AIR BRIDGE DENIAL: JULY 2009 PROGRAM UPDATE

UNCLAS BOGOTA 002604 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR INL/LP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL MOPS MASS PGOV CO SUBJECT: AIR BRIDGE DENIAL: JULY 2009 PROGRAM UPDATE REF: 2003 STATE 265910 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. This is the monthly Air Bridge Denial (ABD) activity report for July, 2009, as required by Reftel. The Government of Colombia (GOC) sorted 2,758 tracks during July. There were two Unknown, Assumed Suspect (UAS) for the month. END SUMMARY. -------------- Tracks -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In July, 2009, there were 2,758 air tracks over Colombia with two declared Unknown, Assumed Suspect (UAS). One UAS did not enter Colombian Airspace but flew from Venezuela to the Dominican Republic and returned to Venezuela. Host Nation did not respond because the UAS did not enter Colombian airspace or the ABD maritime patrol areas. Host Nation responded to the other UAS that was on the Caribbean maritime patrol areas but it departed the areas before the SR-560 could intercept it. -------------- Maritime missions -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The ABD SR-26 aircraft coordinated with Colombian Coast Guard the impoundment of one vessel on July 5 with 6 crew members arrested and the impoundment of 60 55-gallon drums full of fuel. On July 29, the ABD SR-26 aircraft coordinated with the Colombian Coast Guard and Navy from San Andres Island the impoundment of two vessels. In the first one two individuals were arrested with six 55-gallon drums full of fuel. Later the same day another vessel was located with a crew of three and suspect cargo. The crew proceeded to dump the cargo and debarked on the beach, escaping in motorcycles. The Colombian Navy impounded the vessel. -------------- Flight Operations -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In July, 2009, the Citations flew 203 hours in 82 sorties with a 93% OR rate. Of the 83 sorties, 49 were for GOC ABD intelligence gathering and patrolling; 22 for training; eight were for maritime patrolling, two were in reaction to GOC-provided information, and two for operational support. The SR-26 aircraft 5741 flew 71 hours in 33 sorties. Twenty nine SR-26 sorties were in support of ABD, of which 14 were maritime missions. Four SR-26 sorties were for non-ABD purposes. -------------- Nationalization -------------- ¶5. As of 31 July 2009, most individuals in the maintenance training program have completed the training program, which had a target completion date of September 30. Most of those remaining training items are waiting for an aircraft to undergo the depot-level maintenance phase in early August to complete training. We expect to have all individuals in maintenance training complete by early September. Logistics and maintenance for the SR-26 was turned over to the GOC effective January 1, 2009. The next nationalization phase will be the turning over of logistics and maintenance to the GOC for the SR-560 January 1, 2010. BROWNFIELD