P-3 Units to Relocate from NAS Brunswick to NAS Jacksonville

I noted the following USN P-3 unit relocations in an email from the NAMAR e-mail group last week. It looks like there will be increased P-3 activity off of the GA/FL coast beginning in mid 2009.

• VP-10 will relocate from NAS Brunswick to NAS Jacksonville on 1 June 2009. However, it will belong to Commander Patrol Reconnaissance Wing 5(CPRW-5) until 1 Dec 2009, at which time it will belong to CPRW-11.
• VP-8 will relocate from NAS Brunswick to NAS Jacksonville on 1 June 2009 and switch from CPRW-5 to CPRW-11.
• VPU-1 will relocate from NAS Brunswick to NAS Jacksonville on 1 July 2009 and switch from CPRW-5 to CPRW-11.

There was also a movement listed away from NAS Jacksonville. One of the USN H-60 units will be moving and changing aircraft type:

• HS-3 will be redesignated HSC-9 on 1 June 2009 and switch from theSH-60F/HH-60H to the MH-60S helicopter. The squadron will relocate fromNAS Jacksonville to NS Norfolk.

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

US DOD Southeastern Region TRS

Yesterday (14 July 2008) I was traveled down I-95 to the Jacksonville area for a short trip into downtown Jacksonivlle. I used the opportunity to do some very brief monitoring of the US Department of Defense Southeastern Region TRS. Due to the nature of the trip, I wasn't able to listen closely and take notes, but I did put the BC-396 into search and store mode. The 396 picked up on the 386.050 Control Channel for NSB Kings Bay and the 385.5625 Control Channel for NAS Jacksonville.

This afternoon I was able to fully review the contents of the BC-396's talkgroup search and store bank:

19457
28050
28051
28053
28056
28057
28058
28061
28064
28081
62036

The 28### series talkgroups all seemed to be from NAS Kings Bay. From what little time I was able to listen, it seemed there was a lot of encrypted traffic. Some talkgroups seemed to be a mix of encrypted and unencrypted stations, i.e. the base station would be in the clear and the mobile would be encrypted. Likewise, during that short listening time, I did not hear any voice traffic (encrypted or clear) on the NAS Jacksonville Control Channel.

As far as 19457 and 62036 go, I did not note which Control Channel they were found on.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

New Hangar For More Aircraft at NAS Jacksonville

From the Jacksonville Times-Union:

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/041207/met_9191226.shtml

NAS Jacksonville is building a 277,000 square foot hangar to house more P-3s and C-130s that they base will gaining as a result of BRAC.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

VS-24 Disestablished

From the 22 March, 2007 edition of Jax Air News:

http://www.jaxairnews.com/stories/032207/mil_vs24.shtml

VS-24, the SCOUTs, will officially deactivate on March 31, 2007. The formal ceremony, however, occurs today at NAS Jacksonville. I will sorely miss hearing the SCOUTs. It wasn't unusual to hear them transiting near the Savannah area or working down at Townsend Range. I also was occasionally able to hear them working up with carrier strike groups.

Unfortunately this will not be last S-3B unit to disestablish; the Navy is gradually phasing the venerable S-3 out. One can only wonder if they will be able to replace it with a platform as steady, durable, versatile, and dependable as the S-3B has been.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT

kf4lmt@comcast.net