.S. Air Force 2010 Atlas V 
21 WGS-F4       702 U.S. Air Force 2011 EELV 
22 GPS IIF SV-9 GPS U.S. Air Force 2011 Delta IV 
23 GPS IIF SV-10 GPS U.S. Air Force 2011 Delta IV 
24 GPS IIF SV-11 GPS U.S. Air Force 2011 TBD 
25 WGS F-5      702 U.S. Air Force 2012 EELV 
26 GPS IIF SV-12 GPS U.S. Air Force 2012 TBD 
27 WGS F-6 opt  702 U.S. Air Force 2013 EELV 
28 MSV-SA opt   702 Mobile Satellite Ventures TBD TBD 

DIO -- Delivery in Orbit
DOG -- Delivery on Ground

Testing Complete on First Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite

The Boeing Company has completed integration and test of the U.S. Air Force's first Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite, bringing its satellite communications services one step closer to the warfighter.

"One WGS satellite will provide more communications capacity than the entire Defense Satellite Communication System constellation that's currently on orbit," said Howard Chambers, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "The spacecraft will be a game-changer for the U.S. government and will revolutionize wideband SATCOM capabilities for the warfighter."

According to Boeing the performance of the first WGS satellite during testing "has been excellent," and factory data suggests it will provide approximately 25 percent more communications capacity by the end of its 14-year mission life as a result of high performance margins within the communications payload.

Boeing is under contract for five WGS Block I and II spacecraft, with an option for a sixth. The first satellite has completed factory testing and rigorous mission assurance reviews, and is ready to ship to the launch site in Florida, where it will be launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket this August. The spacecraft will be placed into an environmentally-controlled container and transported to Cape Canaveral Air Station in an Air Force C-5 aircraft.

WGS Mission
The Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites are the key elements of a new high-capacity system that will provide a quantum leap in communications capabilities for the warfighter.

WGS will support the DoD's warfighting information exchange requirements, enabling execution of tactical command and control, communications, and computers; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); battle management; and combat support information. WGS will also augment the current Ka-band Global Broadcast Service (on UHF F/O satellites) by providing additional information broadcast capabilities.

Each WGS can route 2.1 to 3.6 Gbps of data -- providing more than 10 times the communications capacity of the predecessor DSCS III satellite. Using reconfigurable antennas and a digital channelizer, WGS also offers added flexibility to tailor coverage areas and to connect X-band and Ka-band users anywhere within the satellite field of view. The system provides tremendous operational flexibility and delivers the needed capacity, coverage, connectivity and control in support of demanding operational scenarios.

Boeing was awarded the WGS initial contract in January 2001 for the first three satellites plus the associated ground-based command and control elements. Integrated logistics, training, and sustaining engineering support are also provided by Boeing. The procuring agency is the U.S. Air Force Space Command's MILSATCOM Systems Wing at Los Angeles AFB, California.

The WGS space segment will initially consist of three geostationary satellites operating over Pacific, Indian and Atlantic regions. Under a Block II contract, a fourth and fifth satellite are being procured to meet the warfighter's evolving SATCOM bandwidth requirements. The Block II satellites will be similar to the three Block I satellites already in production and will add a radio frequency bypass capability designed to support airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms requiring ultra-high bandwidth and data rates demanded by unmanned aerial vehicles.

The first Wideband Global SATCOM satellite is scheduled for launch in Mid 2007 aboard an Atlas V Launch Vehicle. WGS will provide transformational capabilities supporting government objectives for the Transformational Communications Architecture in the next decade and beyond.

Boeing was awarded the WGS initial contract in January 2001 for the first three satellites plus the associated ground-based command and control elements. Integrated logistics, training, and sustaining engineering support are also provided by Boeing. In 2006, Boeing was authorized to produce two additional WGS satellites. The procuring agency is the U.S. Air Force Space Command's MILSATCOM Systems Wing at Los Angeles AFB, California.

With an initial launch scheduled in 2007, WGS will provide transformational capabilities supporting government objectives for the Transformational Communications Architecture in the next decade and beyond.

Capacity:
WGS supports communications links within the Government's allocated 500 MHz of X-band and 1 GHz of Ka-band spectrum. The WGS payload can filter and route 4.875 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth. Depending on the mix of ground terminals, data rates and modulation schemes employed, each satellite can support data transmission rates ranging from 2.1 Gbps to more than 3.6 Gbps. By comparison, a DSCS III satellite will support up to 0.25 Gbps.

