Captured departing RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk on May 3, 2018 as ‘Grizzly 35’ following an overnight stay was highly modified de Havilland Canada DHC-2-202Q Dash 8 special surveillance platform, N8200L (c/n 455) operated by the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, USSOCOM or SOCOM is charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Component Commands of the US Army, US Marine Corps, US Navy and US Air Force. This particular Dash 8 is one of two or more maintained within a wider fleet of aircraft (including modified Beechcraft King Air 300 series aircraft) which are known as SOCOM Tactical Airborne Multi-Sensor Platforms, or STAMP. Delivered to USSOCOM in September 2017, the platform’s previous owner was the contractor Dynamic Aviation who operated the aircraft as a surveillance platform on contract to the US Army between April and October 2011. Ian Harding
