C-32 Forced To Delay Landing After F-16s Scrambled To Intercept Drone Near Capital
A C-32A VIP transport jet on a special air mission (SAM) had to delay landing at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday because two U.S. Air National Guard F-16C Vipers and a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter were scrambled to intercept a 'potential drone' flying near the capital region, according to Air Traffic Control (ATC) audio posted online the internet. The object was observed over Freeway Airport located about 10 miles north of Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, according to that audio. The incident began around 8:30 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
The C-32A was using callsign SAM47, which makes it clear neither POTUS nor VPOTUS were on board, although it was likely operating in support of the President's movements to the West Coast.
'You can expect some delay, I have a scramble in progress,' an ATC operator told the pilots of SAM47, according to the audio posted by a user named TEEJ on the metabunk.com website. Our friend @Thenewarea51 on X also posted a snippet of the conversation, along with flight tracking data that showed C-32A's flight path.
One of the POTUS backup aircraft SAM47 (C-32A) just happened to try and land at Andrews AFB in DC while returning from California when a potential drone was observed. BLACKJACK 01 (US Coast Guard HH-65 helicopter) was scrambled from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, DC… pic.twitter.com/dcld3JruBG
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) January 27, 2025
'Just be advised that we have an active scramble about 10 miles north of Andrews and just waiting on the jet to depart there … active intercept so that is the reason for the delay vector,' the ATC operator explained.
The ATC operator told the Coast Guard helicopter, callsign BLACKJACK01 and one of the F-16s, callsign BRAVE01, that the target of interest (TOI) was 'a potential drone [flying at an altitude of] between 5,000 and 6,000' feet. A second Viper, callsign BRAVE02, was also launched to track down the potential drone.
'BLACKJACK01, the TOI is now off about one to two o'clock, four miles south,' the ATC operator told the helicopter, guiding it toward the target. 'It looks like it is in the vicinity of Freeway Aiport,' a privately owned airport in Mitchellville, Maryland.
Several minutes later, ATC asked if BLACKJACK01 had intercepted the TOI.
'Negative for BLACKJACK01, negative.' the helicopter responded before being given further guidance from ATC.
'BRAVE01, turn right heading 320 last known radar ping was northwest of your position at six miles,' ATC told the Viper's pilot.
'BLACKJACK01, navigation is approved and just be advised I'm not showing a target anymore,' ATC told the helicopter a few minutes later. 'No more TOI.'
Eventually, the F-16s returned to their station at Andrews AFB and the MH-65 returned to its base at Reagan International Airport without intercepting the target and the C-32A landed without further incident as well.
A spokesperson for the 89th Airlift Wing at JBA, which is responsible for the presidential airlift unit and its mission, told The War Zone that there was no drone over the base and declined comment about the aircraft that were scrambled.
We've also reached out to the Air Force, the 316th Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, the 113th Wing, the White House, the FAA, the Coast Guard, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), and Freeway Airport for more information about what happened and what response measures were taken. In addition, we contacted the FBI, which is already investigating a wave of drone sightings on the East Coast, to see if they are looking into this incident. The FAA deferred our questions to the Defense Department. The 316th Wing at Andrews Air Force Base deferred our questions to the 89th Airlift Wing. We will update this story with any pertinent information provided.
It is unclear what would have happened if either the Vipers or the helicopter actually did intercept the potential drone. However, the incident underscores the challenges of protecting airspace near the capital from these objects and the limitations on counter-drone authorities and capabilities. An often confusing maelstrom of legal and regulatory hurdles that limit how and when active counter-drone defenses of any kind can be employed within the homeland, which you can read more about in our deep dive here.
The airspace over the capital region is the nation's most heavily protected. It is extremely well monitored with counter-drone and specialized optical systems, as well as enhanced radar, and FIM-92 Stinger missiles National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS stand ready to shoot if need be, in addition to airborne intercept assets.
Regardless, smaller, slower drones are very hard to spot even during the day, let alone at night, due to their size and signature, making them extremely hard to intercept. It can also be dangerous because they are so hard to see and fly at much lower speeds than the aircraft intercepting them, especially the Vipers, so midair collisions are a real risk. The MH-65 is on call specifically to intercept low-and-slow moving targets like small light aircraft and the suspected drone, in this case.
It's also important to note that even with such an advanced and multi-layered integrated air defense system that cocoons the capital region, false alarms in regard to drones or intruding aircraft do occur. You can read all about one very prominent incident in which this happened and why in this TWZ exclusive.
This latest incident took place after a mass wave of drone sightings, mostly over New Jersey and New York. That included sightings over power facilities, Picatinny Arsenal and Trump's golf course in Bedminster that spurred the FAA to issue scores of Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs). over its facility while the other TFRs expired earlier this month without renewal except the one over Bedminster. The president, who had already promised to provide details about these incursions, last week ordered his chief of staff to share findings about those sightings with the public.
The potential drone sighting near Andrews Air Force Base also comes after drone incursions in December 2023 over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, about 130 miles to the south. That event appears to have sparked a major wakeup call within the DoD as to the threat posed by these craft to critical military infrastructure.
Many other military installations in the Continental United States, like Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, have also been subjected to drones of unknown origin intruding over their airspace, as had the Air Force's Plant 42 advanced aerospace development hub in California this past fall. There were also drone incursions over U.S. bases in the United Kingdom in November. The last of those took place on Nov. 26, a spokesperson for the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath told us. The War Zone was the first to report all those incidents.
It is unknown at the moment if the incident that took place over the weekend has any connection to any of these prior sightings. However, it is likely to renew concerns about these objects, who is operating them, and whether they pose any real threats.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
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