Coverage:
The WGS design includes 19 independent coverage areas that can be positioned throughout the field of view of each satellite. This includes eight steerable and shapeable X-band beams formed by separate transmit and receive phased arrays; 10 Ka-band beams served by independently steerable, diplexed antennas, including three with selectable RF polarization; and transmit/receive X-band Earth coverage beams.

Connectivity:
The enhanced connectivity capabilities of WGS enable any user to communicate with any other user with very efficient use of satellite bandwidth. A digital channelizer divides the uplink bandwidth into nearly 1,900 independently routable 2.6 MHz subchannels, providing connectivity from any uplink coverage area to any downlink coverage area (including the ability to cross-band between X and Ka frequencies). In addition, the channelizer supports multicast and broadcast services and provides an effective and flexible uplink spectrum monitoring capability to support network control.

The figure below shows how the X-band and Ka-band antenna suites are interconnected via the digital channelizer to provide the unique flexibility and connectivity of WGS.

Command and Control: Control of the WGS communications payloads is accomplished from four Army Wideband Satellite Operations Centers (WSOCs), using ground equipment hardware and software developed by Boeing, ITT Industries, and Raytheon Corp. Each Global Satellite Configuration and Control Element (GSCCE) has the capability to control up to three satellites at a time, via "in-band" (X-band or Ka-band) telemetry and command links. Spacecraft platform control is accomplished by the 3rd Space Operations Squadron (3 SOPS) at Schriever AFB in Colorado Springs, using WGS mission unique software and databases provided by Boeing, hosted on the Command and Control Segment Consolidated (CCS-C) systems that are being fielded by Integral Systems, Inc. The satellite is designed for compatibility with the current S-band SGLS TT&C capability, as well as the planned Unified S-band (USB) formats and frequencies.

Boeing 702 Platform :
The Boeing 702 satellite is the industry leader in capacity, performance and cost-efficiency. Enabling technologies for the advanced 702 design are the xenon-ion propulsion system (XIPS), highly efficient triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cells, and deployable radiators with flexible heat pipes.

XIPS is 10 times more efficient than conventional bipropellant systems. Four 25-cm thrusters remove orbit eccentricity during transfer orbit operations and are used for orbit maintenance and to perform station change maneuvers as required throughout the mission life. Deployable radiators with flexible heat pipes provide substantially more radiator area, resulting in a cooler, more stable thermal environment for both bus and payload. This increases component reliability and reduces performance variations over life.

Summary
As the leading provider of advanced satellite communications systems for broadcast and packet-switched satellite communications, Boeing has leveraged a wealth of Government and commercial experience and technology for WGS. This includes the company's extensive investments to develop the Boeing 702, as well as prior work on phased array antennas and digital signal processors. Together these technologies enabled the tremendous capacity and operational flexibility sought for the WGS space segment. Additionally, these core capabilities can support WGS evolution to satisfy additional transformational requirements of the warfighter, such as improved connectivity for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms and network-centric communications architectures.

Guard wing transitions to Langley

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing records its last F-16 Fighting Falcon training mission June 20.

The wing, which has flown the F-16 since 1991 and is the nation's first ANG unit to fly the F-22 Raptor, will conduct associated operations with the 1st Fighter Wing here.

More than 20 192nd Fighter Wing pilots are trained to fly the F-22 and a growing number of the wing's fulltime and traditional status Guardsmen are working alongside their active-duty counterparts, changing the face of the Virginia ANG.

At Langley, 192nd FW Airmen will associate themselves with the F-22A Raptor mission, the 480th Intelligence Wing's Distributed Ground Station imagery analysis mission and the Combat Air Force Logistic Support Center, said Col. Jay Pearsall, 192nd Fighter Wing commander.

The move is part of the Air Force's Total Force Integration initiative, which spans the entire Air Force mission and represents the service's reality of "One team, one fight, with a shared, disciplined combat focus."

Rocket fails to put NROL Spy Sats in right orbit

Name: USA 194 (NROL-30/NOSS 3-4 Mission)
International Desig: 2007-027A
SSC #: 31701
Launch Date/Time: 15 Jun 2007/1512 UTC
Launch Site: USAF Eastern Test Range
Launcher: Atlas 5/Centaur Upper Stage
Note: US Air Force Space Command only shows one payload associated with this launch, but there should be two payloads and the rocket bodies.

