US Air Force personnel from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska have touched down at RAAF Base Williamtown for Exercise Diamond Shield.
With a support team of about 150 personnel, more than 20 pilots assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron will be working with the Royal Australian Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre.
Besides the 18th Aggressor Squadron’s F-16s, RAAF F/A-18A classic Hornet, F/A-18F Super Hornet, E-7A Wedgetail, AP-3C Orion and C-130J Hercules aircraft will take part in Exercise Diamond Shield, along with Air Affairs Australia Learjets.
Diamond Shield is one of the practical components of the air warfare instructors’ course, graduates of which are experts in ADF capabilities and integration across the services, and have technical mastery of their own roles, platforms and systems.
“For the first time, we are bringing together different Defence units in the warfare space to integrate their roles in a process of continuous improvement to match the fifth-generation platforms coming into service,”Air Commodore Joe Iervasi, commander of the Air Warfare Centre, said.
“As our platforms interact electronically, so too must the human elements to get the greatest benefit from this technology. The air warfare instructors’ course developed by the Air Warfare Centre has done that, and over the next few months each component of the course will prepare our instructors to be effective in the integrated air warfare space.
“Graduates will provide leadership in the development of future tactics, and help determine how those tactics can be used to enhance the ADF’s joint warfighting capability using fifth-generation platforms.”
Exercise Diamond Shield runs until March 31.
