[MilCom] Something in Northern Ohio last night?

[Stephen M. Parker]

I haven't heard any word about what might have happened, but I have noticed
some unusually heavy AWACS traffic in the area. Early Wednesday morning, I
heard DRAGNET VICTOR (an E-3B from the 552nd ACW at Tinker) talking with
NORTHERN LIGHTS on 260.9 MHz for an extended period of time.

Various "unknown" targets were being tracked, and DRAGNET VICTOR was
relaying the information to NORTHERN LIGHTS. Latitude, longitude, heading,
speed, altitude and time of observation were being given for type "unknown"
targets. The area of the targets included NE Indiana and NW Ohio. They were
coming at the average rate of about one per minute. Frequencies were changed
several times, using mostly common AWACS or ACC frequencies. This continued
for several hours, maybe longer, as I had other obligations and had to leave
the communications room.

I don't know if it was a result of maybe some part of the ground-based radar
network being down, an alert for some type of possible threat aircraft, or
maybe just a training exercise. I've heard training exercises involving
AWACS on numerous occasions, and monitored the types of reports being
relayed by the AWACS to NORTHERN LIGHTS. I've just never heard this many of
them or for such an extended period of time.
__________________________________
Stephen Parker, WR9A
Lafayette, Indiana