Thread by @steffanwatkins

🇺🇸 On July 22, 2021 United States Southern Command gave a clinic on how to identify a flight that is worthy of additional attention.

https://twitter.com/Arr3ch0/status/1418680068847587329

🇺🇸 United States Air Force C-17A Globemaster III 95-0102 took off from Joint Base Charleston (or somewhere in that area) at ~21:30 Z using Mode-S, which is unusual; they use Mode-S when they don't want to be as noticeable, like over Iraq.
#AE07E5 #RCH233

Because they were using Mode-S, their location had to be geolocated using multilateration (MLAT) and only a few coordinates were seen from the ADSBexchange network.

📌 21:37 Z 12,450 ft (32.747794, -79.603876)

📌 22:07 Z 31,975 ft (29.548368, -78.005426)

I should mention that the same aircraft flew a very similar route the day before, and used ADS-B the whole way, using the same callsign, which suggests it was also part of the same mission, and there is no operational need to use Mode-S over Colombia for OPSEC reasons normally.

Meanwhile...

🇺🇸 United States Air Force RC-135V Rivet Joint 64-14843 took off from Lincoln Air National Guard base ~16:41 Z heading for Venezuela callsign #COOT43

globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=ae01c5&l…

#AE01C5 #USAF #55SRW #45RS

🇺🇸 United States Air Force RC-135V Rivet Joint 64-14843 arrived at the Venezuelan border before the C-17, and started doing racetracks, monitoring the border region, and hundreds of km inside Venezuela.

Allegedly, #COOT43 had a fighter escort, that's unusual.

After sunset, according to the Venezuelan government, confirmed by FlightRadar24, USAF C-17A 95-0102 entered Venezuelan airspace, flew over Venezuela's Sierra de Perijá National Park, a mountainous area which protrudes into Colombia, at ~35,000 ft. #AE07E5 #RCH233

h/t @Arr3ch0

But but but... they were using Mode-S, therefore multilateration was being used to "triangulate" their positions, and we know MLAT location data is inherently inaccurate, the "dots" on the map are only estimates of their location.

However, it would be unusual for the track to be so steady, and not jump around.
In addition to the simultaneous RC-135 flight, alleged fighter escort, after sunset, using Mode-S (not ADS-B), this seems exceedingly unusual, months after the #HORN41 recon.

https://twitter.com/steffanwatkins/status/1388490365565538310?s=20

Hey Siri, at what altitude do the United States Special Forces perform HALO insertions?

30,000-40,000 ft.

(per airandspace.si.edu/stories/editor…)

"The RA-1 will allow personnel to exit at altitudes between 3,500 feet to 35,000 feet Mean Sea Level with a total jumper exit weight of 450 pounds."

asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-…

Hey Siri, how many paratroopers can fit in a C-17?

"The C-17 is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers with their accompanying equipment."
af.mil/About-Us/Fact-…

Hey Siri, what's going on with those American Silvercorp USA mercenaries the Venezuelans captured when they tried to overthrow the Venezuelan government in the worst botched overthrow ever?

"Ex-US diplomat Richardson to urge Maduro to free Americans" July 13th, 2020 -Associated Press
apnews.com/article/caribb…

"Ex-NM gov. says Americans not released from Venezuela" July 17th, 2020 -Associated Press
apnews.com/article/a7f351…

"Former U.S. Marine arrested in Venezuela stages protest over dire prison conditions"
July 14, 2021 -Miami Herald
miamiherald.com/news/nation-wo…

Will the United States allow two American citizens to rot in a Venezuelan prison for 20 years? 🤔🤷‍♂️

Did you know there are six #USAF F-16s deployed to Colombia right now, for a month-long exercise?
There's still no hard evidence of the F-16 escort on July 22, but there wouldn't be, they don't use ADS-B or Mode-S; they may have used Mode-3A or Mode-3C. 🤷‍♂️
southcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ART…

Why yes I had missed that, nice catch @ryankakiuchan

https://twitter.com/ryankakiuchan/status/1418764507254378501?s=20

Dynamic Force Employment? What's that?

"Unsaid in the dynamic force employment concept is that it enables a rapid transition to combat operations should a crisis develop into armed conflict, as (DoD) can (quickly) posture ready forces in crisis areas"

realcleardefense.com/articles/2018/…

*VZ did not allege the F-16s were escorting the RC-135 or C-17, and only refer to their presence; which could be a reference to the 6 USAF F-16s in Colombia for exercises this month, not refer to F-16s in the air at all. It's unclear to me, but I'm not fluent in Spanish.

"...there is also a presence of American F-16 and RC135 fighter jets for strategic exploration."

Being that both were mentioned, I thought it suggested both were in the air, together, on July 22, but it doesn't technically say that. Apologies.