Combat Air Patrols

The Combat Air Patrol (CAP) covering Washington D.C. and/or the Thurmont (Camp David) area is known as the Guard Dog CAP. Notices about CAPs can be found here - look at entries marked ZDC in the facility column. The sector map can be seen at the right (click to enlarge - thanx Tinear).

ZDC Sector map for CAP

Here are the units with callsigns that participate in CAP duty (with the associated callsigns):

Unit	Callsign(s)
DC ANG 113th Fighter Wing, 121st Fighter Squadron	BRAVE
NJ ANG 177th Fighter Wing, 119th Fighter Squadron	COSMIC
Eglin AFB FL 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing	ARROW
Shaw AFB SC 79th and 77th Fighter Squadrons, 20th Fighter Wing	PITTMAN
Joint Base Langley–Eustis (LFI) Hampton City (VA) 27th Fighter Squadron	HARASS
Vermont ANG based at Langley	MAPLE
Seymour Johnson NC 334th Fighter Squadron/4th Fighter Wing	RAMROD
Langley 94th Fighter Squadron	RAPTOR (old), SONIC (CAP 11/2007, 2009 Inauguration)
112th FS/180th FW, OH-ANG Toledo	MUDDY, during the 2009 Inauguration

Guidance during the Guard Dog CAP is provided by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Eastern Air Defense Sector(EADS) using callsign HUNTRESS The CAP is normally comprised of two F-15 or F-16 fighters and a KC-135 tanker for refueling support. A pair of F-22A Raptor fighters participated in Dec 2006, May 2007, Nov 2007, Dec 2007, and Feb 2008.

Frequencies

All frequencies noted here are in AM mode

• Joint Base Andrews (ADW) Prince George's County (MD) is often used for a refuel stop ,a maintenance problem or if bad weather develops
• HUNTRESS frequencies most often used for primary CAP control are 228.9 and 260.9. These frequencies have also been used for refueling.
• DC-ANG will often use 139.7 as primary CAP freq. This freq is also used by HUNTRESS to work BLACKJACK (USCG helo) units
• NJ-ANG has been known to use 138.2 as primary CAP freq
• Refueling is often performed on the primary frequency; in the past, it had been on a separate boom freq. The boom freq is normally stated at the beginning of the CAP. See the bottom of this article for a summary of freqs used in the past.
• The fighters and the tanker get clearance to enter/exit the CAP area using Guard Dog (Washington Center) special frequencies of 135.525 / 350.250 (primary) or 126.55 / 269.5 (secondary).
• VT-ANG units have been noted on:
  • 125.125 Supervisor of Flight
  • 138.000 Ops
  • 138.525 Ops
  • 238.250 Air-air interflight
• Shaw AFB (PITMAN) units have been noted on the following freqs:
  • 79th Fighter Squadron (Tigers)
  • 138.025 last noted Jan 2006
    
  • 138.150 possibly V-8
    
  • 141.600 possibly V-9
    
  • 141.775 possibly V-10
    
  • 142.125 possibly V-11 June 2006
    
  • 236.550 brief use June 2006
    
  • 77th Fighter Squadron (Gamblers)
  • 139.825 V-8 used Jan, March 2007, 138.825 hrd Dec.2006; 143.8 hrd Sept 2006
    
