Tag Archives: amo

CBP’s 2025 forecast

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customs cbp aircraft

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air and Marine Operations (AMO), released its Vision 2025 report earlier this month. In case you missed it, AMO consists of some 1,300 agents who act as a mini-Coast Guard/Air National Guard with a fleet of aircraft and littoral assets who run down smugglers.

The big word in the plan is more integration through their Domain Awareness Network as a force multiplier to get the biggest bang for their buck.

An excerpt of the plan, forcast to a decade from now:

Texas Gulf Coast – 2025
A DHC-8 aircraft on routine patrol detects and identifies numerous fishing vessels.  As each vessel is identified by name and registration number, a mission sensor operator aboard the DHC-8 accesses AMO’s domain awareness network to check law enforcement and open source databases, while simultaneously streaming video and sensor data of the vessel into the network.

AMOC is also observing the vessels over the network. An intelligence research specialist discovers a link between a particular vessel and a known TCO, and advises the aircrew, passing all relevant information via the network.  A CIV responds, relying on the same information to plot an intercept and plan a tactical approach.  As the interceptor closes its range with the fishing vessel, it begins to contribute to the operating picture.

Meanwhile, a P-3 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft has been following a track of interest from the Caribbean into the Gulf of Mexico.  A fully-networked common operating picture reveals that the air track is approaching the suspect vessel.  An air interceptor launches and immediately begins using this same operating picture to calculate its intercept.  The P-3 AEW assumes on-scene command and begins to de-conflict air traffic. As the air track approaches the fishing vessel, it descends below normal land-based radar horizon, but the P-3 AEW and a coastal tethered aerostat radar system maintain contact.  That data is seamlessly networked as all assets share an uninterrupted tactical picture.

From six miles away, the crew of the DHC-8 observes a single-engine airplane overfly the fishing vessel and drop several packages before continuing Northbound.  As the fishing vessel retrieves the packages, the crew of the CIV sees this video in real-time and begins a final intercept. The CIV stops the suspect vessel, seizes 45 bales of cocaine still in plain view, arrests the crew and seizes the vessel. The air interceptor continues to use radar data from the AEW to covertly follow the airplane into a municipal airport, detain the pilot, and eventually obtain a search warrant. A search of the airplane reveals an additional kilo of cocaine.  Agents arrest the pilot, and seize the cocaine and airplane.

The 36-page report is here should you be interested

Last South East Asia Huey retired from federal service

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The Bell Model 204 (prototyped as the XH-40) first flew in 1956 and entered service with the military as the HU-1 (which quickly became “Huey” in milspeak), transitioning to the UH-1 Iroquois designation in 1962, with the first “slick” medevac ships assigned to the 57th Medical Detachment arriving in South Vietnam the same year. With more than 16,000 of these iconic medium lift helicopters built, the Huey became the defacto symbol of the Vietnam conflict.

Enter the obligatory Apocalypse Now- Ride of the Valkyries clip here:

It should be remembered that the last searing image of U.S. forces leaving Saigon in 1975 was centered on a Huey.

Evacuees are helped aboard an Air America helicopter perched on top of a building in Saigon. Photograph: Hugh van Es/REUTERS

Evacuees are helped aboard a CIA/Air America helicopter perched on top of a building in Saigon. Photograph: Hugh van Es/REUTERS

While a number of Hueys remain in service with the military (59 UH-1Ns are used by the Air Force for Minuteman ICBM security, 37 TH-1H trainers are still in the air, the Army keeps 53 UH-1Vs in various Guard units, and of course the Marines have 107 advanced UH-1Y Venoms in regular fleet use), the Pentagon divested themselves of Vietnam-era UH-1s some years ago.

Which brings us to last week’s final flight.

In 2000, a pure former Army Bell UH-1H Huey S/N 69-15533, which clocked 419 hours in 1971 as a “Dolphin” with the 174th Assault Helicopter Company (she took 2 hits during Lam Son 719), was transferred from service with the FBI to the Border Patrol. Then when Border Patrol became part of CBP after 9/11, was transferred to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations’ (AMO) office as N7247J.

N7247J, Bell UH-1H CN 69-15533, At Grand Prairie

N7247J, Bell UH-1H CN 69-15533, in her white and blue AMO livery At Grand Prairie via Airport-Data.com

Parked last week, she has an impressive 6,900 flight hours and 2,466 cycles on her 47-year old airframe that are documented.

The popular 174th Dolphin nose art by WO1 Richard Machina, June 1967. Photo by Jim McDaniel. Huey gunships in the 174th were termed 'Sharks" and carried P-40 Warhawk Flying Tiger-style sharkmouth designs

The popular Vietnam-era 174th Dolphin nose art by WO1 Richard Machina, June 1967. Photo by Jim McDaniel. Huey gunships in the 174th were termed ‘Sharks” and carried P-40 Warhawk Flying Tiger-style sharkmouth designs

She is the last UH-1H in Homeland Security and DOJ long ago moved to more modern platforms, leaving DHS the antiques.

The FBI’s Surveillance and Aviation Section (SAS) flies 120~ aircraft but they are mostly sketchy little Cessnas screened by front companies for opsec purposes and a handful of marked planes for liaison purposes.

As noted in a press release from CBP on the event of N7247J making its final flight in El Paso:

It was a crucial platform for law enforcement operations along the Southwest Border, and over the last decade, was directly involved in the seizure of approximately 4,000 pounds of marijuana. It was also deployed to conduct vital missions during Hurricane Katrina.

During its tenure, AMO crews have operated the UH-1H to perform tactical and utility missions, including the insertion of agents into otherwise inaccessible terrain, external “load” operations, fast rope and rappel, search and rescue, air crew rifle operations, and aerial patrols.

She will be sold as surplus at auction.

A few Super Hueys remain in AMO’s flying museum, refitted with AH-1F Cobra engines, though its not clear if they are Vietnam era or not.

DSC_1897

N7247J, Bell UH-1H SN 69-15533, on her last flight over the wilds of El Paso