From the AGI Launch Notification Service:
"An Atlas V rocket blasted out of Cape Canaveral this morning carrying a pair of top-secret spy satellites believed to be used to track ships at sea.

"The rocket's first stage is performed perfectly as it arced out across the Atlantic Ocean, cutting across a nearly-clear blue sky. At payload fairing separation, the National Reconnaissance Office cut public access to the mission control loops so officials could begin working with the deployment of the classified spacecraft.

"The magazine Aviation Week & Space Technology reports that the secret spacecraft are two satellites intended to track ships moving at sea, including those that might hint at terrorist activities or Chinese or Iranian naval tactics. They are being launched for the National Reconnaissance Office."

Amateur video of this military launch can be seen at http://youtube.com/watch?v=KCmPM16lKLM. Latest elsets at the end of story below.

The story below is an update on the mission courtesy of Florida Today.

Rocket fails to put craft in right orbit - Satellites required to boost selves
By John Kelly, Florida Today

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070616/NEWS02/706160326

A pair of top-secret ocean surveillance spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral on Friday morning, but the Atlas 5 rocket's upper stage failed to deliver them to the targeted orbit.

The Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, the clandestine agency in charge of the United States' spy satellites, confirmed a performance problem with the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas 5 rocket.

However, the NRO said it is "confident in the performance of its mission."

The trade publication Aviation Week & Space Technology offered details.

The magazine said the two spacecraft, which it identified as ocean surveillance satellites, separated from the Centaur upper stage.

However, the Centaur's second engine firing did not last long enough, leaving the spacecraft short of the intended target.

The magazine reported the two satellites had enough propellant of their own to maneuver into the appropriate higher orbit.

If the spacecraft have to use their own propellant to boost their orbits, it will reduce the satellites' useful on-orbit lifetime.

The Atlas 5 blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Pad 41 at 11:12 a.m., arcing out across the Atlantic Ocean bound for a secret orbit.

Details about the spacecraft, flight path and target destination were kept secret by the government.

Early in the day, the government and Atlas 5 team reported the spacecraft successfully separated from the launch vehicle.

However, by late evening, a statement was issued, indicating that the rocket's upper stage did not perform as designed.

The Air Force said the Centaur "had a technical anomaly which resulted in minor performance degradation."

The Air Force and NRO would not elaborate. United Launch Alliance would not comment.

The Air Force, which manages the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program under which the Atlas flies, launched an investigation.

Friday's countdown was relatively smooth. Late in the countdown, the launch team studied an issue related to a liquid hydrogen valve and pushed the launch back eight minutes while engineers made sure that the problem would not hamper the flight.

The Atlas family of launch vehicles had tallied 80 consecutive successes prior to the launch of the super-secret NRO payload on Friday.

The Atlas string of successes date back to 1993, when an Atlas first-stage engine failure left a Navy communications satellite in the wrong orbit.

Back-to-back Atlas missions went awry in April 1991 and August 1992 when Centaur upper-stage engines suffered nearly identical failures.

Commercial communications satellites were lost on both missions.

A Centaur upper-stage failure during an April 1999 Titan 4 rocket mission left a $1 billion Milstar military communications satellite useless.

Latest elsets for the NOSS 3-4 mission courtesy of Daniel Deak and the SEESAT gang.
NOSS 3-4 (A)
1 31701U 07027A 07167.06697797 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 06
2 31701 63.4420 44.9170 0300000 182.7408 177.2592 13.66600000 01
NOSS CENTAUR
1 70002U 07166.70111494 .00000011 00000-0 20000-4 0 07
2 70002 63.4420 42.8917 0107863 182.7436 177.3009 13.39714521 00

Special Use Airspace

Milcom monitors like Special Use Airspace (SUA)!

And the reason is you will find concentrated milair activity in and around SUAs. Special use airspace consists of airspace of defined dimensions identified by an area on the surface of the earth wherein activities must be confined because of their nature, or wherein limitations are imposed upon aircraft operations that are not a part of those activities, or both.

Restricted areas, Prohibited areas, MOAs, Alert Areas, Warning Areas, and National Security Areas are covered in a publication that is issues yearly by the FAA. PDF document FAA Order JO 7400.8N dated 16 Feb 2007 is a free download at
http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/at_orders/media/SUA.pdf. This is a must have reference for your personal milcom library.