Category: F-16

20th Fighter Wing UHF Air-to-Air Update

Brunswick – Last week, I posted about the 20th Fighter Wing moving to UHF air-to-air frequencies from VHF. I got some good feedback from readers offering what they’ve heard, so I thought I would post an updated list:

228.800 – 55th FS Air-to-Air
236.150 – 55th FS Air-to-Air

274.875 – 77th FS Air-to-Air
314.100 – 77th FS Air-to-Air

276.150 – possible 79th FS Air-to-Air

228.275 – reported in use by 20th FW F-16s
242.000 – reported in use by 20th FW F-16s
259.900 – reported in use by 20th FW F-16s
270.900 – reported in use by 20th FW F-16s

384.550 – F-16 Demo Team

I’ll be keeping an ear on the possible 79th FS and 20th FW Air-to-Airs in an attempt to help confirm and ID the squadron using them. Thanks to Jared Soergel on Twitter and Scannerman2016 by email for the feedback and information; if I get any more or are able to find anything further, I’ll post another update.

20th Fighter Wing F-16s Moving From VHF to UHF for Air-to-Air Frequencies

Savannah – Last month, I got a post comment from a reader mentioning the lack of activity on VHF air-to-air frequencies from 20th Fighter Wing F-16CMs from Shaw AFB working in the Bulldog MOA. I’d been noticing the same trend over the course of this year as well so I’ve been searching when home in Savannah (I don’t receive activity from Shaw F-16s from Brunswick due to its distance from their usual operating areas). So far I’ve found a couple of UHF air-to-airs for the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 77th Fighter Squadron but none yet for the 79th Fighter Squadron:

228.800 – 55th FS Air-to-Air
236.150 – 55th FS Air-to-Air

274.875 – 77th FS Air-to-Air
314.100 – 77th FS Air-to-Air

I’ll keep on searching when I’m in Savannah and post updates as I find anything. If anyone else happens to find some UHF air-to-air frequencies for the Shaw F-16s, post them in the comments, tweet them to me, post them on the Facebook page, or send me an email at kf4lmt @ gmail.

21st FS F-16s and 14th FTW T-38s at the Savannah Air Dominance Center

21st_Fighter_SquadronSavannah – Last week, F-16s from the 21st Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB and T-38s from the 14th FTW at Columbus AFB arrived at the Georgia Air National Guard’s Air Dominance Center (ADC) at Savannah-Hilton Head IAP for training. The 21st FS, the unit that trains Taiwan Air Force F-16 pilots, has visited here for training sporadically but this is the first time that they’ve been here in a few years (the last time I’ve got them in my logs is April/May 2014). The 14th FTW T-38s seem to be here to augment their training. I didn’t get very many opportunities last week to listen to them but I did yesterday so I’m finally able to post something about them.  The F-16s have been flying as DEALER and GAMBLER flights and using ADC frequencies 140.500, 141.150, and 142.700. I also noted that they used 141.925 yesterday, but I don’t have that as one usually used at the ADC so it may be one of theirs. The T-38s have been flying as DRAGON and VENT; DRAGON flights that I’ve heard haven’t seemed to be related to the F-16s but the VENT flights have. So far, the only air-to-air frequency I found for the T-38s is 142.375. The F-16s have been working in the offshore SUAs doing air-to-air training. The VENT T-38 flights have been supporting that and I’ve heard DRAGON flights working in the Coastal MOA/Townsend Range complex. Yesterday, the DEALERs, GAMBLERs, and VENTs were training with the Florida ANG 125th FW F-15s from Jacksonville IAP using NORAD discretes 293.600 and 316.300. Here’s where you can tune in and find them:

119.100/257.800 – Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
120.400/353.775 – Savannah Approach/Departure
125.300/371.875 – Savannah Approach/Departure
132.925/363.200 – Jax Center Allendale/Savannah Low
124.675/282.200 – Jax Center Jekyll Low

120.950/284.500 – SEALORD North Primary
349.800 – W-137 Discrete
376.900 – W-137 Discrete
293.600 – NORAD Discrete
316.300 – NORAD Discrete
228.400 – Townsend Range

237.000 – ADC Ops; 21st FS Ops
140.500 – ADC; 21st FS Air-to-Air
141.150 – ADC; 21st FS Air-to-Air
142.700 – ADC; 21st FS Air-to-Air
141.925 – 21st FS Air-to-Air?
142.375 – 21st FS Air-to-Air?

