SF Airmen return from NAS Pax River after securing ESC assets

  • Published
  • By Capt. Geoff Buteau
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Nine security forces Airmen returned July 30 from an aircraft security mission where they protected Electronic Systems Center assets aboard a NATO E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System jet during the Joint Operational Test Approach Operational Assessment exercise at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. 

The Airmen of Hanscom's 66th Security Forces Squadron don't normally perform domestic aircraft security missions domestically because the nature of Hanscom's mission means aircraft aren't permanently assigned here. This mission was the exception, with Hanscom Airmen protecting Hanscom assets. 

Those assets took the form of a next generation Identification Friend/Foe radar prototype called the UPX-40 Interrogator, which is being developed by the 635th Electronic Systems Squadron, said Chris Cross, an international project coordinator with the AWACS program office. 

"The NATO E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft's home base is in Germany, but they were unable to deploy their own security due to commitments in Europe and the Middle East," Mr. Cross said. 

He also said that without the coordination between Capt. Will Williams, program manager for the UPX-40 at the 635 ELSS, and Capt. Christopher Robinson, 66 SFS commander, the NATO crew would have had to cancel their participation when they were critical to the success of the exercise. 

Captain Williams called the exercise beneficial for both the U.S. military and NATO partners. Since NATO has a fleet of E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft scheduled to integrate the next generation IFF radar soon, providing the jet for use as a test-bed during the exercise gave them an opportunity to test out with the new radar with the platform. For the U.S., it was an opportunity to demonstrate the interoperability of the UPX-40 Interrogator among AWACS fleets. 

The participation of such a high-value asset in the exercise means the task of securing the asset is even more vital. The protection-level 2 asset, a security designation specific to the E-3A Sentry AWACS and other command and control Air Force aircraft, has specific Air Force security requirements that don't exactly align with the security regulations at different non-Air Force airfields. 

NAS Patuxent River was no exception, and on the part of the flight line where the NATO E-3A Sentry AWACS parked, an access road prevented the clear designation of restricted area lines around the aircraft., said Master Sgt. Jamell Jenkins, 66 SFS superintendent of operations, who was regularly in contact with the team in Maryland. 

Tech. Sgt. Richard Minigan, a flight chief within the 66 SFS, called the support received from the chief of police at the installation the best support he's had while operating away from his home station. "We set up a restricted area and everything flowed smoothly."
Securing the aircraft was even more challenging because the status of NAS Patuxent's controlled access ramp was unusable for repairs, said Mr. Cross. 

Adding to the already long list of surprises during the mission, the aircraft developed an engine problem delaying its departure four days for repairs. Despite the delay, "the 66 SFS team didn't miss a beat, staying right in place, continuing to guard the aircraft each day until 24 hours after the NATO aircraft had safely landed back at home station," Mr. Cross said. 

"It benefits us," said Sergeant Jenkins, "because our Airmen, especially if it's their first assignment, really don't get the opportunity to see live aircraft security [missions] before they [deploy] down-range." 

Mainly responsible for law enforcement at Hanscom, Airman First Class Phillip Prather, an installation patrolman, classified the trip as a solid learning experience. "It gave me full perspective on what it means to do flight-line security."