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11 Mar 22. US, JMSDF Conduct 1st Training Torpedo Exercise in Japanese Waters. Aircrews from the “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, the “Warlords” of HSM 51, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) “Mighty 59” of Air Development Squadron (VX) 51 conducted anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedo training in Tokyo Bay, March 8-10. This training was the first time the U.S. Navy launched an inert training torpedo with JMSDF into Japanese waters, which was subsequently recovered by JMSDF Utility Landing Ship JS Yusotei 2-go (LCU 2002). Prior to this event, every torpedo exercise conducted by a forward-deployed squadron was conducted in San Diego. The benefit of this particular ASW exercise is that the forward-deployed squadron was able to practice within the region they operate in, while also strengthening bilateral capabilities between U.S. Navy and JMSDF.
“This is the first step in an effort that started with the establishment of the first FDNF squadron, ‘The Warlords’, back in 1991,” said Cmdr. Nicholas Cunningham, HSM-77’s commanding officer. “This exercise demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s and JMSDF’s continued partnership and commitment to protecting the waterways of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The ‘Saberhawks’ are incredibly grateful for all of the multi-agency support we received from Naval Munitions Command, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Commander Carrier Strike Group 5, and Commander U.S. 7th Fleet. CFAY and NAFA have taken a major step forward in supporting local ASW training opportunities between the U.S. Navy and JMSDF.”
The exercise involved a inert torpedo being launched from an MH-60R Seahawk attached to HSM-77. The torpedo was recovered by a small boat team from the JMSDF Utility Landing Ship JS LCU 2002. An SH-60K assigned to VX-51 provided air support for the small boat team.
“Continuing to grow interoperability with our JMSDF partners is a priority for the ‘Warlords’,” said Cmdr. Timothy E. Rogers, HSM-51 commanding officer. “This ASW exercise enabled us to take a collective step forward in that regard, but more importantly assess how effective we are in bilateral ASW prosecution.”
HSM-77 and HSM-51 are forward-deployed to Naval Air Facility Atsugi and embark aboard multiple ships in the 7th Fleet area of operations.
VX-51 is a squadron in the Fleet Air Force of the JMSDF based in Atsugi, Japan. This event builds on the first of its kind bilateral Anti-Submarine Warfare tracking exercise that HSM-51 and VX-51 flew together in October.
U.S. 7th Fleet exercises operational control of its units through designated Task Forces or Task Groups. These groups are organized along domain and functional lines. CTF 70 is theater strike warfare commander and theater air and missile defense commander.
CTF 70 is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. 7th Fleet is the largest forward-deployed fleet in the world, and with the help of and network of alliances and partners from 35 other maritime nations, the U.S. Navy has operated in the Indo-Pacific region for more than 70 years; providing credible, ready forces to help preserve peace and prevent conflict. (Source: ASD Network)
17 Mar 22. Inzpire Limited Conclude Delivery of Uncrewed Air Systems and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operational Concepts Training to the Belgian Ministry of Defence. Experts from Inzpire’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Division have delivered a week-long Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) and ISR Operational Concepts training course to ten senior military procurement managers from across Belgian defence.
Participants included senior leaders from operational commands and managers from the Material Management Organisation with air, land and naval components represented in the student cohort.
The course was designed bespoke to the customer’s requirements using topics and modules from Inzpire’s portfolio of training courses. The curriculum included a variety of topics including: UAS/Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) roles; missions and technical characteristics; ISR fundamentals and targetable signatures; UAS electronic warfare systems; UAS communications and tactical datalinks; Processing Exploitation and Dissemination (PED); and threats to UAS.
Inzpire’s instructors taught students the skills and knowledge required in order to make strategic decisions around the requirements management and purchase of future UAS and RPAS. The learning culminated in a practical exercise designed to formulate and analyse UAS requirements and technical solutions from an operational perspective.
Dan Marshall, Deputy Head of ISR Division at Inzpire, said: “I am delighted that Inzpire’s ISR Division has been given this fantastic opportunity to support Belgian Defence by providing this training package which was designed to provide UAS military supply chain managers with critical knowledge of the ISR processes from an operator’s perspective.
“The procurement specialists who studied this course will now be able to make informed decisions on the selection of future UAS equipment and understand the wider requirements needed for the capability to be operationally effective. This task-focused approach will help build requirements through an understanding of ISR targets and sensor-to-target matching and allow for the identification or required parameters for the air platform and associated systems.
“The investment in this valuable education by Belgium Defence will support their UAS procurement process for a number of capabilities ranging from small, soldier-packable UAS up to large, medium altitude and long endurance RPAS. Inzpire would relish the opportunity to further support Belgium Defence with training and technical support for their UAS programmes in the future, especially as key European partners in the MQ-9B programme.”
Frédéric Wilmotte, Head of the Belgian Defence UAS Program Management Office, said: “We would like to say a big thank you to the Inzpire instructors for sharing their vast knowledge and experience in the field of UAS ISR.
“This course has been a great opportunity for the Belgian Defence UAS community.”
