An NCRADF Dolphin flies past the White House. The H-65 is an important component in maintaining the security of the United States all-important Washington, D.C., airspace.
Washington D.C.’s Capitol Hill is where it happens – decisions made in this centralized core of the United States government impact not just every American, but often everyone in the world. The larger area, known as the National Capitol Region or NCR, also boasts some of the most prized buildings and sites in the U.S., including, to name just a few: the White House, Capitol building, Pentagon, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Naval Observatory and Washington National Cathedral. So, as you can imagine, the security of the entire area is paramount.
When it comes to the surrounding airspace, even tiny breaches receive a quick and firm response. For example, on Friday, April 24, 2009, when a Cessna 180 – a small, aging fixed-wing aircraft – wandered into the restricted airspace in D.C., the White House went into lockdown, and evacuations within the entire Capitol were initiated. The Cessna was then quickly intercepted by a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) HH-65C and two Air National Guard fighter jets, who quickly escorted the offending pilot and his wife out of the area, instructing them to set down at an airport in Maryland. The unplanned event, it turned out, was compliments of a simple navigational problem.
The Role
Air intercept around the Washington, D.C., area is a newer role for the USCG. Working out of the National Capitol Region Air Defense Facility (NCRADF), a hangar complex belonging to the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, the eponymously named NCRADF unit specializes in the rotary-winged air-intercept (RWAI) role for the NCR. This little-known, elite detachment stands alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, poised to scramble the instant crews are alerted by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). NCRADF became operational on Sept. 25, 2006, taking over from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as the USCG can operate simultaneously in both a law enforcement and a military role.
NCRADF’s helicopters, Eurocopter MH-65C Dolphins (soon to be MH-65Ds), and most of its aircrews come from USCG Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., about 140 miles east of Washington, D.C. “We get a lot of support from Air Station Atlantic City,” said NCRADF’s detachment operations officer, “they are an integral part of us doing business here.”
The NCRADF’s Dolphins are rotated in and out of the unit, depending on major maintenance schedules. And, the detachment operations officer is certainly pleased with what the Dolphins provide: “Since we received the new Turbomeca engines, although the gearbox is still the same, I am very happy with the performance, power, reliability and enhanced safety margin we now have, especially should we happen to lose an engine. Some aircraft also carry the FLIR Systems EO/IR [electro-optical/infrared] sensor package. And, our aircraft have a robust radio suite enabling us to work with a plethora of agencies. Plus, we’re just finishing the transition from the MH-65C to the MH-65D [an avionics and systems upgrade].”
The NCRADF crews standing alert do not report to a traditional Coast Guard district, but are 100-percent tactically controlled by NORAD when tasked on an intercept mission. In all other aspects (i.e., when not on an RWAI mission), the unit does report to the commanding officer of Air Station Atlantic City.
A product of its niche role, the unit does not provide typical Coast Guard search-and-rescue duties, since there are numerous other helicopters and assets around the area that can be called upon for that. A secondary mission it does perform, however, is PWCS (ports, waterways and coastal security). For the PWCS role, crews use the aircraft’s sensors to monitor vessels and keep an eye out for any suspicious activities taking place in ports and areas of national interest.
NCRADF’s detachment operations officer said that while his crews don’t fly as much as traditional USCG crews, and do spend a lot of time just waiting for the call, “Once we scramble for an intercept, the mission can become very exciting and intense, and that 10-minute period of defending our nation is what our purpose is all about!”
At any given time, there are about 12 pilots, 12 to 15 maintainers, and some permanently detached personnel with the unit. Aside from the permanently assigned personnel, though, pilots and maintainers are constantly rotated through from Atlantic City. “Our crews come here for approximately two-week periods,” said the unit’s detachment operations officer, “and they take turns rotating through three watch shifts during the 24-hour day.” (Additional support personnel are provided by other RWAI qualified air stations, including Savannah, Ga.; Detroit, Mich.; and New Orleans, La.)
All rotational crews must have completed the RWAI syllabus, gone through an operational exercise, and have been trained for some special intercept maneuvers. The training takes about two weeks to complete and requires crews to go through about eight flights, most at night and on night vision goggles. These flights involve tight-formation flying and performing intercept maneuvers. To keep current, pilots must perform 10-15 flights every six months, and that almost always requires two aircraft and associated crews per sortie. Thus, there is a significant effort that goes into keeping everyone qualified. Interagency training includes the USCG Auxiliary, which provides light civil aircraft as “targets” around Atlantic City, and the U.S. Air Force performs periodic, detailed inspections of the unit.
Maintenance of the aircraft is a bit more demanding than with normal USCG roles. The helicopters are flown at the edge of their envelope, which translates into more inspections needed, more rotor blade maintenance, and more concerns about the hub assembly. Monitoring devices are used to confirm components are in check and that certain limits have not been exceeded.
