AIR BRIDGE DENIAL: OCTOBER 2009 PROGRAM UPDATE

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003806 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL MOPS MASS PGOV CO SUBJECT: AIR BRIDGE DENIAL: OCTOBER 2009 PROGRAM UPDATE REF: 03 STATE 265910 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. This is the monthly Air Bridge Denial (ABD) activity report for October, 2009, as required by Reftel. The Government of Colombia (GOC) sorted 1,711 tracks during October. There were five Unknown, Assumed Suspect (UAS) for the month. END SUMMARY. -------------- Tracks -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In October, 2009, there were 1,711 air tracks over Colombia with five declared Unknown, Assumed Suspect (UAS). Host nation did not locate two of the UAS. ¶3. (SBU) On October 17, 2009, a track was detected by the Relocatable-Over-The-Horizon-Radar (ROTHR) departing Central America towards Venezuela, declared a UAS, and intercepted by an SR-560 over the Caribbean Sea. It was identified as a White PA-31 tail number YV-3271. The aircraft departed the ABD maritime areas and entered Venezuela, where no further information was obtained. That afternoon the ROTHR detected a track outbound from Venezuela that was later declared a UAS. An SR-560 intercepted it and identified it as the same PA-31 YV-3271, this time enroute to Central America. The SR-560 followed it until it departed the ABD maritime areas, where it was picked up by a U.S. P-3 that followed it to landing in Guatemala. Local Law Enforcement authorities responded and after an exchange of fire arrested one person, impounded the aircraft, one rifle, two vehicles, and 625 kilos of cocaine. ¶4. (SBU) On October 17, 2009, ROTHR detected a track outbound from Venezuela headed to Central America. Once no information was found about the flight, an SR-560 intercepted it and described it as a low wing two-engine Cessna 310 but no tail number was seen. The SR-560 handed off the aircraft to two U.S. P-3 aircraft that followed the UAS to landing at night in Honduras. On landing, the UAS sustained damage. Local authorities arrived at the site and found blood in the aircraft. They impounded 30 kilos of cocaine and a portable lighting system. -------------- Illegal Runway Destruction -------------- ¶5. (SBU) On October 30, 2009, the Colombian Air Force, in cooperation with the Colombian National Police and the Colombian Prosecutor's office, proceeded to destroy three illegal runways near the town of Puerto Lopez, in the Meta department. -------------- Flight Operations -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In October, 2009, the Citations flew 176 hours in 82 sorties with a 94% OR rate. Of the 82 sorties, 45 were for GOC ABD intelligence gathering and patrolling; eight for training; seven were for maritime patrolling, nine were in reaction to GOC-provided information, nine for operational support, and four for Non ABD missions. The SR-26 aircraft 5741 flew 53 hours in 19 sorties. All 19 SR-26 sorties were in support of ABD. -------------- Nationalization -------------- ¶7. Nationalization efforts have been accomplished in accordance with timeline. All maintenance training has been completed. Inventories of facilities, parts, and equipment will be completed in November. BROWNFIELD