Full deck for Aces North
Air Force stacks up against the best from Army and Navy in counter-air exercise

By Rebecca Codey
Volume 48, No. 8, May 18, 2006

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Then LAC now CPL Osama Tissawak hard at work in the main wheel well of a F-111 during Aces North 2004.

Where: RAAF Tindal

When: 9th June 2004

Photo by LAC David Gibbs

THE Air Force’s next generation of combat flying instructors and tactical leaders will do “battle” in the skies above northern Australia in the coming weeks as Exercise Aces North 2006 gets under way.

Incorporating lessons learned from Operation Catalyst, this major combined offensive counter–air exercise will involve up to 40 aircraft and 600 personnel – including combat elements from the Army and Navy – participating in complex, war-like scenarios.

The exercise, held from May 22 to June 14, is the culmination of four months of intensive training for students from 29 Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI) course, 6 Fighter Intelligence Instructor (FII) course and 7 Fighter Combat Controller (FCC) course.

According to Commanding Officer 2OCU, WGCDR Chris Huet, the students – experienced pilots, intelligence officers and controllers – receive advanced training on aircraft systems, weapons and fighter tactics in the classroom and in the air.

They are presented with challenging scenarios that test aircrew understanding and execution of fighter tactics. Students experience the stress and workload expected in actual operations.

“They will graduate as F/A-18 and F-111 flying instructors, controllers and intelligence officers who are experts in the tactical employment of fast jet aircraft,” WGCDR Huet said.

“Their expertise, skill and experience afford them a reputation for being among the finest exponents of air warfare in the world.”

Up to six Hawks from 76SQN and 79SQN will be joined by other aircraft including F/A-18s, F-111s, B-707T and PC-9s for this final test which, according to Officer Commanding the Exercise (OCE) GPCAPT Dave Steele, validates the knowledge and skills gained by the students.

“While the exercise is focused around these young men and women, it puts a lot of other Air Combat Group (ACG) and Surveillance and Response Group (SRG) assets through their paces at the tactical level,” GPCAPT Steele said.

“A deployment of this size also places considerable impost on the Combat Support Group elements in place at both RAAF Bases Tindal and Darwin.”

In support of the exercise and the students, ground crew, administration and operations personnel will also work to a demanding schedule for the duration at RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal.

In early April FCI, FII and FCC students participated in Exercise Aces South, the major air defence exercise held as part of the courses.

The culmination of the air-to-air phase, Aces South took place off the NSW coastline and saw students providing air defence over a fictitious shipping lane off Newcastle and defending ships against air and sea attacks from the north.

Although not quite the scale of Aces North, this earlier exercise required significant tri-Service support.

Participating assets and personnel included F/A-18s from 81 and 78WGs, F-111s from 82WG, Hawk-127s from 78WG, PC-9s from 82WG, 462SQN, Surveillance and Control Training Unit and 3 Control and Reporting Unit.

Navy diving tenders simulated enemy attack boats while USAF B-1s, Pelair Learjets and Westwinds were also involved.

“Exercise Aces South was a great success,” WGCDR Huet said.

“The courses exercised our air defence procedures both during the day and using night vision goggles at night.

The students gained a lot from the missions flown, while at the same time ACG and SRG refreshed their familiarity with the demands of the air defence mission.”

For information and updates on Exercise Aces North, log on to http://www.defence.gov.au/acesnorth2006/.

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