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Pitch
Black 04 Background Information
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41
Wing
41 Wing Overview
41 Wing Equipment
Air Surveillance
Aerospace Battle Management
Difference between an air traffic controller
and an aircraft controller
16 Air Defence Regment
16 Air Defence Regiment General
Points
16 Air Defence Regiment Deployment
by Train
2AFDS
2AFDS On Exercise Pitch Black 04
2AFDS General
2AFDS History
2AFDS Unit Citation
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41WG
will be providing Aerospace Battle Management, Aircraft
Control and airspace surveillance operations for both
Blue and Red forces for Exercise Pitch Black from
the Darwin and Tindal areas respectively.
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No 114 mobile Control and Reporting Unit (114 MCRU) on
RAAF Darwin will provide 'Blue' Aerospace Battle Management,
aircraft control and air surveillance operations. Aerospace
Battle Management will be achieved by combining radar
pictures from a deployed radar (AN/TPS-43), local Air
Traffic Control radars and data supplied from a visiting
Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) E2C Hawkeye Airborne
Surveillance and control aircraft.
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The Northern Region Operations Centre (NORTHROC) will
provide 'red' aerospace battle management, aircraft control
and airspace surveillance operations. NORTHROC will achieve
aerospace battle management by combining the radar pictures
from a deployed TPS-43 radar and RAAF Base Tindal Air
Traffic Control, as well as data provided from passive
electronic sensors deployed in the exercise area.
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The AN/TPS-43 military radar system utilised by 41WG
provides a 3-dimensional picture tracking both defending
and attacking aircraft.
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The Electronic Observation Posts (EOPs) are equipped
with a passive electronic system that receives and
recognises radar emissions from aircraft, allowing
the identification of radar tracks.
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The E2C Hawkeye Airborne surveillance aircraft, deployed
as part of the RSAF detachment participating in PB04,
is designed to look-down and see low-flying aircraft
that might evade ground-based radars.
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The AN/TPS-43 military radar system utilised by 41WG provides
a 3-dimensional picture tracking both defending and attacking
aircraft.
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The Electronic Observation Posts (EOPs) are equipped with
a passive electronic system that receives and recognises
radar emissions from aircraft, allowing the identification
of radar tracks.
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The E2C Hawkeye Airborne surveillance aircraft, deployed
as part of the RSAF detachment participating in PB04,
is designed to look-down and see low-flying aircraft that
might evade ground-based radars.
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Air Surveillance Operators operate within the Regional
Correlation Centres at both Darwin (114MCRU) and Tindal
(NORTHROC) to create the Recognised Air Picture (RAP).
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A surveillance crew, working under the direction of
junior officers and senior airmen, perform a range
of functions.
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Junior airmen are employed in monitoring the radar
tracking, and maintaining the clarity of the picture,
such as filtering out false returns. Other airmen
search civilian and military information systems for
flight details that match with the various radar tracks.
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The Identification Officer, a more experienced operator,
uses this information in order to produce a RAP.
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Once the air picture is created, it may be sent
to other customers via a normal phone line or
using a range of automated data exchange systems.
Specially trained airmen operate these systems.
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Due to the complexity of the operating systems employed,
a number of airmen are normally employed to manage
the configuration of the various radars, radios and
information systems.
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Once the air picture has been compiled, aircraft controllers
operating from the Tactical Air Operations Centre
(TAOC) direct air operations.
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The TAOC is normally manned by a number of junior
air defence officers, who are assigned a piece of
airspace or a number of aircraft to control.
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These controllers are supervised and directed by a
senior air controller, who manages the wider air battle
and is responsible for aircraft safety.
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Specialist advisers from the army, navy or civilian
air traffic control agencies are also normally present
to help liaise with agencies that are not part of
the TAOC.
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Aircraft Controller duties depend on the individual's
level of experience and the types of missions being
conducted.
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Basic sorties involving limited numbers of aircraft
mean that the aircraft controller is required to maintain
aircraft within airspace boundaries and provide information
and direction to friendly aircraft formations.
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As the missions increase in complexity, the aircraft
controller is required to coordinate different groups
of aircraft in time and space and direct the air battle
over the exercise area.
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The aircraft controller also provides the interface
with military Air Traffic Control to manage the sequence
of aircraft returning to airfields to ensure that
all aircraft arrive safely.
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Difference
between an air traffic controller and an aircraft controller
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Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Air Defence officers
perform different aspects of the aerospace battle
management role within the RAAF.
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ATC officers maintain aircraft separation and safety
during air operations in the vicinity of airfields.
This can be done visually or through the use of radar
for permanent RAAF bases, or whilst deployed into
the field.
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Air Defence officers provide tactical information
and direction to friendly aircraft in support of their
mission. This can include threat warnings of hostile
air activity, or the direction of aircraft against
hostile targets.
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Both ATC and Air Defence officers also perform airspace
management functions by coordinating the use of airspace
by the ADF.
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Airspace users can include aircraft, helicopters, UAVs
as well as long-range weapons (eg. artillery).
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16
Air Defence Regment
16
Air Defence Regiment General Points
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From the 19 Jul - 6 Aug 04 16AD will deploy elements
to various locations in the Northern Territory including
Mt Green, RAAF Tindal, Manbulloo, Willeroo, and Delamere.
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16 AD Regiment is responsible for providing Ground
Based Air Defence (GBAD) to the ADF and provides Australia's
only GBAD Capability. GBAD tasks that will be conducted
on the exercise include, point and area defence of
key assets and infrastructure (both military and civilian),
and mobile and route defence of key lines of communication.
