Volume 48, No. 19, October 19, 2006
By CPL Mike McSweeney
WITH the words “clear hot” crackling over the airwaves, two F-111s screamed overhead and unleased a lethal barrage on the Shoalwater Bay hillside.
On the ground, the Army’s 105mm Hammel gun pounded, followed by sudden shouting by soldiers to silence the gun. The aircraft had barely banked left behind the feature when the 1st Field Regiment gun opened up again.
Exercise Premier Gunner was not just an artillery exercise. It was also an opportunity to further develop the interoperability between Air Force and Army as both Services work towards providing ground commanders with effective Close Air Support (CAS) options.
Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) are specially-trained soldiers who provide the vital link between air and ground assets.
OC 82WG GPCAPT Leo Davies said the exercise provided the opportunity for the JTACs and the crews of his two F-111 squadrons to keep their skills honed.
“JTAC is a very perishable skill,” GPCAPT Davies said.
“What Premier Gunner provides is a chance for the JTACs to get a whole bunch of aircraft controls in and learn from those and keep their currency up.”
“It is also an opportunity for aircrew and their controllers to come up with a better way to get the job done. Operating effectively in a complex urban environment is one of our challenges in the future.”
He said Air Force and Army were working together to develop the capability in Australia, which included looking at communications systems and updating doctrine and procedures.
CAS is a challenging role for aircrews, even in the planning phase. 1SQN F-111 pilot FLTLT Chris Lowrey said for a strategic target, they can plan for all contingencies and study the target in detail.
“You don’t get that in CAS,” FLTLT Lowrey said. “You don’t know where your targets are and you don’t know where you’re attacking from.
“There are a lot of things that will happen within those five minutes of rocking up to the target area that you’ve just got to be flexible with.”
His navigator, FLGOFF Steve Thornton, said once the aircraft is in the target area, he is busy getting an update from the JTAC on weather, terrain, threats and target location.
“We’re talking to the guys on the ground, taking care of the systems management, making sure our kit is cued up depending on what sort of CAS profiles you’re doing,” FLGOFF Thornton said.
The different profiles refer to the altitude and style of attack.
“Low-level CAS is pretty challenging for both left and right-seaters in the jet. It gets pretty busy,” he said.
FLTLT Lowrey said once the JTACs were satisfied the crew had correctly identified the target, they would give the crew the clearance to release their weapons. “The JTACs these days are becoming harder with aircrews. Rules of engagement won’t permit rounds going 100m away,” FLTLT Lowrey said.
He said crews were enjoying working with the JTACs on developing the CAS capability. “I see this as the future of how we drop weapons.”
