Description:
The Fairchild RC-26B Condor is a manned tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft based the Fairchild Metro 23 aircraft that served exclusively the Air National Guard. Originally, the aircraft entered services in 1990 as Operational Support Aircraft. In 1995, the C-26B was modified with a “roll-on/roll-off” Counterdrug surveillance capability equipped with Full Motion Video and still motion photography.
In 1996, the USAF divested of the C-26B OSA program, however the National Guard Bureau decided to keep 11 C-26B aircraft exclusively for CD mission in Title 32 with NGB/CD Office as the functional manager. These aircraft were modified with digital cameras capable of Electro-optical and Infrared (IR), Full Motion Video (FMV) and communications equipment.
From 1995 to 2006, C-26 CD capabilities enabled the crews to support a variety of operations to deliver real-time video streaming to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, first responders following hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters, and support overseas ISR requirements. Eleven C-26B aircraft were modified for the counterdrug mission and operated out of 11 states with the 123rd IS (AR) supporting imagery requirements for all 11. The aircraft were attached to individual Air National Guard (ANG) units in 11 states. States included AL, AZ, CA, FL, MS, NM, NY, TX, WA, WI, and WV. FL opted out of the mission much later with the NY airplane moving to IA, thereby leaving 10 units. The aircraft was officially redesignated RC-26B in 2005, as it had a OCONUS ISR mission.
From Aug 2003 to July 2013, six RC-26 aircraft were modified, and crews deployed to Columbia for SOUTHCOM CD operations and US Special Operations Command in Iraq and Afghanistan. From 2007 to 2013, RC-26 crews provided 2,226 days of continuous 24/7 combat presence. Over 10,000 combat sorties and 45,000 combat hours were flown with four RC-26B aircraft that never rotated out of the AOR. 78 ANG wings sourced personnel to support and deploy for the mission overseas. The US SOCOM operation resulted in over 1,000 Air Medals, 15 Bronze Stars, and 15 Combat Action Medals being awarded to these airmen. This panting is the last mission flown out of Afghanistan in 2013.
Beginning in September 2005, RC-26 aircraft and crews entered a wider realm of supporting domestic operations. First it was the Hurricane Katrina response effort. Other instances included the Wisconsin floods in June 2008, California wildfires in July 2008, the Republican National Convention in August 2008, and Hurricane Gustav and Ike in September. In 2010, RC-26 aircraft and crews supported Operation Unified Response – the massive earthquake relief response in Haiti (Jan – Mar 2010) and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill from 17 May to 24 August 2010.
ANG RC-26 crews have accumulated a massive amount of experience in looking for and tracking criminals and terrorists who don’t want to be found. In time, RC-26 aircraft and crews were sought after by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), US Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The aircraft and crews can also fly Incident Awareness and Assessment (IAA) missions in support of Civil Authorities by providing real-time video streaming to responders following hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters.
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