U.S. Navy Census Records Air Force EC-135 Detachment Deployment

Specialized aircraft for missile tracking and space mission telemetry support stationed in region.

Date: October 1, 1978

The U.S. Navy's semi-annual aeronautical census records the deployment of a U.S. Air Force detachment consisting of six EC-135 Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA).

Details:

Location: Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.

  • Unit: Identified as "ARIA AOCC," standing for Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft / Airborne Operations Control Center.
  • Aircraft: The detachment consisted of 6 EC-135 aircraft.
  • Personnel: Assigned to the unit were 36 officers and 102 enlisted members.
  • Command: The unit is listed under "Deployed Units Supported (Non-Reserve)" and is administratively part of the U.S. Air Force

Significance: This deployment illustrates significant cross-service cooperation between the U.S. Navy and Air Force. The ARIA EC-135s were specialized assets used for tracking missile tests and space missions (such as Apollo and others), acting as a bridge between ground stations and spacecraft. Their presence indicates high-priority strategic monitoring or telemetry support operations were active in the region during this period.

Source:

Department of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Naval Aeronautical Organization, OPNAV NOTICE 5400, October 1978.

Link:

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/Naval%20Aeronautical%20Organization/1978-1985/oct1978.pdf

Internal Link:

Date:
October 1, 1978
Categories:
Cold War, Log, Matthew Smith, Military & Intel, Research
Tags:
Aircraft, Command, Personnel, Unit
Boxes:
MW Zotero
Years:
1978
Persons:
META DATA
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