The Missions
While there is a 30-mile radius around Washington, D.C., and three completely prohibited airspace sections within that, NORAD can scramble NCRADF crews for any reason deemed necessary, even for potential threats beyond the 30-mile bubble.
Regardless of the reason or area of focus, though, the unit is usually not alone in its response. NCRADF gets help from a number of other military/defense agencies, including the D.C. Air National Guard, which will send its F-16s when needed. Additionally, to a lesser degree, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Capitol Police and U.S. Secret Service also can be involved.
“NCR airspace violations are addressed through a robust, multi-agency response,” said NCRADF’s detachment operations officer. “All are taken very seriously, and of prime importance to resolving any incursion is rapid determination of the intruder’s intent. Our unit is designed to intercept low and slow aircraft. We have an SFRA [special flight rules area] 30-mile area around Washington, D.C., and if someone enters it without following the proper procedures, we may be called upon to intercept and guide them out of the airspace, while relaying our progress up the NORAD chain of command.
“Coast Guard aircrews assist NORAD and other partners in achieving that determination by putting human observers quickly into close proximity to positively identify the intruding aircraft and report firsthand what it is doing. Further, they are able to relate specific instructions its pilot must immediately follow to demonstrate compliance and clear protected airspace safely, quickly and per the directions of controlling agencies. It is not uncommon for us to be scrambled and before completing the intercept it has already been resolved. ATC [air traffic control] is often able to reach them on the radio and resolve the situation before we get on scene with the aircraft.”
The most common type of intercepts involves light civil aircraft that may have lost radio communications, could be on the wrong frequency, may have strayed into the area, or aren’t responding because the pilot is perhaps unfamiliar with flying around restricted airspace. When ATC is unable to turn around an aircraft, NCRADF crews are scrambled. Crews can also be scrambled while ATC is attempting to turn around the violating aircraft.
The unit, of course, has the ability to handle more serious situations – from a couple of different perspectives. “We have unique capabilities compared to the other agencies,” said NCRADF’s detachment operations officer. “We fall under both [U.S. Code] Title 10 [military] and Title 14 [law enforcement] authority guidelines. Initially, we may be scrambled by NORAD for a military-type threat to protect the airspace, but later it could evolve into a LE scenario. Thus, we can still provide the intercepted aircraft an escort and later hand off the offenders to the LE authorities on the ground, such as FBI, CBP [Customs and Border Protection], police and others.”
Overall, NCRADF responds to about 60 airspace incursions each year. While that total number isn’t a lot, each mission is very involved. “For what we do,” explained the unit’s detachment operations officer, “our biggest challenge is the mission op tempo. It is not uncommon for us to be talking on three or more different radios to various agencies, including NORAD, with a multitude of both intense and important chatter dominating the flight. Then add in our tactics, special maneuvering, all within a busy airspace around restricted areas – we are incredibly busy inside our aircraft.”
In addition to the Dolphin’s regular USCG equipment, there is one special item that is unique for the NCRADF mission: a scrolling LED “signboard” located on the starboard side of the cabin. The signboard can be programmed to display several messages to the straying aircraft, such as, “You have been intercepted,” “Tune to frequency 121.5 MHz” or “Fly heading 180.”
What precautions can pilots take in order to avoid being face-to-face with that signboard? “Particularly while flying around the NCR, pilots should ensure they are monitoring 121.5 megahertz. If they should find themselves being intercepted, they should follow instructions immediately. In all likelihood we are going to try to establish comms on 121.5 megahertz. If [we are] unable to communicate with the aircraft . . . we will attempt to communicate with them via our signboard. Once comms are established on 121.5 or via the signboard, specific instructions will be given to the aircraft on what to do. Again, at this point the most important thing is for the aircraft being intercepted to follow our instructions.”
The Future
As far as the future, the Dolphins will continue to receive upgrades. The D-model, which the unit was scheduled to have by the end of April, has an enhanced automatic flight control system (AFCS) that utilizes the new, embedded GPS/inertial navigation system, allowing for more precision navigation and smoother flying in certain regimes. Also, the D-model has had all aircraft gyros removed, but the engine and transmission remains the same as in the C-model.
The conceptualized MH-65E upgrade, meanwhile, should have a full glass cockpit with a common avionics architecture that is based on the USCG’s Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk. The MH-65E would also have an upgraded digital AFCS along with other sensor systems integrated into the common avionics architecture.
For NCRADF itself, it eventually could be turned into a self-contained air station. While nothing is confirmed, an upgrade of some kind, as the unit’s detachment operations officer stated, is certainly likely: “We will probably be enhancing our mission capability as time progresses and it will keep evolving into greater capabilities than ever.” After all, the unit is protecting one of the most critically important areas in the world.
Ted Carlson is a professional aviation photojournalist and runs Southern-California-based Fotodynamics.com. He specializes in aerial photography of military and civil aircraft, and his images have adorned over 300 covers of various publications. As a writer, Ted has had hundreds of his articles published worldwide. He can be reached at: fotodynamics@cox.net.