  • 138.025 V-9 used Jan 2007, 141.750 used Sept.2006, Oct 2006 CAP
    
  • 140.375 V-10 used Sept.2006 during NYC CAP, Oct 2006 CAP
    
  • 141.675 V-11
    
  • 138.900 V-12 used Jan 2007 139.925 used Sept.2006
    
• Eglin AFB (ARROW) units have been noted:
  • 338.750
  • 369.150 Mar.09 CAP
  • 259.550 Nov 2007 CAP
  • 320.950 Feb.08 CAP '15 Prime', Mar.09 CAP low use
  • 316.450 Feb.08 CAP
  • 305.450 Feb.08, Mar.08 CAP
  • 253.700 Feb.08 CAP
  • 326.475 Mar.08 CAP
  • 276.550 Inauguration 2009
  • 257.350 Inauguration 2009
• MUDDY units have used 143.85 for interflight during the 2009 Inauguration
• Mountain Home AFB (F-15C/D 366th FW/390th FS TDY Langley AFB; callsign: CLAW) manned the Guard Dog CAP over the Thanksgiving 2008 holiday weekend Ops and A/A freqs noted:
  • 276.625
  • 276.675
  • 357.100 (callsign: CLAW OPS)
  • 360.150 (Langley interflight freq)
  • NOTE: common ZDC freq for units TDY Langley arriving from the south is ZDC-Calvert 281.400.
• May 2007 RAPTOR units noted on 315.85 as a chitchat and talking to Guard Dog on 126.55. They later reverted to the usual 135.525 for Guard Dog. 350.25 was used throughout.
• July and September 2007 HARASS fighters used 360.15 for interflight
• July 2007 RAMROD fighters the following were used for interflight:
  • 300.125
  • 300.225
  • 300.325
  • 300.425
  • 301.325
  • 301.525
  • 302.075
  • 303.000
• As of 1st October, the United States Coast Guard has taken over responsibility for low flying and slower a/c violating the ADIZ in this region
• Flights and Tankers will often use the Nationwide FSS frequency 255.4 to get weather and other information from Leesburg Radio
• Also check the UHF frequencies of the following for flights arriving/leaving the CAP;
  • Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control
  • Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center
  • NY Air Route Traffic Control Center

Other Refueling freqs noted in the past

• 6.76100 HF USB 'Tanker Common'
• 123.525 Naval Refueling
• 139.875 Tankers interplane
• 143.825 Tankers Interplane
• 148.050 Tankers Interplane
• 228.000 AR-777
• 234.500 Refueling ops Duke MOA
• 235.100 Refueling ops AR206/328
• 236.250 Aerial refueling
• 238.900 AR-212/AR-636
• 252.800 Tanker/refueling Aug 2007
• 349.700 AR20 secondary
• 266.400 Tanker/refueling Aug 2007
• 266.500 Andrews 756th ARS Interplane
• 270.150 Used briefly during Xmas 2007 CAP
• 274.450 AR218/220
• 276.500 Refueling ops AR216/609
• 277.350 CAP Refueling
• 282.700 AR Secondary
• 283.900 AR-217/AR-616
• 288.000 BLUE24 refueling
• 293.700 STEEL interplane
• 294.800 Boom Freq tanker from McGuire
• 295.800 AR-631
• 299.900 Refueling discrete noted June 06
• 303.000 108th Refueling Wing @McGuire
• 303.125 AR18V Cherry Pt
• 341.750 AR-20
• 305.500 AR-219
• 311.000 CP Common - in the immediate Mid-Atlantic area most commonly used by the 171st ARW PA ANG Pittsburgh (callsign: STEEL) and 916th ARW/77th ARS (AFRC) Seymour Johnson AFB (callsign: BACKY).
• 311.575 AR18V Cherry Pt
• 315.900 AR-777 Secondary
• 319.700 Tanker secondary/AR-636
• 320.450 AR W-386 Test Track
• 320.600
• 324.000
• 324.600 AR-204/AR-207
• 327.600 Refueling AR-205
• 327.900 Refueling noted during Sept 06 CAP over NYC
• 339.600 Refueling ops Aug 2007
• 341.750 Aerial refueling
• 343.500 Refueling AR-608
• 346.250 Marine Refueling
• 348.900 AR-206H Refueling
• 351.200 Andrews 756th ARS
• 365.700 Aerial Refueling
• 387.800 Aerial Refueling
• 387.900 Tanker Boom freq
• 396.200 A/A Refueling for Europe-USA flight June 2006

Also check out the following;

• Langley AFB RRDB entry
• Fort Belvoir/Davison AAF

Thanks to TinEar for the writeup