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Battle stations
The Aerospace Operational Support Group is Air Force’s innovative one-stop shop for ops mission support, as reporter Barry Rollings discovered.
Volume 49, No. 18, October 04, 2007 |
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Life is anything but dull for personnel with the Edinburgh-based Aerospace Operational Support Group (AOSG) as they live up to their group’s mission to “Inform the warfighter to enhance battleworthiness, mission success and survivability”.
Commander AOSG GPCAPT John Teager has a varied stewardship as leader of this Force Element Group (FEG), which encompasses an Air Systems Development and Test Wing, an Information Warfare Wing and the Woomera Test Facility.
“Together with our close allies, the United States and Britain, we had learnt from early Gulf War experiences that our approach to operational mission support was a little ad hoc and could be done much better,” GPCAPT Teager said.
“The potential benefits of bringing operational support functions together under a single umbrella are better coordination, more effective and timely products and services for the front line, and a single ‘one-stop shop’ centre of excellence,” he said.
“The concept of AOSG was born in mid-2003 but was established on a resource-neutral basis when we brought together some of the existing organisations that were already providing some of the elements of operational support.
“Some of those organisations had been around a long time and brought a certain operational paradigm and a number of legacy processes with them that weren’t necessarily best suited for the future.
“This is a new paradigm. We are now a new FEG that includes an Information Warfare Wing which previously did not exist.
“The new-look AOSG is not just a re-badging of the old but a completely new and forward-looking way of doing business; the putting in place of a new concept.”
“That concept is coordinated and timely operational support,” GPCAPT Teager said.
“We have just about the full complement of capabilities that we need and are now working on achieving integrated mission support – being one step ahead of those we serve by anticipating their mission support needs. When looking for mission support or specialist advice, AOSG is the place to come for ‘today’s mission and the next’.
“Supporting today’s mission means that parts of my organisation provide the frontline with time-critical information and programs for their equipment that they need right now while they are engaged on current operations across the world.
“At the same time, we have new capabilities in the pipeline – the C-17 transport aircraft, the airborne early warning and control aircraft (Wedgetail), the air warfare destroyer, additional and new Army and Navy helicopters, and ultimately, the Joint Strike Fighter.
“We support every aircraft type in all three Services and we provide electronic warfare support to all Navy ships and submarines.
The tri-Service make-up of my staff reflects the diversity of our products and services.”
To support the warfighter, AOSG frequently deploys small integrated teams forward into theatre and many of the younger and more junior members of the team have seen recent operational service – and that is a good thing. “Of course, the teams in theatre are not operating alone, but are supported back here at Edinburgh and at other locations by a comprehensive reach-back capability,” GPCAPT Teager said.
“Tomorrow’s mission is about the future. It could be the immediate future, where new capabilities and/or roles are being introduced onto aircraft already deployed on ops, or the longer term where we’re testing and evaluating capabilities coming on-line sometime down track. Through extensive and comprehensive test and evaluation throughout the life of an acquisition project, we try and help to ensure that an aircraft and its equipment are operationally effective when it comes into service. Of course, we’re just one of many stakeholders pursuing that goal.
“We do a lot of preparatory work to make sure equipment and weapons are fully cleared for operational use, so the operational FEG can use those elements effectively as soon as they come into service,” he said.
The Air Systems Development and Test Wing includes the Flight Test Squadron, the Aircraft Systems Engineering Squadron, the Aircraft Stores Compatibility Engineering Agency (which provides stores clearances) and the Institute of Aviation Medicine. All of these units play a major part in supporting new aircraft roles and new capabilities coming into service.
The Information Warfare Wing deals in both the present and the future. Its units provide immediate and ongoing information, intelligence, network and electronic warfare support to aircraft and crews on current operations. At the same time, they anticipate and prepare for future mission support needs as many information warfare products require long lead times, yet must be available on day one of an operation.
“Remaining constantly ahead of the game is an exciting challenge,” GPCAPT Teager said.
“Test and evaluation is part of our core business, so we need comprehensive test facilities.
“In the Woomera Test Facility (WTF), we have our own integrated test range here in South Australia. It has its own director, a headquarters within the AOSG building in Edinburgh and a small permanent staff at Woomera, from where most operations are conducted. The WTF is, in essence, my third wing.
“The range is very much a national asset and as well as catering for the ADF test and evaluation needs, its customers also include foreign militaries and industry.
“All AOSG units are very closely linked with our key allies and there are a number of exchange and liaison positions with organisations such as the USAF Information Warfare Centre, the USAF Air Warfare Centre and the RAF Air Warfare Centre. Much of what we do is underpinned by international agreements and we enjoy a close and productive relationship with our allies.
“All up, it’s an exciting time for us in AOSG and it’s only going to get more interesting as time goes on,” he said.
For more information on AOSG, visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/raafweb/sites/AOSG |
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LOOKING GLASS: Technician SGT Lance Salter keeps an eye on the aircrew students inside the hyperbaric chamber during high altitude training at the Institute of Aviation Medicine.
Photo by LAC Casey Smith |
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GOOD INTEL: Imagery analyst CPL Trevor Edwards and intelligence officer FLTLT Prudence Buckton analyse mission data at 87SQN HQ.
Photo by LAC Steve Hobbs |
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ANIMATED: SGT Aaron Gray from the Aerospace Systems Engineering Squadron models a high speed digital video camera housing as technical officer Sam Colella from the Aircraft Research and Development Unit works on the computerised 3D version.
Photo by AC Glen McCarthy
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HIGH TECH: SGT Anthony Griffin, CPL Shane De Marchi and SGT Adrian Pink check the final procedures to a new flight test weapons upgrade on a Hornet fitted by the Aircraft Research and Development Unit.
Photo by LAC Casey Smith
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INSIGHT: Pilot FLTLT Dave Hobson simulates the use of night vision goggles over a mountainous terrain scale model used for training at the Institute of Aviation Medicine.
Photo by LAC Casey Smith
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TEAMWORK: Combat systems operator LS Dominic Malanga and engineer FLGOFF Kate Wright work on radio equipment at the Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Unit.
Photo AC Glen McCarthy |
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TESTING TIMES: Armament technician’s CPLs Daniel Cooke and Mark Tunley from the AOSG Armament Test Section conduct checks of the ‘mass properties missile’ and ‘moments of inertia’ table.
Photo AC Glen McCarthy
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ACROSS THE WAVES: Engineer FLTLT Stuart Withers tests radio communication equipment at the Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Unit.
Photo AC Glen McCarthy |
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