|
|
|
|
 |
||
 |
| |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Into thin air Volume 49, No. 03, March 08, 2007 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LONG ago in a desert far, far away… That’s what it resembled on screen – a pale imitation of the Star Wars movies. In this case, watching live action at Exercise Red Flag. In an age of instant gratification, Red Flag participants were no different to anyone when it came to instant access to information. Participants (or at least those not flying) could watch all the action live in the Red Flag building main theatre. It was almost like going to the movies, with the ‘crowd’ bringing in their drinks and munchies. Fortunately for a first-timer, help was on-hand to decipher and explain the movements on the two big screens. Translation of what appeared at times to be English (pilot-speak) was a little more difficult. In between swigs from his jumbo-sized drink container, Pat, a US major, guided me through the on-screen action. The forces were good, in various colours of pale blue, purple, green and yellow, and the baddies, of course, were in red. The four Aussie F-111s on this mission (Digger One, Two, Three and Four) were tasked with planting bombs in enemy territory. To do that they had to penetrate enemy defences, comprising F-15s and F-16s from 64 and 65 Aggressor Squadrons. Backing up the Pigs was a formidable force, comprising Raptors, F-15s and F-16s from the US, and RAF Tornadoes. About 10 minutes into the mission, one of the enemy broke away to engage two Pigs, who were on target to drop their loads. Fortunately, the F-111s successfully evaded. Pat watched intently. “I try to take any opportunity to watch these activities,” he said. “There’s always something to learn, and anyway, these are the guys I work with.” Operating at 30,000 feet, the battle continued at mach 0.8-0.9 (almost supersonic speed). At those speeds, a pilot’s reactions are critical. “We’ve got to be totally aware of not only what’s happening now, but of what’s coming up,” Pat said. In many ways, what was happening before us was a cross between a game of chess and gridiron. It was clear that tactics were essential. Some aircraft left the fight to refuel. “This ensures better management of forces, so the battlespace is always covered,” Pat explained. Back at the fight, two enemy aircraft swivelled and engaged two more F-111s, with only an F-16 for protection. Suddenly a C-130 appeared to do a drop. Unfortunately, it was fired on by a Surface-To-Air Missile (SAM) and engaged by a lone F-15. Two friendly Raptors swooped in to offer protection. The Hercules managed to avoid the first two SAMS, but was hit by the third. The fight lasted about 45 minutes, with overall mission flying time being two-and-a-half-hours. It appeared the Aussies had successfully completed their task of bombing the enemy area. As for the Hercules – well, you can’t win them all. The result of the mission was only clear several hours later when crews watched the replay in the final briefing. That’s when the planning started again to ensure our crews did better the next day. Aussies caught in enemy territory THERE were a couple of Aussies at Nellis Air Force Base who caused a bit of havoc among their countrymen during Exercise Red Flag." SQNLDR Steve Chappell and FLTLT Mick Nygh were in cahoots with the enemy – in this case, the USAF’s 64SQN, known as ‘The Aggressors’. Together with 65SQN, the Aggressors – flying F-15s and F-16s – formed the Red Force, which aimed to teach the Aussies, British and US Blue Force some hard-earned lessons. SQNLDR Chappell, a flight combat instructor, and FLTLT Nygh, an intelligence officer, were mid-way through their respective exchange postings with 64SQN during the exercise. Their exchange postings have been an experience of a lifetime for both officers, who went through a rigorous selection procedure before being sent to Nellis. “This is the fighter mecca of the world,” SQNLDR Chappell said. “A lot of people may see it as a glamorous posting, but the people who work here are actually quite humble because they have experience as pilots and instructors. “In some sense they have a maturity that says ‘it’s not about you’ any more. We’re simply here for all the people we come up against in the exercise, because we’re here to replicate and teach. “Because we have intimate knowledge of the range conditions we could easily trash all the crews that come here. But that’s not our aim. “We take a ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach. We take everything step-by-step and increase the tempo as the exercise progresses. “The idea is to give the Australian pilots their first 10 combat missions here under intense conditions.” The same philosophy applies to FLTLT Nygh, who has been with the Aggressors for one of a three-year posting. The experience gained there is invaluable, but participating in Red Flag isn’t all they do. “Exercise Red Flag is a small but important part of what goes on at Nellis,” FLTLT Nygh said. “We support the weapons school on base and other units around the US.” Even as an intelligence officer, he is expected to have a thorough knowledge of jet fighter tactics and operations. “Back home I worked with 81WG and F/A-18s for three years, and spent many hours in the Hornet, which helps understand the pilots’ environment a lot,” he said. Both officers have come to appreciate the differences and similarities between the two air forces. “The biggest difference is the resources,” FLTLT Nygh said. “The Americans have more than we’re used to. But in some respects we can be more efficient. I guess we tend to be more resourceful.” SQNLDR Chappell said it’s not a one-way street, with the Americans also learning from Australian exchange officers. “They certainly get a different perspective from us, and I think they enjoy that; particularly things about the Australian culture, and the fact that we don’t beat about the bush,” he said. |
