The leaders of U.S. Navy units participating in NATO's Operation Allied Force—the air campaign against Yugoslavia—have praised the performance of the Navy's P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) that launched AGM-84E SLAMs (Standoff Land-Attack Missiles) against targets far inland. The Kosovo action marked the first known use of the P-3 against land targets and served as a "baptism of fire" for the AIP (Antisurface Improvement Program) version of the P-3C; it also represents a major success story for the reorientation of the Navy's patrol aviation community toward littoral warfare.

Patrol Squadron Ten (VP-10), led by Cdr. Richard Goodwyn and based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Brunswick, Maine, was deployed to NAS Sigonella, Sicily, and was operating under Commander Task Force 67 when Operations Allied Force and Noble Anvil began. The squadron's fleet of Orions included three P-3C AIP aircraft, equipped with long-range optical sensors, that were heavily employed in surveillance operations. In the later stages of the campaign VP-10 was augmented by one crew from VP-5, two VP-4 P-3C AIP aircraft, and one crew from VP-4 (then deployed to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, and later replaced in Sigonella by a VP-I crew).

During missions that lasted from six to 11 hours, crews from VP-10 and VP-5 launched a total of 14 SLAMs against both mobile and fixed air-defense targets and against Serbian infrastructure targets, including aircraft hangars and communications facilities. The missiles, usually fired by the crew's tactical coordinator (TACCO), were reprogrammed in-flight by the crew on 22 different occasions by use of the Real-Time Mission Planning System (RTMPS). The ability to respond on very short notice to targeting changes made the P-3s very popular weapons delivery platforms.

"The [SLAM] and the P-3 are a match made in heaven," said a strike planner at the combined Air Operations Center in Vicenza, Italy. "When a mobile SAM [surface-to-air-missile] vehicle was spotted, the first thing I checked was the location of the nearest P-3 with SLAMs aboard. The AlP's all-weather, standoff, man-in-the-loop flex targeting capability has provided MPA a unique capability in strike warfare."

"SLAM-equipped AIP P-3s were the most responsive weapons platform of the entire conflict," said Vice Adm. Daniel J. Murphy Jr., commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet.

Validating the Investment

Operation Noble Anvil also marked the first extended period in which P-3s provided the exclusive antisurface protection for a carrier battle group during a combat operation. Beginning 22 March and continuing through the next 94 days, P-3s provided 99.2 percent of the SUCAP (surface combat air patrol) coverage for the NATO ships, including those in the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group, deployed in the Adriatic.

The P-3C AIP aircraft employed day/night imaging systems to monitor shipping from standoff positions—outside the envelope of Serbian SAM sites — and to report contacts to the surface combatant serving as the air controlling unit for the battle group. The Orions tracked more than 3,500 surface contacts, including 42 "contacts of interest," Navy officials said.

The continuous coverage provided by the P-3s—which were armed with torpedoes, Mk20 Rockeye cluster bombs, and SLAM andAGM-65 Maverick missiles—allowed the Theodore Roosevelt's air wing to devote all of its F-14 and F/A-18 strike aircraft and S-3B sea control and tanker aircraft to combat missions over Yugoslavia.

Murphy credited the round-the-clock performance of the AIP P-3s with detecting 98 percent of enemy targets entering and exiting the Yugoslavian ports ofTivat and Bar, effectively neutralizing the Yugoslav Navy as a threat to NATO operations. The P-3s also monitored ships suspected of carrying contraband to Yugoslavia.

"Having P-3s there—providing us with protection from hostile ships and submarines around the clock—permitted us to use our carrier aircraft in strike and patrol missions elsewhere," said Rear Adm. Winston W. Copeland, commander of the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group, "and really allowed us to maximize the options afforded by a carrier air wing."

"I cannot overstate AlP's operational impact," said Rear Adm. Stephen Tomazeski, commander of Task Force 67. "The mixture of mission-oriented weapons loadouts and all-weather surveillance and strike capabilities gave the battle group a degree of flexibility never before attained."

Murphy said that Operations Noble Anvil and Allied Force "validated the investment in the AIP and the change of direction in which to tactically employ MPA."

Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems has produced more than 18 AIP kits for the Navy's Orions; a total of 42 kits has been funded so far. The AIP version entered service in 1998. The SLAM is produced by Boeing.

Special thanks to Cdr. Richard Goodwyn, commanding officer of VP10, and..to Lt. JA. Surrette, public affairs officer of Naval Air Station Sigonella. [05OCT99]

Circa 1998

A BIT OF HISTORY: LT Glick Summary Page"...To this day, the plane does bear of the name of LT IRVING R. GLICK (the name has changed a little over the years). He is also alive and well within VP-10 and his photo is displayed proudly on the VP-10 officer roster board. Though it has been doctored to blend in with current squadron photos, it was produced from a copy of the original VP-21 picture which was a composite of their wardroom many years ago. Thus the good looks..." J. A. Stuart crabstu@erols.com

"...Ran across this site and was pleased to see the Lt. Irving Glick (SEE: LT Irving R. GLICK) saga recounted. Bill Locke had it right!...RADM Tom (the original Irving) Betterton, USN (Ret.) betterton@ncst.nrl.navy.mil..." [14MAY2002]

LT Irving H. Glick "...I just wanted to update you on the status of Irving Glick. For one thing, his name has made its way back onto the P2 near the base's main gate, and has been there steadily for as long as I have been here (over a year and a half). Also, as far as LT Glick serving with VP-10, it seems that he finally retired after so many years, but rest assure the tradition will live on, in that his son, LTJG Irving H. Glick, Jr. (notice it is H) has been assigned to the squadron..." Contributed by KORWAN, PH3 Kurtis KMKProd@aol.com[02SEP2001]

"...I was responsible for acquiring the NASB static display P-2 and placing it near the main gate. Two weeks before the dedication ceremony, Capt. John Orrall, former CO of VP-21 and, at the time, Chief Staff Officer of Wing 3, caused Irving Glick's name to be painted on the plane. When I informed him that Irv's middle initial was "H" for Hallmark (when you want to send the very best), and not "R" as had been painted on the plane, he stated that it was just like Irv - he couldn't even get his name right...." Contributed by William (Bill) J. Locke blocke@clinic.net [27JAN98]

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Circa 1995

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Change-Of-Command - November - December 1995.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1995/nd95.pdf [12NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Awards, Change-Of-Command, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - September - October 1995.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1995/so95.pdf [12NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Deployments, Change-Of-Command, Awards, Records, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - July - August 1995.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1995/ja95.pdf [12NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Records and Awards - Naval Aviation News - March - April 1995.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1995/ma95.pdf [12NOV2004]

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Circa 1994

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Awards, Major Deployments, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - July - August 1994.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1994/ja94.pdf [12NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Awards, Records, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - May - June 1994.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1994/mj94.pdf [12NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Change-Of-Command, Disestablishment, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - January - February 1994.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1994/jf94.pdf [12NOV2004]