Inzpire’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division
Inzpire’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division delivers expertise in the crewed and uncrewed ISR domain through an expert team with over 35,000 operational flying hours across a range of platforms. The division’s capabilities span training design and delivery; operational managed services; consultancy and expert advice in all aspects of the ISR capability life cycle, from requirement capture and definition through to platform concepts of operation, training and operations.
Most of the division’s experts are Qualified Weapons Instructors in ISR and more than half retain currency in their capacity as RAF Reservists to deliver and support frontline ISR and RPAS operations. This ensures Inzpire’s ISR experts retain a solid understanding of what ISR practitioners need at all stages in the careers.
Inzpire’s Training Academy
Inzpire’s Training Academy delivers training across a range of subject areas: air and space operations; air-land integration; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors; unmanned air operations; tactical helicopter training; advanced technology and analysis training; cyber operations; electronic warfare; intelligence and analysis; and human factors and performance.
The Training Academy offers flexibility to suit the needs of the customer. Training can be delivered at either Inzpire’s headquarters in Lincoln or at a location to suit those studying, with many courses also available online through Inzpire’s own virtual learning environment.
Inzpire Limited
Founded in 2005, Inzpire is a multi-award-winning supplier of advanced defence training, technical services and cutting-edge mission systems. The company is a trusted partner of the UK MOD and employs highly experienced former military personnel who work alongside defence engineers and business professionals to deliver operationally credible solutions to military, private and public sector customers. Find out more at www.inzpire.com.
15 Mar 22. US Army conducts training with hypersonic ground equipment. The US Army has conducted a series of ground manoeuvres with the Long Range Hypersonic System, and established its firing capability at the Joint Base Lewis McChord, near Tacoma, Washington.
The Bravo Battery soldiers with 5th Battalion, 3rd Artillery, 17th Field Artillery Brigade conducted the exercises that included ground movement and round transfers of the system.
5-3FA battalion executive officer Major Andrew Cotter said: “We’re incredibly proud of the work that the soldiers of Bravo Battery have done these past six months.
“This culminating exercise represents months of hard work and dedication by not just the battalion, but across the entire fires enterprise. The soldiers of Bravo Battery are fielding a first-of-its-kind system, and informing doctrine that will last for years to come.”
The unit was equipped with the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon last year.
The land-based system is the country’s first prototype hypersonic ground equipment that can be used to destroy time-critical and high-value targets. It is said to be extremely accurate, fast, and manoeuvrable.
According to a US Army statement, the Bravo Battery finalised their new equipment training (NET) procedures, completing a two-round hypersonic mission planning package, and round transfer.
The primary objectives were air transportation drills, security procedures, canister reload operations, emplacement of equipment, and conducting fire missions.
Bravo Battery Commander Captain Austen Boroff said: “Early hands-on training allows us to develop the pre-requisite tasks and techniques to be successful in the future. (Source: army-technology.com)
15 Mar 22. UK Armed Forces join largest Arctic exercise in 30 years. Six Royal Navy ships and 2,000 UK personnel have joined vessels and troops from 26 other nations for Exercise Cold Response off the shores of Norway Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has taken its place at the centre of one of the most powerful naval task forces in the world at the start of the largest Arctic exercise for 30 years. HMS Prince of Wales, which is currently serving as NATO’s command ship, has sailed north to the Arctic for Exercise Cold Response 2022, a month-long test of allied forces which will see 30,000 troops from 27 nations operate together. The regular exercise, which takes place every other year and planning for which began in December 2020, will involve more than twice as many personnel as the 14,000 planned for in Exercise Cold Response 2020. During the weekend, a task force of 25 ships from 11 nations gathered close to Norway at the start of the training, including six Royal Navy ships and more than 2,000 UK military personnel.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The Arctic is becoming an area of increasing military competition and the security of the region is directly linked to our national security.”
Exercise Cold Response is a demonstration of NATO’s ability to both operate and compete in one of the harshest environments in the world and is demonstration of how a multinational force would defend Europe’s northern flank.
HMS Prince of Wales joined the Cold Response task force shortly after air defence exercises in the North Sea alongside four of the UK’s F-35B Lightning jets from 617 Squadron, the Dambusters, on Friday 11 March.
The jets from RAF Marham took part in an air battle exercise, which was orchestrated by two Royal Navy fighter controllers on HMS Prince of Wales in the skies over the east of the UK and in the North Sea.
The F-35B jets were pitted against eight ‘aggressor’ aircraft, allowing them to hone tactics between ship and fighter jets.
As HMS Prince of Wales continued her journey north to the Arctic, the RAF’s 207 Squadron carried out a flypast with two of their F-35B jets while the aircraft carrier sailed alongside USS Mount Whitney and USS The Sullivans.
Commander UK Strike Force embarked in HMS Prince of Wales is responsible for leading NATO’s Maritime High Readiness Force – an international task group formed to deal with major global events – and deploys for the first time in that role to Cold Response.
Alongside landing support ship RFA Mounts Bay, HMS Albion leads the UK’s amphibious input into Cold Response, with “a significant level” of littoral strike operations – traditional-style commando raids – staged in the fjords, with the British force integrating with numerous allies.