251.250 – 125th FW Ops
234.800 – 125th FW Aux 5
253.700 – 125th FW Aux 6
314.200 – 125th FW Aux 7

DEALER – F-16, 21st FS
GAMBER – F-16, 21st FS
DRAGON – T-38C, 14th FTW
VENT – T-38C, 14th FTW
FANG – F-15C, 125th FW
GATOR – F-15C, 125th FW

It’s also worth mentioning that some of the T-38s have shown up on Mode-S as ADFF9D, ADFFF6, ADFF78, and ADFF8F. The F-16s and T-38s arrived last Wednesday, but I’m not sure how long they’ll be here so catch them while you can.

 

 

Sentry Savannah July 2018 Update

Savannah – I haven’t had a lot of monitoring time, but I have been able to listen to a few more morning sorties and other listeners have contributed what they’ve heard, so I’ve got an update for what should be the last couple of days of the current Sentry Savannah exercise. Paul, KJ4FAV also provided a photo of COPPER 03 (KC-135R, 64-14831, 161st ARW), the Arizona ANG KC-135 providing tanker support for the exercise.

IMG_1175
COPPER 03 (KC-135R, 64-14831, 161st ARW) on approach to Hunter AAF after supporting Sentry Savannah activity off of the Georgia coast on 25 July 2018. Photo courtesy of Paul Snedeker, KJ4FAV

 

119.100/257.800 – Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
120.400/353.775 – Savannah Approach/Departure
125.300/371.875 – Savannah Approach/Departure
124.975/279.575 – Hunter AAF Tower
126.200/285.425 – Hunter AAF Base Ops

282.200/124.675 – Jax Center Jekyll Low
282.300/135.975 – Jax Center Alma High
317.550/134.375 – Jax Center Charleston Low
285.650/126.125 – Jax Center Statesboro High
363.200/132.925 – Jax Center Allendale/Savannah Low

237.000 – ADC Ops; 43rd FS “HORNET/STINGER Ops”
255.675 – 43rd FS Air-to-Air
256.750 – 43rd FS Air-to-Air
288.900 – 43rd FS Air-to-Air
320.600 – 2nd FTS Air-to-Air

298.300 – 169th FW “SWAMP FOX Ops”
141.825 – 169th FW Air-to-Air

277.450 – 187th FW Air-to-Air
283.700 – 187th FW Air-to-Air

120.950/284.500 – Sealord North Primary
313.700 – Sealord North Secondary
288.400 – NORAD Discrete; Check-In
349.800 – W-137 Discrete; Intercepts
376.900 – W-137 Discrete; Intercepts
293.600 – NORAD Discrete; Intercepts
316.300 – NORAD Discrete; Intercepts
265.400 – NORAD Discrete; Aerial Refueling
278.000 – Aerial Refueling
RAPTOR (F-22A, 43rd FS)
SAVAGE (F-22A, 43rd FS)
STINGER (F-22A, 43rd FS)
VAPOR (F-22A, 43rd FS)
BEAGLE (T-38, 2nd FTS)
HOUND (T-38, 2nd FTS)

COPPER (KC-135R, 161st ARW)
DIXIE (KC-135R, 117th ARW)
KEYS (KC-135R, 186th ARW)

BONES (F-22A, 95th FS)

MACE (F-16CM, 169th FW)

BAMA (F-16C, 187th FW)

DOGHOUSE (325th FW Schoolhouse)
HAMMER (GCI or RTO)
KREMLIN (USMC related ground station)

 

Sentry Savannah exercises usually last two weeks, so this should be the last week of this one. The F-22s and T-38s should start returning home on Friday. If I happen to get anything new over the next couple of days, I’ll post a recap, otherwise this will likely be the last post on the July 2018 Sentry Savannah.

