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The Commanding Officer of No. 6 Squadron has hailed the experience gained by RAAF personnel taking part in the Red Flag training exercise in Nevada.
Wing Commander Steven Thornton said the “threat replication” at the Nevada Test and Training Range was some of the most advanced in the world.
First hosted in 1975, this year’s iteration took place between 23 January to 10 February and involved close to 100 aircraft and 3,000 coalition service members.
Australia sent five of its F/A-18G Growlers, an electronic attack aircraft designed to fly over enemy bases and jam their defences.
RAAF Growler crews worked alongside a range of aircraft, including United States Air Force F-22A Raptors, United States Marine Corps F-35Bs and Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons, to build interoperability between the partner nations while also getting an up-close idea of how their respective platforms performed in combat scenarios.
“The Growler provides a unique capability within the battlespace by disrupting, deceiving or denying a broad range of military electronic systems, including radar and communications,” said WGCDR Thornton.
“The opportunity to exercise with both the United States and the Royal Air Force in this environment is significant.”
US Air Force’s 414th Combat Training Squadron Commander, Colonel Jared Hutchinson, said Red Flag built readiness.
“From the very first day that the participants show up, they get just about the hardest scenario that we can put together,” he said. “None of the problems are now solvable by an F-16, an F/A-18 or an F-35.
“You need an integrated and team solution, across cyber, across space, across the coalition, to solve it. Nobody can do it themselves.”
The RAAF has a fleet of 11 Growlers, operated by No. 6 Squadron and based at RAAF Base Amberley. The first only arrived in 2017.
