Air Mobility Command removing identification marks.

[gull04]

Hi folks,

If there is already a thread for this apologies, I've been unable to find it.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the recent spate of Air Mobility Command aircraft seen, where only the required national insignia are visible and the serial number and data block have been removed from the aircraft?

If these aircraft, like the US Navy start flying with tactical Hex Codes - it is likely that they will be impossible to identify.

Regards

Gull04

[DaveReidUK]

I think it will still be possible to identify which are C-17s and which are KC-135s.

[bobward]

This has been going on for a few months now. Quite a few comments on spotters web sites on anonymous KC46/KC135's transiting through Mildenhall.
Add this to the overall gray colour scheme and the jets are startig to look really bland.

[gull04]

Hi Dave

The identification of type is not an issue for most, given the investment that the USAF is making and has made in it's RTLS (Real Time Location System) and other RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). I would expect that it is only a matter of time before this becomes a significant problem for spotters.

The official line is;

AMC Announces

Air Mobility Command has directed its refuelling and cargo planes to obscure the majority of identifying information painted on the aircraft, citing national security concerns — an unusual move that is alarming to government watchdogs. (Published by Military,com 01/03/2023)

The list of units covered by the directive are as far as I'm aware - although some listed below may not have aircraft on strength.

AIR BASE WINGS
87th Air Base Wing | Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey

628th Air Base Wing | Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina

AIR MOBILITY WINGS AND GROUPS
43rd Air Mobility Group | Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina

60th Air Mobility Wing | Travis Air Force Base, California

305th Air Mobility Wing | Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey

375th Air Mobility Wing | Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

AIR MOBILITY OPERATIONS WINGS
515th Air Mobility Operations Wing | Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii

521st Air Mobility Operations Wing | Ramstein Air Base, Germany

AIRLIFT WINGS
19th Airlift Wing | Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas

62nd Airlift Wing | Joint Base Lewis-Mcchord, Washington

89th Airlift Wing | Joint Base Andrews, Maryland

317th Airlift Wing | Dyess Air Force Base, Texas

436th Airlift Wing | Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

437th Airlift Wing | Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina

AIR REFUELING WINGS
6th Air Refueling Wing | Macdill Air Force Base, Florida

22nd Air Refueling Wing | Mcconnell Air Force Base, Kansas

92nd Air Refueling Wing | Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington

NUMBERED AIR FORCE
18th Air Force | Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

The list of types operated by the above units is quite extensive, but I don’t have knowledge of them all – although I’m putting the list together. But it does include some aircraft from the following types – KC-46, KC-135, KC-10, VC-135, V-22, C-20, C-21, C-32, C-37, C-5, C-130, C-17 – probably some others. But it should be noted that at the moment, the removal of visible identification marks applies only to Air Mobility Command aircraft – that of course could change.

Already reported by spotters as being used without any visible marks are, the following types – KC-46, KC-135, V-22, C-32, C-37 and C-130.

Regards

Gull04

[gull04]

Hi Bob,

There are a number of other types already confirmed;

These are VC-32A/B, C-37, V-22 and C-130, there are probably others that I'm not aware of.

Regards

Gull04

[gull04]

Hi Dave,

Possibly should have been more specific then;

If these aircraft, like the US Navy start flying with tactical Hex Codes - it is likely that they will be impossible to identify.

Possibly should have said, If these aircraft, like the US Navy start flying with tactical Hex Codes - it is likely that it will be impossible to identify individual aircraft.

Regards

Gull04

[134brat]

Not just a problem for spotters. I am sure there are many like me who started out as spotters but eventually gave up on the numbers game but still liked to photograph aircraft with different nationality or unit markings.
l pretty much gave up on airliners when everything was Boeing or Airbus and now it looks like there will be little reason to keep taking pictures of identical grey C17, C130, KC135 etc.
'Progress' makes everything worse...

[gull04]

Originally Posted by 134brat

Not just a problem for spotters. I am sure there are many like me who started out as spotters but eventually gave up on the numbers game but still liked to photograph aircraft with different nationality or unit markings.
l pretty much gave up on airliners when everything was Boeing or Airbus and now it looks like there will be little reason to keep taking pictures of identical grey C17, C130, KC135 etc.
'Progress' makes everything worse...

I feel that, pretty much like me although I still keep a database updated with Civil and Mil, it has been many years since I stopped logging civil. Although I take the odd civil graph, mostly it is military aircraft that I photograph. And if they are all going to look the same and possibly not even identifiable there doesn't seem to be much point.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by 134brat

l pretty much gave up on airliners when everything was Boeing or Airbus and now it looks like there will be little reason to keep taking pictures of identical grey C17, C130, KC135 etc.

I've never understood why a particular serial/registration painted on a given aircraft makes it much more interesting or photogenic than an aircraft with a different number, but otherwise identical.

[ETOPS]

Rarity?

[Brewster Buffalo]

Why not go one step better and follow the Soviet Navy who would repaint the numbers on the Yak-38s on the aircraft carrier Novorossiysk every time the aircraft were below deck to give the impression that the aircraft carrier had more fighters than it could actually carry.

Not sure what the USAF are actually trying to achieve here....

[gull04]

Originally Posted by Brewster Buffalo

Why not go one step better and follow the Soviet Navy who would repaint the numbers on the Yak-38s on the aircraft carrier Novorossiysk every time the aircraft were below deck to give the impression that the aircraft carrier had more fighters than it could actually carry.

Not sure what the USAF are actually trying to achieve here....

I'm not either, other than some kind of anonymity. Air Mobility Command do operate the VC-32's and a number of other aircraft like the C-37 used by high ranking military commanders. But going back to the 1960's the USAF did - probably by accident - have aircraft with a different serial on each side of the tail.

[treadigraph]

I used to note the serials of passing USAF C-141s and C-5s as reported on me airband ("London, MAC 60153 with you, just passing Woodley at 390" - none of this Reach nonsense) and it came as a shock later to hear that sometimes the flight planned aircraft would have gone tech and the replacement operated the mission "masquerading" as its sick colleague to save resubmitting the paperwork. True? (I recall Stephan Wilkinson wrote an article about the C-5As at his local ANG Base (Stewart) which mentioned they were somewhat prone to tech issues - hopefully before loading!)

[gull04]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

I used to note the serials of passing USAF C-141s and C-5s as reported on me airband ("London, MAC 60153 with you, just passing Woodley at 390" - none of this Reach nonsense) and it came as a shock later to hear that sometimes the flight planned aircraft would have gone tech and the replacement operated the mission "masquerading" as its sick colleague to save resubmitting the paperwork. True? (I recall Stephan Wilkinson wrote an article about the C-5As at his local ANG Base (Stewart) which mentioned they were somewhat prone to tech issues - hopefully before loading!)

Yes, not unknown for these aircraft to operate under the wrong ID for convenience, some ended up with the wrong serial painted on them for the same reason in - "We have an inspection, what aircraft should be in the hangar - OK, paint that serial on the one in maintenance and we'll change it back after the inspection."

[Liffy 1M]

There was an RC-135 painted many years ago as "14850", though the highest 135 serial (and last one produced) was 64-14849. The "fake number" practice seems to have more of a Cold War one, though whether it ever fooled anyone is debatable.

[bobward]

Liffy,
There was another instance of an RC135 being parked at Mildenhall back in the 1980's with a different serial on each side of the fin.
What blew the gaff was the fact that another RC close by had it's correct serial on, and was one of those on the other jet........