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Circa 1993

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP Deployments, Change-Of-Command, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - July - August 1993.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1993/ja93.pdf [12NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Change-Of-Command - Naval Aviation News - January - February 1993.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1993/jf93.pdf [12NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "07JUL93--NNS525. Navy Patrol Squadron Plays Key Role in War Against Drugs ROOSEVELT ROADS, Puerto Rico (NNS) -- To the Navy aircrews that fly daily 10-hour patrols from Puerto Rico and other locations throughout the Caribbean Sea, the name of the game is "D&M" -- detection and monitoring. Day and night, seven days a week, Navy P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft crisscross huge sections of open ocean in search of boats, ships and aircraft suspected of smuggling illegal narcotics. "Think of the area between South America and the United States as a superhighway," explained CDR Duane Phillips, commanding officer of Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10). "If military and federal law enforcement assets weren't here on the job, that highway would be bumper to bumper with boats and aircraft, all heading north and all loaded with drugs bound for the United States." VP-10 is currently on a six-month deployment to Puerto Rico from its homebase at Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine. Since the squadron's arrival in Puerto Rico in mid-January, VP-10 has helped locate several dozen suspected drug runners. As a result of the squadron's D&M operations, the Coast Guard and other federal law enforcement agencies have made a significant number of busts. More than 100 tons of illegal drugs worth an estimated $6 billion have been seized and destroyed over the past year as a direct result of DoD's anti-drug trafficking operations in the Caribbean Sea. VP-10's presence in Puerto Rico represents the first time an entire Navy patrol squadron has made a full six-month deployment in support of anti-drug smuggling operations. For nearly four decades Navy patrol squadrons regularly deployed to overseas bases in countries such as Iceland, Spain, Italy and Japan, where their primary mission was to conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations using an array of electronic, magnetic and acoustic sensors to locate and track submarines. Today, some of the same technology is being used in the Caribbean to detect and monitor a wide range of surface shipping and aircraft suspected of drug smuggling. "We're flying longer and harder today than when we used to strictly fly ASW operations," said CDR Phillips. VP-10's eleven aircrews, for instance, have a commitment to fly daily operations conducting D&M operations throughout the Caribbean. This steady commitment means that aircrews, support and maintenance personnel are experiencing an operating tempo normally seen only during wartime. VP-10 sailors say they're proud to be a part of this effort. "I'm happy to be playing a role in the fight against drugs," said Chief Petty Officer John Lipofsky. "Around-the-clock surveillance is making the drug trade less profitable and more risky. That's what our mission here in the Caribbean is all about." For the Navy's P-3 community, the D&M mission represents a return to a larger emphasis on one of its traditional missions -- maritime patrol. The modern P-3 is a direct descendent of the PBY-Catalinas, the renowned flying boats that were used in World War II to locate and track enemy ships and submarines. Like P-3's flying D&M in the Caribbean, the PBY's relied heavily on visual sightings by lookouts to find their prey. "P-3's have always been a multi-mission platform," said CDR Phillips. "Even when we were primarily doing ASW, we did a lot of surface surveillance. We're just spending more time doing it today with the D&M mission." D&M, however, is far from being the only mission performed by VP-10 in the Caribbean. The squadron's P-3's often work with U.S. and other NATO ships to maintain and hone their ASW proficiency. P-3's also provide "over the horizon" targeting for shipboard cruise missile firing exercises. But the D&M mission is dominating VP-10's current deployment. "It's a big change from just a few years ago," said VP-10's CDR Koon, who headed up one of the first P-3 detachments assigned to the D&M mission in Puerto Rico back in 1989. "When we first came here four years ago, we operated out of the back end of a van with only two airplanes, two crews and maybe 40 people." VP-10 now occupies half of the hangar at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads. The squadron's 200-plus maintenance department works three shifts around the clock to ensure the P-3's are ready when they're needed. Puerto Rico has become the busy hub of extensive P-3 D&M operations throughout the Caribbean. And until sometime in mid-summer, the island will be home to Patrol Squadron 10, a Navy command that is at the forefront of the nation's war on drugs. Story by NAS Brunswick, Maine Public Affairs " http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/news/navnews/nns93/nns93047.txt

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Circa 1992

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Squadron Deployments, Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Disestablishment, etc. - Naval Aviation News - July-August 1992.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1992/ja92.pdf [11NOV2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Change-Of-Command, Safe Flying, Etc. - Naval Aviation News - January-February 1992.." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1992/jf92.pdf [11NOV2004]

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Circa 1991

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP-10 Crew 12 - Circa 1991..." Contributed by LT Tony "Munyo" Monteforte (1990 to 1994) monteaj3@gmail.com [23DEC2008]

Photographs Left to Right: Crew 12 Patch, (top) Crew 12 (bottom) Flag - 2P and TACCO and Detachment C

A BIT OF HISTORY: ID: DNST9205569 "...Aviation ordnancemen of Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) lift a Mark 82 500-pound bomb into position under the wing of a P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft. Location: NAVAL AIR STATION, BRUNSWICK, MAINE (ME) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) - Camera Operator: PH1 UHDE Date Shot: 3 Dec 1991..." WebSite: Defense Visual Information Center http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/ [04FEB2006]

