Combat Air Patrols
From The RadioReference Wiki
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).
Here are the units with callsigns that participate in CAP duty (with the associated callsigns):
- DC ANG 113th 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
- USAF 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB 27th Fighter Squadron, HARASS
- Vermont Air National Guard based at Langley, STYLE or DIAL (Nov 2007)
- Langley 94th Fighter Squadron, RAPTOR
- Seymour Johnson NC 334th Fighter Squadron/4th Fighter Wing, RAMROD
- Langley 94th Fighter Squadron, SONIC (used during the CAP on 11/19/2007)
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
- Andrews Air Force Base, 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 138.0 for ops contact and 142.3 for 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
- 259.550 Nov 2007 CAP
- 320.950 Feb.08 CAP '15 Prime'
- 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
- 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;
- 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