OPIC22 is a multinational mission headed by the Pacific Islands Discussion board Fisheries Company (FFA) Regional Fisheries Surveillance Heart (RFSC) to supply surveillance over the FFA companions unique financial zones and help in figuring out unlawful, unreported, and unregulated fishing exercise.
“It was a implausible alternative to function out of Palau in help of OPIC22,” mentioned Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Lee, officer-in-charge of the detachment. “Fight Air Crew Eleven, and a handpicked group of maintainers, had been in a position to conduct day by day flight operations aiding the RFSC in help of the bigger FFA mission.”
Whereas supporting OPIC22, the “Mad Foxes” of VP-5 performed three Maritime Area Consciousness flights in coordination with a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 and Palau Maritime Police floor vessels.
“Thanks to the Palauan Airfield administration crew; they had been very skilled and accommodating to our flight evolutions, making certain a easy flight execution that supported our mission aims,” mentioned Chief Naval Aircrewman (Operator) Eric Newman. “We sit up for working with them once more sooner or later.”
The ‘Mad Foxes’ of VP-5 are primarily based out of Jacksonville, Florida, and are at present working from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The squadron conducts maritime patrol and reconnaissance, in addition to theater outreach operations as a part of a rotational deployment to the U.S. seventh Fleet space of operations. The superior capabilities of the P-8A Poseidon allow the ‘Mad Foxes’ to carry out anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue missions.
