By
Andrew Stackpool and Corporal Simone Liebelt
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Another
F-111 sortie begins for 6SQN aircrew FLGOFF James Hutchins
and SQNLDR Steve Clarke during Exercise Bersama Lima 05
from RMAF Base Butterworth.
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3SQN
pilot FLGOFF Nicholas Finch and ground crew member CPL Luke
Barry give each other the “all clear” signal after
strapping the pilot in the cockpit.
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Photos
by LAC Andrew Eddie
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AIRCRAFT
from Nos. 3, 6, 10 and 33 Squadrons and about 300 personnel participated
in the recent Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) exercise Bersama
Lima.
The squadrons deployed five F-111s, 10 F/A-18s, two AP-3Cs and
a B707 tanker to the multi-national exercise, which was held around
Singapore and the Malay Peninsula and in the South China Sea exercise
areas. Air Force airspace surveillance and control elements from
No. 44 Wing and personnel assigned to the Combined Air Operations
Cell and headquarters staff at RMAF Base Butterworth supported
them.
Twenty-six warships, a submarine, 74 combat aircraft, army units
and a range of support elements from Australia, Malaysia, New
Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom took part.
Squadron Leader Lyle Holt from No. 6 Squadron said its F-111s
primarily acted as aggressor aircraft during both flying phases
of the exercise.
“During the Force Integration Training period all assets
are friendly,” he said. “The F-111s conducted opposed
maritime strike missions against the various naval forces. They
had to fight their way in through massed air support from Malaysian
MiGs, our Hornets, and Singaporean F-16s and F-5s. Once they completed
their ship attacks, they had to fight their way back to Butterworth.
“During the final “war” phase, the F-111s conducted
various maritime strike profiles, only now they had changed sides
and were operating as enemy forces.”
Squadron Leader Holt said that Bersama Lima provided some unique
challenges to air and ground crews.
“The tropical environment challenged all aspects of our operations.
Operating the F-111 tactically through mountainous terrain shrouded
in haze is an exciting challenge, as is executing precise maritime
strike targeting procedures in the heavily congested waterways
of the South China Sea.
“The value of this exercise is that we operated with a variety
of air and sea platforms that we don’t normally see.
“The detachment did exactly what it would do in a time of
conflict; work to a unique and high operating tempo for an extended
period of time. We did this without the normal creature comforts
of home.
“The differences we faced ranged from the different type
of electrical plugs required on the ground through to the conditions
in which the aircraft flew.”
The F-111s were typically tasked for six flights a day, in two
flying waves. These included day and night flying. To achieve
this mission rate, the morning-shift maintenance staff arrived
several hours before flying to prepare the aircraft, and the night
shift toiled for several hours after the finish of flying operations
to ensure the jets remained serviceable.