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16 AD Regiment is based at Woodside Barracks, South
Australia, and is the largest Australian Regular Army
unit in South Australia consisting of approximately
400 personnel.
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16 AD Regiment are a highly trained, and technologically
advanced unit, elements of which, recently returned
from operations in the Middle East as part of the
War on Terrorism.
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16 AD will deploy approximately 325 personnel to Exercise
Pitch Black. The Royal Singapore Air Force will also
have approximately 35 personnel from 163 Squadron
its GBAD IHAWK forming a detachment with 16 AD Regiment.
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16AD Units Deploying on the exercise include:
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110 AD Battery, which operate the Rapier Low Level Air
Defence Weapon System. The Rapier, produced by British
Aerospace in England, provides:
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24 hr all weather GBAD Coverage,
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Rapier missile has a 7km range and travels at
Mk 2,
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Each Fire Unit has an organic surveillance radar,
and
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Each fire unit had four missiles ready to fire
(provides rapid re-engagement capability).
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111 AD Battery, which operates the state of the art
RBS70 Very Low Level Air Defence Weapon System. The
RBS70, produced by Bofors in Sweden, provides:
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24 hr GBAD coverage,
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RBS70 missile has range out to 8 km and travels at
MK 2.2,
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Undetectable, un-jammable, smokeless, fast - superior
to heat-seeking GBAD systems.
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Support Battery and Regimental Headquarters, which
provides the administration and support required by
the weapon Batteries.
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This is the first time in over 20 years (since 1983)
that 16 AD have deployed on exercise by train. Previously,
16AD would travel by train to Alice Springs and then
drive to Darwin from there.
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Approximately 140 B class Vehicles and 40 trailers as
well as Air Defence weapon systems and maintenance equipment
will be deployed by train to participate in Exercise Pitch
Black.
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2AFDS will deploy approximately 150 personnel to Exercise
Pitch Black and will be predominantly operating out of
RAAF Tindal, but will have approximately 30 personnel
based at RAAF Darwin.
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The squadron will screening exercises which are designed
to detect any "enemy" forces and prevent them from reaching
critical infrastructure at RAAF Tindal in order to stop
the "enemy" from disrupting air operations.
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At the completion of screening exercises 2AFDS will deploy
to Delamere and Pine Creeks to take part in further exercises
with the Army.
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Currently 2AFDS have approximately 170 personnel, which
consists of 4 Rifle Flights of approximately 30 Airfield
Defence guards. In addition to this Support Flight provides
additional capabilities including Snipers, Reconnaissance,
Communications and Assault Pioneers.
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2AFDS can provide a wide variety of capabilities and train
for both war and peace time operations. 2AFDS primary
roll is to provide the ground defence, protection and
security of installations, assets, facilities and personnel.
This includes active patrolling in a war time situation
of the enemy approaches to Aircraft security operations
and Close personal protection operations to VIP's.
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No 2 Airfield Defence Squadron (2AFDS) was initially formed
on the 7th of April 1945 in Moratai. Officially known
as 2 Aerodrome Defence Squadron (2ADS) it saw action in
Moratai, Labuan, Brunei, Borneo, Balikpapan and in the
Philippines. Elements also saw action with Commando 'Z'
Force groups on various Japanese Islands. On October 29th
1945 the squadron was disbanded and the remaining personnel
dispersed and became instructors in drill, ceremonial
and weapon skills.
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In early 1966 the Aerodrome Defence Guard (ADG) mustering
was officially formed to meet RAAF requirements in South
East Asia. The training was conducted by the ADG training
Flight in Amberley and was based primarily on the Infantry
Platoon. Rifle Flights were subsequently established at
Amberley, Williamtown, Richmond, Fairbairn and later Darwin.
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By 1968 some 200 ADG's (now known as Airfield Defence
Guards) were on active duty in Butterworth Malaysia,
Ubon Thailand, Vung Tau and Phan Rang in South Vietnam.
ADG's were responsible for assisting the US base security
forces and other specialised tasks such as VIP escorts.
Because of their specialised training, ADG's provided
most of the door gunners for No 9 Squadron Iroquois
Helicopters.
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ADG's remained in their Flight locations around Australia
until the 17th March 1983, when the Flights were co-located
and 2AFDS was reformed at RAAF Base Richmond. In 1989
the Squadron was relocated to RAAF Base Amberley where
it remains today.
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Since that time the Squadron has been evolving to
meet the changing threat to airfields in Defence of
Australia and External Operations. 2AFDS conduct operations
to counter Special Forces operations against RAAF
assets in Defence of Australia and for External Operations.
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More recently 2AFDS has provided a security capability
to support Operation VISTA in Cambodia in 1997, to
assist in the evacuation of Australian Nationals and
significant others from Phnom Pehn, whilst securing
RAAF C130 aircraft and aircrew.
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In September 1999, 2AFDS deployed to East Timor as
part of Operation WARDEN with INTERFET forces. 2AFDS
secured Komoro Airfield and surrounding villages in
Dili, assisted with the processing and relocation
of internally displaced persons and provided In Flight
Security to coalition aircraft in East Timor.
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2AFD's has continued to support ADF overseas commitments
throughout recent operations. Currently 2AFDS has personnel
deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Catalyst.
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2AFDS
Unit Citation
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As a result of 2AFDS operations in East Timor, 2AFDS has
been awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for 'sustained
outstanding service in warlike operations in support of
the International Force East Timor during Operation WARDEN
and Operation STABILISE'.
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