Operation Okra

Australian aircrews have led a multinational air strike that destroyed a Daesh bomb factory; identified a complex bunker system, which they later attacked; and disrupted Daesh’s attempts to divert water from major dams and ensured water flowed to where it was needed. These types of missions require precise bombing to avoid collateral damage.

To date, the F/A-18F Super Hornets have achieved over 2,000 hours – representing 10 per cent of the aircraft’s total hours since entering RAAF service.

The E-7A Wedgetail, arguably the best airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform in Iraq, is providing the situational awareness that allows the Super Hornets to deliver weapons with a decisive effect in support of Iraqi forces. The E-7A is delivering one ‘line’ of mission tasking to Operation Okra with a single aircraft, while the USAF uses six E-3C aircraft to achieve two ‘lines’ of tasking. The E-7A has clocked up over 700 hours already. On a single mission, the men and women of Air Force are controlling about 80 aircraft, with missions ranging from 12 hours up to 17 hours with coalition air-to-air refuelling support.

On one occasion, after remaining ‘on station’ for a number of hours, the E-7A Wedgetail crew was advised the next coalition aircraft due to relieve them was delayed. The crew rapidly agreed to extend their mission, coordinating a shortnotice, air-to-air refuel in the middle of a combat zone. The crew completed two air-to-air refuels during this mission, allowing the aircraft to stay airborne and make a historic time of more than 16 hours airborne.

In an integrated force, the E-7A can share the information with other aircraft, which allows crews to monitor the progress of the air and ground battle. They exploit this increased situational awareness to dynamically reposition the aircraft as close as possible to Australia’s Super Hornets and other coalition strike aircraft, reducing the refuelling time between attacks.

The KC-30A has unloaded an impressive 10 million pounds of aviation fuel to both Australian and coalition aircraft, flying at almost 100 per cent availability, and tanking every possible coalition aircraft with hose and drogue refuelling. The single KC-30A has flown over 1,000 hours on Operation Okra – yet in 2014, all six aircraft in the fleet flew a combined 20,500 hours. Refuelling with a tanker, instead of returning to base, gives

On a single mission, the men and women of Air Force are controlling about 80 aircraft.

the F/A-18 Super Hornets the ability to remain on task and is an effective force multiplier.

These are significant achievements, using the same aircraft without yet returning any to Australia for maintenance. What is also significant is the operationally ready team working with industry partners that has made it all possible.

Years of planning, acquisition, training and readiness meant that the Air Task Group, with RAAF C-17 airlift support, could deploy just one week after government made the Australian commitment, and just nine days after that, operations started. As air power experts will tell you, the best equipment and technology in the world does not create a capability. It takes people, skills, integrated systems and a strong logistics, engineering and support organisation. The entire organisation must be operationally focused and ready to deliver air power.

In the last five years alone, Air Force has extended its reach with the KC-30A, upgraded air combat capabilities from the F-111 to the advanced F/A-18F Super Hornet, and improved its ‘eyes in the sky’ with the introduction of the E-7A Wedgetail. These advancements mean that unlike the 2003 Iraq deployment when the RAAF relied on coalition tankers, this time Air Force could also deploy airborne early warning and control capability, air-to-air refuelling capability, alongside an advanced air combat capability.

The Royal Australian Air Force has proven its ability to deploy rapidly, demonstrating strategic reach across the globe. The men and women of the Royal Australian Air Force have done an outstanding job in demonstrating the achievements of air power on the world stage – whether deployed or at home in critical roles over the last decade to make this impressive deployment a reality.

Every Australian should be proud to have such high calibre men and women representing them.