[MilCom] Insights on JSTARS & CAP Interactions

[Chris Corley]

Hello Ron they just showed a P-3 flying around the Capital as well on TV.
1940z

CHRIS C
West Central GA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Rapbep at aol.com>
To: <milcom at mailman.qth.net>; <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 1:46 PM
Subject: [MilCom] Insights on JSTARS & CAP Interactions


> All,
>
> 1. During the DC CAP established during the Inauguration ceremonies, some
of
> the chat on 260.9 MHz between the fighters (Harass, F-15s Langley) and the
E-8
> JSTARS aircraft (Wizzard) provided some insight into their operations.
>
> The fighters complained to Huntress that they kept losing all
> surveillance/tracking data on their TADIL-A link. They mentioned that
their Timber was
> "sweet" but nonetheless they kept losing data. The fighters would have
data then for
> no apparent reason the data would drop out. At one time the CAP lead
> mentioned that they had been without live data for 1.5 hours.
>
> Wizzard (E-8 JSTARS Back-end) then talked with the CAP flight lead trying
to
> help them get the data back. It appeared to be a comms problems between
the
> disseminating aircraft (JSTARS) and the fighters.
>
> 2. After about 30 minutes, Harass Leader worked with Wizzard to establish
a
> "relnet" between Wizzard and Harass 23 who would receive the surveillance
info
> for the CAP formation. Once their net was established Harass Leader
contacted
> Huntress and asked if they wanted to do a "TN" to check and see how tight
the
> net was.
>
> Harass 23 attempted to contact Spad Ops (27th FS) to inform them as to the
typ
> e of net they had established. Harass 23 could not contact Spad Ops so he
> asked Wizzard to contact the 27th FS and inform them that they had set up
a Term
> 2 Relnet with Harass 23 as the "man."
>
> Wizzard informed Harass 23 that there were 2 NTRs on their JTIDS system
which
> was causing them to drop data. Wizzard asked Huntress if they had an
> identification on an NTR # 14001E which was moving off the coast and
causing the
> surveillance system to malfunction. Harass 23 also informed Wizzard that
they had
> two different times on their Relative Network (RelNet) and that was
causing
> problems. Harass 23 opined that one of the targets was somewhere in the
vicinity
> of Seymour-Johnson AFB.
>
> Harass 23 informed Wizzard that there was another unidentified station in
> W-122 Warning Area who was trying to be " the man." Harass 23 asked
Wizzard to
> delete the current net, establish JSTARS as " the man" then adivse the CAP
so
> they could rejoin the net and get things started anew.
>
> When the third set of fighters (Harass 25 & 26) came into the CAP Wizzard
> called Huntress and adivsed them that they would like to assume control of
the
> fighters from Huntress as they went to the tanker for refueling.
>
> Summary:
>
> Things certainly were not going smoothly for the CAP aircraft and you
could
> hear the consternation in the CAP pilots' voices.
>
>
> RON
> MARYLAND, USA
>
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