Third Sentry Savannah Exercise of 2018 Underway at the Savannah Air Dominance Center

Savannah – Earlier this week with my Mode-S receiver in Brunswick, I picked up a couple of KC-135s departing the Savannah area for the Special Use Areas off of Savannah.  Since KC-135s are permanent residents at Savannah IAP or Hunter AAF, that activity usually indicates that there is an exercise going on. Some of the few snippets of radio traffic I was able to pick up with a handheld scanner in Brunswick indicated that there was an exercise going on as well. In addition, I got some tweets from the Savannah area that fighter activity was being heard and seen overhead the city. All of that was a solid indication that an exercise is underway and since mid-July has seen Sentry Savannah exercises over the last few years, I assumed that is what we had this year.

Yesterday, I got back to Savannah from Brunswick and was able to listen to the activity, confirming that there is a Sentry Savannah exercise underway. This Sentry Savannah’s players include regular visitors to the Savannah Air Dominance Center, the 43rd FS and their F-22As and the 2nd FTS and their T-38s. Two KC-135s are at Hunter AAF to provide tanker support; one from the 161st ARW, Arizona ANG and one from the 117th ARW, Alabama ANG. In addition to those units flying out of Savannah, F-16s from the 169th FW at McEntire ANGB, South Carolina, and the 187th FW at Montgomery ANGB, Alabama participated. So far, they’re flying two sets of sorties a day; once in the morning around 0900/0930 and another in the afternoon around 1300/1330. Since the exercise started this week, I expect the F-22s and T-38s to be at the Air Dominance Center through next week.

For the most part, the usual Sentry Savannah frequencies seem to be in use along with usual air-to-air frequencies for the units participating. They did, however, use SEALORD W-137 discrete frequencies during yesterday’s morning sorties. Based on yesterday’s monitoring, here’s what’s in use so far:

119.100/257.800 – Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
120.400/353.775 – Savannah Approach/Departure
125.300/371.875 – Savannah Approach/Departure
124.975/279.575 – Hunter AAF Tower
126.200/285.425 – Hunter AAF Base Ops

282.200/124.675 – Jax Center Jekyll Low
282.300/135.975 – Jax Center Alma High
285.650/126.125 – Jax Center Statesboro High
363.200/132.925 – Jax Center Allendale/Savannah Low

237.000 – ADC Ops; 43rd FS “HORNET/STINGER Ops”
256.750 – 43rd FS Air-to-Air
288.900 – 43rd FS Air-to-Air
320.600 – 2nd FTS Air-to-Air

298.300 – 169th FW “SWAMP FOX Ops”
141.825 – 169th FW Air-to-Air

277.450 – 187th FW Air-to-Air
283.700 – 187th FW Air-to-Air

120.950/284.500 – Sealord North Primary
313.700 – Sealord North Secondary
288.400 – NORAD Discrete; Check-In
349.800 – W-137 Discrete; Intercepts
376.900 – W-137 Discrete; Intercepts
293.600 – NORAD Discrete; Intercepts
316.300 – NORAD Discrete; Intercepts
265.400 – NORAD Discrete; Aerial Refueling
278.000 – Aerial Refueling
RAPTOR (F-22A, 43rd FS)
SAVAGE (F-22A, 43rd FS)
STINGER (F-22A, 43rd FS)
VAPOR (F-22A, 43rd FS)
BEAGLE (T-38, 2nd FTS)
HOUND (T-38, 2nd FTS)

COPPER (KC-135R, 161st ARW)
DIXIE (KC-135R, 117th ARW)

MACE (F-16CM, 169th FW)

BAMA (F-16C, 187th FW)

DOGHOUSE (325th FW Schoolhouse)
HAMMER (RTO)

 

I’ll be back in Brunswick on Friday morning, so if anyone hears anything new or different over the next week and a half of Sentry Savannah activity, please send it to me and I’ll include in updated lists.