Summer
action in Alaska
By
Flying Officer Georgina Lowe
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FLTLT Heidi Schumacher from 41WG works on fighter control
for Blue air assets during Exercise Cope Thunder, held in
Alaska during June.
She was one of two Air Force personnel deployed to the exercise
as Australia’s representatives.
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Photo
provided by FLGOFF Georgina Lowe.
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Exercise
Cope Thunder is held four times a year in Alaska.
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One
exercise a year concentrates on multi-national
operations, involving Coalition and Pacific
Rim nations.
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Two
members of No. 41 Wing represented Air Force
at the exercise, held from June 6 to 24.
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The
exercise was held out of US Air Force Bases
Elemendorf and Eielson, covering 68,000 square
miles over Alaska and Canada.
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FANCY
swapping winter in Australia for summer in Alaska? Two Air Defence
officers from Headquarters 41 Wing at RAAF Base Williamtown experienced
a taste of northern exposure when they deployed as Air Force’s
representatives on Exercise Cope Thunder.
From June 6 to 24, Flight Lieutenant Heidi Schumacher and Flying
Officer Chris O’Donoghue were deployed to the US’s northern-most
state, where air combat training exercises are held four times
a year.
It primarily specialises in the joint integration of the US Air
Force’s Air Expeditionary Forces with the US Navy, Army and
Marine Corps.
One of these exercises each year also concentrates on multi-national
operations by amalgamating personnel from various nations throughout
the world into its operations.
Initially developed in 1976 to give aircrews an initial taste
of a warfare scenario, Exercise Cope Thunder is conducted from
US Air Force Bases Elemendorf and Eielson.
The exercise is carried out over Alaskan and Canadian airspace
covering more than 68,000 square miles.
Members who participated in Cope Thunder this year came from the
USAF, the RAF, Republic of Singapore Air Force, the Japanese Air
Self Defence Force, the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the German
Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force and the Korean Air Force.
This provided the two Australian Air Defence officers the unique
opportunity to work with many different nations in a very diverse
operating situation.
Flight Lieutenant Schumacher and Flying Officer O’Donoghue
contributed to Cope Thunder by chiefly acting as back up to “Blue”
air assets including the RAF E3-D and the USAF E3.
This involved attending Blue air mission briefs and being on stand-by
if required. They both actively provided fighter control for Red
air assets, consisting of F-16s and F-15s from the Top Rock facility
situated at Alaska’s Northern Command at Elemendorf.
During the exercise, Blue air simulated an offensive counter-air
posture using up to 24 aircraft, whilst Red air operated as defensive
counter-air with between four and 12 aircraft.
Flight Lieutenant Schumacher said it was quite a contrast between
the Air Force Tactical Air Operations Centre and the Top Rock
facility.
“The scopes used in the Top Rock facility were very old and
required the operator to have a technician with them at all times,”
she said.
“Rendering the control almost hands-free, the technician
would basically be in control of the consoles, which included
bullseye data, bearing and range and squawk information.”
“Magnetic deviation on the fighter control scopes was 20
degrees, making the top of the scope 340 degrees.
“This upset spatial orientation as it was difficult to ‘eyeball’
bearing and ranges. A small, plastic device called an AMPI was
used to give a quick bearing and range.”
“This was an amazing opportunity for us, as Air Defence Officers,
to experience operations during an exercise in a foreign country.”
