Marines flight 166767 / VM767 returning to DC. 166474 headed to Dobbins, based on course.
Thanks for the JS, added!
Dick pics, eh?
Lots of SIGINT planes up earlier tonight, MC-12W Libertys and E-MARSS. These planes can set up their own shared command and control network if needed. They also do pretty much all-weather surveillance and synthetic aperture radar stuff.
MC-12W Liberty Spy Plane
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/mc-liberty/
The MC-12W Liberty aircraft is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft of the United States Air Force (USAF) acquired for Project Liberty. Project Liberty includes Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Enduring Iraqi Freedom (OIF). OEF is the official name designated by the US government for its war in Afghanistan, while OIF is the official name for its war in Iraq.
An asset owned by the Joint Forces Air Component Commander, the aircraft’s key mission is to provide ISR services to the ground forces.
A medium-altitude manned vehicle, the MC-12W is based on the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 and King Air 350ER models, which are variants of the C-12 series. The aircraft is an augmentation of the two King Air models to include ISR capabilities.
The MC-12W has been procured as it can support all the Air Force’s irregular warfare mission needs.
The first combat mission of the MC-12W aircraft was undertaken on 10 June 2009. The aircraft was assigned to the airmen of the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron Detachment 1 and the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing in Camp Liberty, Iraq. The first combat sortie took off from Joint Base Balad, Iraq at 2.30pm for a four-hour mission. At about 6.20pm local time the four member crew completed the sortie.
MC-12W programme
In April 2008, the US Secretary of Defense established a task force to identify and recommend solutions for increased ISR in the US Central Command’s (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) in Project Liberty.
The task force recommended a solution that augmented the C-12 aircraft to suit ISR requirements. The C-12 aircraft are unmanned systems.
The USAF selected a total of 37 C-12 aircraft to be augmented based on the orders of the Secretary of Defense. Out of the 37 aircraft, eight are King Air 350s and the remaining 29 are King Air 350ERs.
These King Air 350s and 350ERs were modified for the USAF with equipment and technologies according to military requirement.
The augmented aircraft’s title was designated as MC-12W, ‘M’ being prefixed to denote that the aircraft is a multirole version of the C-12 series of the Department of Defence.
MC-12W Liberty intelligence gathering
The MC-12W is designed to intensify data collection operations through intelligence-collection capabilities operating in-theatre, allowing real-time full-motion video and signals intelligence for battlefield decisions of military troop leaders.
A fully operational MC-12W would comprise sensors, a ground exploitation cell, line-of-sight and SATCOM data links, as well as a robust voice communications suite. It would have manpower sufficient for 24hour deployed operations.
The first eight aircraft would have an MX-15i system with an infra-red pointer, which would allow the aircraft to signal an object or building to a soldier wearing special goggles on the ground. Further upgrades would provide the aircraft with a state-of-the-art laser designator to target a position with formidable precision.
The overall length and height of the MC-12W are 46ft 8in and 14ft 4in respectively. It has a wingspan of 57ft 11in and covers a wing area of 310ft². The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 15,000lb (augmented 350 version) and 16,500lb (augmented 350ER version).
The MC-12W can carry two pilots and two sensor operators.
RC-12X Guardrail
he US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a $750 million contract external link for life cycle services on the service’s Special Electronic Mission Aircraft fleet. 75 fixed-wing airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance planes will be covered under the agreement, including RC-12X Guardrail, the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System and Airborne Reconnaissance Low variants. The period of performance is one year, with eight one-year options, and work to be carried out includes program management, systems engineering and modification, supply chain management, and aircraft modifications and elective upgrades. King Aerospace, Inc. and M1 Support Service will also participate in work under the contract.
They’re derived from Hawker-Beechcraft’s popular King Air B200 twin-prop planes, and they look like a dog that just finished chasing a family of porcupines. Their specialty is intercepting enemy communications, and snooping on electronic emissions. At one time, these light “RC-12 Guardrail” aircraft were one of the 3 electronic eavesdropping and surveillance planes slated for replacement by the joint Army-Navy Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) jet, after many years of service in remote trouble spots and large-scale wars around the globe. Now, they’re getting a new lease on life.
The $8 billion ACS program’s suspension, “back to square one” delay, and joint status uncertainties, have turned the Guardrails into a critical asset that need to continue serving. That requires performance improvements and modernization of their electronics to match a quickly-evolving field. To that end, long-standing Guardrail fleet prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation has been asked to create the latest entry in the Guardrail family.
The first RU-21 Guardrail aircraft were introduced in 1971, and the role has passed through a number of variants. The most common at present is the RC-12N Guardrail Common Sensor (System 1), delivered in 1992-93. A total of 15 were converted, and 1 was lost in an accident to leave a fleet of 14.
The 9 RC-12P Guardrail Common Sensor (System 2) planes have different mission equipment, including datalink capabilities, fiber optic cabling, and smaller and lighter wing pods. They entered service in 1998. The 3 derivative RC-12Q Direct Air Satellite Relay planes were modified in order to expand the other RC-12Ps’ ability to stay within communications coverage. Hence the notable dome on the top of those aircraft. They were delivered in 2000.
Under this contract, Northrop Grumman will continue upgrading and enhancing about half of this fleet of 27, bringing 14 Guardrail aircraft to the RC-12X version and extending their operational lives to 2025.
That's why I saw RAIL701 flying test flights out of McClellan.
EMARSS
The Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) provides a persistent airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability to detect, locate, classify, identify and track surface targets with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy during day, night and nearly all weather conditions. It enhances Brigade Combat Team effectiveness by defining and assessing the communications environment and providing surveillance, targeting support and threat warning.
EMARSS contains a tailored set of Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A) enabled software intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance functionalities to process, exploit and rapidly disseminate the intelligence derived from the imagery sensors. Selected EMARSS imagery is immediately processed on the aircraft and forwarded to DCGS-A for further processing, analysis and reporting.
EMARSS complies with Department of Defense (DOD) Information Technology Standards Registry and Defense Information Systems Network. This architecture enables interoperability with any multiservice or joint system that complies with DOD standard formats for data transfer and dissemination.
EMARSS enables the Aerial Exploitation Battalions within the Intelligence and Security Command to provide command and control, mission planning, sustainment support and deployment packages to facilitate worldwide missions in accordance with standard joint and Army tasking processes.
SPECIFICATIONS
EMARSS-S: Signals Intelligence with Broad Spectrum Signals Intelligence and High Definition (HD) Full Motion Video (FMV)
EMARSS-G: Geospatial intelligence with Wide Area Aerial Surveillance (WAAS), Light Detection and Ranging, and HD FMV
EMARSS-M: Multi-intelligence with Signals Intelligence and HD FMV
EMARSS-V: Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar with Vehicle and Dismount Moving Target Indication, Signals Intelligence and HD FMV
Copied to Planefag thread. o7
I'll comb through the Planefagging 101 archive that I have and see if I can sort the pictures out that are important. The archive is safe with me and saved locally.
You are breaking the programming, don't worry. We've all been there and it's part of becoming woke. You'll get through it, trust me.