AUSTIN, Texas - An aircraft from the 147th Reconnaissance Wing here at Ellington Field that has proven its value during many of the recent domestic emergencies is being deployed to Haiti this week.
The RC-26, an aircraft traditionally used in support of drug interdiction and law enforcement missions, was heavily used during Hurricanes Katrina and many storms thereafter, but has also seen many rotations overseas.
Dubbed "incident awareness assessment" by aircrews, it is specifically designed to help coordinate on-the-ground relief efforts by providing real-time assessments of devastated areas. The imagery is sent to an antenna array that is temporarily set up on top of a building where officials coordinating the efforts can view the transmissions.
The RC-26 can be deployed at the request of federal, state and local law enforcement. "It is a very responsive intelligence and surveillance platform and extremely suitable to IAA with crews that are proven to be highly adaptable to any real-world tasking," said Col. Russell Malesky, director of staff for the Texas Air National Guard.
"Governor Rick Perry and Maj. Gen. Jose S. Mayorga, the adjutant general, have pulled the aircraft off its current domestic mission to assist the people of Haiti," Malesky said. "To the Texas RC-26 aircrew, this is another critical mission that helps protect and save lives and they are eager to deploy."
Aircraft and crew will depart from Ellington for a 30-day mission and is scheduled to be in Haiti no later than Jan. 21.