Coast Guard, Troopers rescue man from swamped canoe near Nome, Alaska

Photo by U.S. Coast Guard District 17

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrews assisted the Alaska State Troopers with the rescue of a 22-year-old man reported missing from a swamped canoe Saturday afternoon approximately 100 miles south of Nome.

An Alaska State Troopers ground search team vectored the location of the kayaker to an Air Station Kodiak Jayhawk helicopter crew. The aircrew brought the man to Stebbins Clinic for further medical care, where he reported minor scrapes and bruises.

Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District command center received a request for agency assistance from the Alaska State Troopers to locate a kayaker unable to make it to shore in vicinity of Stebbins on South Norton Sound. The 17th District directed the launch of a HC-130 and MH-60 Jayhawk aircrews from Air Station Kodiak to commence a search for the kayaker after 3 a.m. Saturday. An Alaska State Troopers 206 Cessna aircrew discovered a swamped green canoe near Kuiak Slough, but the kayaker was not seen. A C-130 aircrew from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center also assisted in the initial search to locate the man.

"Close coordination with our aircrews and partner agencies resulted in a safe and successful rescue of the man," said Petty Officer 1st Class Suzanne Bitinas, watchstander for the 17th District command center. "The man's decision to wear a personal flotation device increased his chances of survival and aided in the recovery efforts."

Weather on scene was reported as clear and calm.

-USCG-

Leonardo introduces BriteCloud 55-T, the first expendable decoy for the protection of military transport aircraft

•  BriteCloud  55-T  will  use  sophisticated  miniaturised  jamming  technology  to  protect  military transport  aircraft  from  advanced  radar-guided  missiles.  It  will  join  the  proven  55  and  218 format  BriteCloud  rounds  already  on  offer  for  fighter  jet  operators   

•  Made in Luton,  UK,  Leonardo’s  BriteCloud  family  is  the  only  such  technology  in  the  world which  has  been  demonstrated  to  be  effective  in  live  trials.  BriteCloud  55  has  subsequently been  given  the  green  light  for  combat  missions  by  the  UK  Royal  Air  Force 

•  The development  of  BriteCloud  55-T  is  in  line  with  Leonardo’s  industrial  plan,  which  targets investment  towards  core  technologies  to  support  future  growth 

Lausanne,  5  June  2018  –  At  the  Electronic  Warfare  Europe  2018  conference  (5-7  June  in  Lausanne, Switzerland),  Leonardo  has  unveiled  the  latest  variant  in  its  market-leading  ‘BriteCloud’  missile  decoy family,  the  BriteCloud  55-T.  The  new  55-T  is  able  to  protect  large  military  transport  aircraft  such  as Leonardo’s  C27-J  and  third  party  platforms  including  the  C-130,  KC-390  and  A400M  from  modern, radar-guided  missiles.  It  will  join  the  Company’s  existing  BriteCloud  55  (for  fighter  aircraft  using 55mm  compatible  dispensers  such  as  the  Tornado,  Typhoon  and  Gripen)  and  BriteCloud  218  (for fighter  aircraft  equipped  with  square  format  dispensers,  such  as  the  F-15  and  F-16).  Currently  in  the final  stages  of  development,  BriteCloud  55-T  is  available  to  order  now  for  deliveries  in  early  2019. 

The  original  drinks-can-sized  ‘BriteCloud  55’  countermeasure  is  designed  to  protect  fighter  aircraft and  uses  a  miniaturised  Radio-Frequency  (RF)  jamming  module  to  trick  incoming  radar-guided missiles  into  missing  their  intended  target.  BriteCloud  55  has  been  proven  effective  in  extensive testing  carried  out  with  the  UK  Royal  Air  Force  and  is  now  in-service  with  the  RAF  on-board  its  fleet of  Tornado  GR4  aircraft.  Leonardo  has  since  miniaturised  the  technology  further  to  create  the BriteCloud  218  product  for  fighter  jets  using  2x1x8  dispensers,  such  as  the  F-16.  Larger  aircraft require  a  more  powerful  decoy  in  order  to  mask  the  larger  radar  return  that  they  produce.  BriteCloud 55-T  has  been  developed  to  address  this  by  generating  a  much  more  powerful  ‘ghost’  radar signature,  drawing  even  advanced  radar-guided  threats  away  from  the  transport  aircraft.  The  same size  as  BriteCloud  55,  the  55-T  variant  will  be  able  to  fit  into  an  aircraft’s  standard  55mm  chaff  and flare  dispenser,  or  fitted  to  a  square  format  dispenser  using  an  adapter  magazine,  with  no  further integration  work  required. 

BriteCloud  is  a  breakthrough  technology,  with  Leonardo  currently  the  only  provider  of  DRFM expendable  active  decoy  technology  worldwide.  Following  its  adoption  for  active  service  by  the  UK Royal  Air  Force,  Leonardo  is  in  active  discussions  with  export  customers  to  provide  the  technology  to Air  Forces  around  the  world.  Designed  and  manufactured  in  Luton,  UK,  BriteCloud  is  readily exportable,  with  the  55  and  218  variants  compatible  with  the  majority  of  combat  aircraft  types.  As  the launch  partner  for  BriteCloud,  Gripen-manufacturer  Saab  continue  to  offer  BriteCloud  as  an electronic  warfare  option  with  all  models  of  the  Gripen  aircraft  including  the  new  Gripen  E.