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 228.9000 and 260.9000. These frequencies have also been used for refueling.
• DC-ANG will often use 139.7000 as primary CAP freq. This freq is also used by HUNTRESS to work BLACKJACK (USCG helo) units
• NJ-ANG has been known to use 138.2000 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 135.5250 / 350.2500 (primary) or 126.5500 / 269.5000 (secondary).
• VT-ANG units have been noted on:
  • 125.1250 Supervisor of Flight
  • 138.0000 Ops
  • 138.5250 Ops
  • 238.2500 Air-air interflight
• Shaw AFB (PITMAN) units have been noted on the following freqs:
  • 79th Fighter Squadron (Tigers)
  • 138.0250 last noted Jan 2006
    
  • 138.1500 possibly V-8
    
  • 141.6000 possibly V-9
    
  • 141.7750 possibly V-10
    
  • 142.1250 possibly V-11 June 2006
    
  • 236.5500 brief use June 2006
    
  • 77th Fighter Squadron (Gamblers)
  • 139.8250 V-8 used Jan, March 2007, 138.8250 hrd Dec.2006; 143.8000 hrd Sept 2006
    
  • 138.0250 V-9 used Jan 2007, 141.750 used Sept.2006, Oct 2006 CAP
    
  • 140.3750 V-10 used Sept.2006 during NYC CAP, Oct 2006 CAP
    
  • 141.6750 V-11
    
  • 138.9000 V-12 used Jan 2007 139.925 used Sept.2006
    
• Eglin AFB (ARROW) units have been noted:
  • 338.7500
  • 369.1500 Mar.09 CAP
  • 259.5500 Nov 2007 CAP
  • 320.9500 Feb.08 CAP '15 Prime', Mar.09 CAP low use
  • 316.4500 Feb.08 CAP
  • 305.4500 Feb.08, Mar.08 CAP
  • 253.7000 Feb.08 CAP
  • 326.4750 Mar.08 CAP
  • 276.5500 Inauguration 2009
  • 257.3500 Inauguration 2009
• MUDDY units have used 143.8500 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:
  • 276.6250
  • 276.6750
  • 357.1000 (callsign: CLAW OPS)
  • 360.1500 (Langley interflight freq)
  • NOTE: common ZDC freq for units TDY Langley arriving from the south is ZDC-Calvert 281.4000.
• May 2007 RAPTOR units noted on 315.8500 as a chitchat and talking to Guard Dog on 126.5500. They later reverted to the usual 135.5250 for Guard Dog. 350.2500 was used throughout.
• July and September 2007 HARASS fighters used 360.1500 for interflight
• July 2007 RAMROD fighters the following were used for interflight:
  • 300.1250
  • 300.2250
  • 300.3250
  • 300.4250
  • 301.3250
  • 301.5250
  • 302.0750
  • 303.0000
• 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 255.4000 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'
• 123.5250 Naval Refueling
• 139.8750 Tankers interplane
• 143.8250 Tankers Interplane
• 148.0500 Tankers Interplane
• 228.0000 AR-777
• 234.5000 Refueling ops Duke MOA
• 235.1000 Refueling ops AR206/328
• 236.2500 Aerial refueling
• 238.9000 AR-212/AR-636
• 252.8000 Tanker/refueling Aug 2007
• 349.7000 AR20 secondary
• 266.4000 Tanker/refueling Aug 2007
• 266.5000 Andrews 756th ARS Interplane
• 270.1500 Used briefly during Xmas 2007 CAP
• 274.4500 AR218/220
• 276.5000 Refueling ops AR216/609
• 277.3500 CAP Refueling
• 282.7000 AR Secondary
• 283.9000 AR-217/AR-616
• 288.0000 BLUE24 refueling
• 293.7000 STEEL interplane
• 294.8000 Boom Freq tanker from McGuire
• 295.8000 AR-631
• 299.9000 Refueling discrete noted June 06
• 303.0000 108th Refueling Wing @McGuire
• 303.1250 AR18V Cherry Pt
• 341.7500 AR-20
• 305.5000 AR-219
• 311.0000 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).
• 311.5750 AR18V Cherry Pt
• 315.9000 AR-777 Secondary
• 319.7000 Tanker secondary/AR-636
• 320.4500 AR W-386 Test Track
• 320.6000
• 324.0000
• 324.6000 AR-204/AR-207
• 327.6000 Refueling AR-205
• 327.9000 Refueling noted during Sept 06 CAP over NYC
• 339.6000 Refueling ops Aug 2007
• 341.7500 Aerial refueling
• 343.5000 Refueling AR-608
• 346.2500 Marine Refueling
• 348.9000 AR-206H Refueling
• 351.2000 Andrews 756th ARS
• 365.7000 Aerial Refueling
• 387.8000 Aerial Refueling
• 387.9000 Tanker Boom freq
• 396.2000 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