A BIT OF HISTORY: ID: DNST9205570 "...Aviation ordnancemen of Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) position a munitions trailer beneath the wing of a P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft to load Mark 82 500-pound bombs. Location: NAVAL AIR STATION, BRUNSWICK, MAINE (ME) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) - Camera Operator: PH1 UHDE Date Shot: 3 Dec 1991..." WebSite: Defense Visual Information Center http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/ [04FEB2006]

A BIT OF HISTORY: ID: DNST9205571 "...Aviation ordnancemen of Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) load a Mark 82 500-pound bomb beneath the wing of a P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft. Location: NAVAL AIR STATION, BRUNSWICK, MAINE (ME) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) - Camera Operator: PH1 UHDE Date Shot: 3 Dec 1991..." WebSite: Defense Visual Information Center http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/ [04FEB2006]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Desert Shield/Storm - Naval Aviation News - September-October 1991..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1991/so91.pdf [24OCT2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...History - Naval Aviation News - January-February 1991..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1991/jf91.pdf [24OCT2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...1990 Patrol Squadron Major Deployments - Page 19 - Naval Aviation News - July-August 1991..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1991/ja91.pdf [23OCT2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-10 Patch "...Desert Storm..." Contributed by Steve Quesinberry squiz@mail.newnanutilities.org [16MAY99]

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Circa 1990

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...History - Change-Of-Command - Page 8, 9 and 32 - Naval Aviation News - November-December 1990..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1990/nd90.pdf [22OCT2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...History - Change-Of-Command - Page 4, 6 and 34 - Naval Aviation News - July-August 1990..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1990/ja90.pdf [22OCT2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Records Safe Flying Time - VP-10: 113,000 hours and 17 years...." Naval Aviation News July-August 1990 Page 32 [10JUL2001]

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-10 Soviet Sub "...taken by a Patrol Squadron Ten crew about half way between Argentia and Lajes. I do not remember what crew got the picture because too many other things were going on! On Friday prior to President Kennedy's speech initiating the Cuban Missile Crisis (Read CUBEX) we (squadron officers) had gone to the club...The squadron did not have the ready duty. I had proceeded on home from Happy Hour and was at the dinner table when the phone rang. It was the squadron duty officer announcing an Emergency Recall. When I got to the hangar, the first person I saw was the Commodore (Captain Tom Davies PPC of the Truculent Turtle) in his black sedan driving around the ramp with a big grin on his face. The next thing I saw were squadron people running around the ramp like they were crazy loading stuff on the aircraft as fast as they could. Yeomen and personnelmen were helping the crew members load bomb bay tanks which gave me a clue that something major was happening. I was on the XO's (Cdr. Jens Hansen) crew. When I saw him, he said the squadron had been notified to get six crews airborne ASAP and headed north to a destination that would be provided by the wing en route. Two hours from the time the initial call came into the duty office, six crews were airborne and subsequently ended up in Argentia, NF. The crews were informed that a soviet oiler was steaming between three undersea mounts about half way between New Foundland and the Azores and would possibly be used to provide refueling services for soviet submarines headed south. The picture shows the results of the efforts. As I recall 19 soviet submarines were subsequently located and tracked during CUBEX. One of the best ASW exercises we ever had!!..." Contributed by George R. Allender, Captain USN Ret. gallende@arinc.com

"...I was the TACCO on LD-4 which Cdr Hansen took to the Azores to look for that Soviet oiler. Lcdr Cub Snively was the other PPC on the flight. Wewere the ones who actually found the oiler, and Crew 2, relieving us on station, caught and photographed the oiler refueling a soviet sub. Lotsa fun!...I never heard it called CUBEX - and old LD-4. The plane's BUNO was 128392. It was a mess compared to LD-1, BUNO 131501, which was the skipper's "normal airplane", and we had some wild times navigationally on that trip. But, believe it or not, that is the plane which sits inside the gate at NAS Brunswick, Maine with VP-21 tail feathers on it (at least the last time I was there - 1990). I think the a/c was transferred to VP-21 for admin and final disposition purposes only. As I recall VP-21 had P2V 7's before its decomissioning..." Contributed by Capt Don W. Medara, USN(Ret) Dmedara@aol.com [24JAN99]

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"VP-10 History Summary Page"

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