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11SQN goes on the hunt
By FLGOFF Skye Smith
Volume 49, No. 17, September 20, 2007 |
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KEEP THEM UP: 11SQN aviation technician LAC John Shepherd consults a technical publication during maintenance in the cockpit of an AP-3C. 11SQN’s maintainers worked around-the-clock to meet the flying effort during SCC07.
Photo by CPL Andrew Eddie |
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SEARCHING HIGH AND LOW: 11SQN pilot FLTLT Simon Freer and Canadian CAPT Wade Bowman discuss the forthcoming sortie.
Photo by CPL Andrew Eddie |
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SEARCHING HIGH AND LOW: Pilot FLTLT Simon Freer and flight engineer SGT Mark Medwell hold on as the AP-3C banks to the right over the ocean.
Photo by CPL Andrew Eddie |
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SEARCHING HIGH AND LOW: 11SQN aircraft technician LAC Travis Day marshals the AP-3C into position after it returns to RAAF Base Pearce.
Photo by CPL Andrew Eddie |
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Two AP-3Cs from 11SQN recently seized a rare opportunity to refine their joint and combined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) fighting skills when they participated in the Submarine Command Course 2007 (SCC07).
SCC07 was a joint exercise, which supports the US Navy in training and assessing its future submarine commanders and executive officers.
It was held in the West Australian Exercise Area from August 19-26.
Participants comprised the submarines HMAS Rankin and the American Los Angeles-class USS Buffalo, HMA Ships Adelaide, Ballarat and Sirius, while air assets included two USN P-3s and a Canadian CP-140 Aurora.
During the exercise, the submarine CO and XO trainees were provided a range of scenarios to detect and attack each other, and each submarine fired a number of practice weapons.
The aircraft flew ASW sorties around-the-clock. Most sorties comprised searching for, acquiring and then conducting simulated ASW torpedo drops against the subs.
However, some comprised working with one submarine to carry out coordinated tracking and attacks against the other.
11SQN XO SQNLDR Kevin Mulgrew said the exercise was extremely rewarding as it allowed some of the unit’s junior members to refine their ASW skills.
All three maritime aviation participants gained a great deal of experience while working together against the submarines.
“It is important that we keep our members’ ASW skills current at every opportunity, given that the Orions are now heavily deployed on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in the Middle East Area of Operations,” SQNLDR Mulgrew said.
“ASW is an important skill to have, so exercises such as SCC07 are invaluable for training our members to become dynamic operators.
“The 11SQN maintenance team did an exemplary job keeping the aircraft flying all week, and No. 25 (City of Perth) Squadron personnel also deserve thanks for hosting the visiting maintenance and aircrews,” he said.
The exercise also aimed to improve interoperability with the Navy and other allied forces.
The involvement of the Americans and Canadians enabled the Australian component to compare skills and equipment and demonstrated how potent Australia’s
AP-3C is at ASW. |
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