Around 900 Royal Marines have been deployed to the Arctic since January in preparation for the exercises, sharpening their expertise in operating in the freezing conditions.
While HMS Prince of Wales works on Cold Response, her sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth is carrying out vital training and exercises in the waters close to the UK to keep her ready for operations anywhere in the world. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
10 Mar 22. French NATO Response Force (NRF) military personnel began arriving in Norway on Wednesday 9th for Exercise BRILLIANT JUMP 22 (BRJU22).
French military troops and equipment began arriving in southern Norway on Wednesday, Mar. 9, 2022, where they will participate in NATO Exercise BRILLIANT JUMP 2022.
The contingent, part of the Franco-German Brigade and the NATO Response Force (NRF), arrived at Gardermoen Air Station, Norway’s military air base. The base, located 50 kilometres north of the capital city of Oslo, is the home of the Norwegian Royal Air Force’s 135th Air Wing and 335 Squadron.
Soldier from the French Defence Health Service arrives in southern Norway on Wednesday, Mar. 9, 2022 [NATO: DEU Sgt Justine Fischer]
Among the initial arrivals were soldiers from the French Defence Health Service, the 13th Battalion Chasseur Alpins (Alpine Hunters) and the Etat Major Battalion France- Allemagne (Staff of the Franco-German Battalion). They arrived on a military flight from Châteauroux Airport in central France.
After disembarking, the soldiers were given a short briefing and a cup of coffee as they waited to enter the next location where they were administered COVID-19 tests before departing for their exercise locations. During the exercise, approximately 2,000 French troops will be based at various locations throughout the country.
The Rapid Reaction Corps France, one of 9 NATO Rapid Reaction Corps, will operate out of Lillehammer, while the French Counter-Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Task Force will be located in Elverum. The Franco-German Brigade land component command post of the NRF’s Very High Readiness Brigade in Norway will conduct business out of Rena.
BRILLIANT JUMP 22, under the leadership of Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands, is designed to improve interoperability, readiness and mobility amongst NATO forces.
Following the exercise some of the French troops will remain in Norway to participate in the Norwegian-led exercise COLD RESPONSE. The aim of COLD RESPONSE is to train Allies under challenging climatic conditions, enhancing the readiness and capabilities of participating forces. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
11 Mar 22. RAAF commences intensive air warfare training. Personnel are gearing up for a six-month course aimed at bolstering air warfare capability.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has kicked off the 2022 Diamond series of exercises for the third biennial Air Warfare Instructor Course (AWIC).
The six-month course of intensive training involves integrating warfighting functions across a range of specialisations, with the aim of providing commanders with the opportunity to build integrated air, space and cyber capabilities.
Exercise director, Group Captain Matthew Harper, said the course would also improve RAAF’s interoperability with the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and international partners.
“AWIC22 encompasses a range of academic activities and practical exercises tht expose the candidates to complex scenarios,” GPCAPT Harper said
“The course is tailored to meet the specific requirements of RAAF capability, aimed at broadening and improving their skills, graduating knowledgeable, approachable and expert warfighters.
“Establishing high-end warfighting scenarios ensures that on completion, theair warfare instructors can apply their newly developed skills in assisting RAAF to deliver air power as part of the joint force.”
The RAAF has already wrapped up the first of the AWIC exercises, Exercise Diamond Seas, held in Rockhampton, Shoalwater Bay Training Area and Yeppoon, Queensland last month.
Exercise Diamond Seas provided AWIC personnel with air-maritime integration training.
Diamond Shield is set to be the second of the AWIC training exercises, expected to commence off the east coast of Australia, followed by Exercise Diamond Storm in the Northern Territory. (Source: Defence Connect)
10 Mar 22. Ohio National Guard’s 180FW participates in ARCTIC EDGE 22 exercise. ARCTIC EDGE is a US Northern Command exercise conducted every two years. F-16 Fighting Falcons, assigned to the Ohio National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing, sit on the flightline after a snowfall at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Credit: Staff Sgt. Kregg York/ US Indo-Pacific Command. Ohio National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing (180FW) in the US is taking part in Exercise ARCTIC EDGE 2022 in Alaska.
Around 100 Airmen and eight F-16 Fighting Falcons from 180FW have reached Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska to participate in the biennial exercise.
Commenting on the differences in training in Alaska and Ohio, 180FW F-16 fighter pilot major Jacob Laginess said: “You have to take into account the mountainous terrain.
“The weather can get colder here, so that is more of a concern, especially the farther north you go. It’s not quite like home.”
ARCTIC EDGE is a US Northern Command exercise conducted every two years. The first edition took place in 2018.
The multinational, multi-service exercise uses training locations available throughout Alaska to offer realistic and effective training for participants thereby honing their capabilities to operate in the Arctic.
The three-week drill is slated to continue to 17 March.
Overall, around 1,000 personnel are expected to participate in ARCTIC EDGE, including US and Canadian service members, US Coast Guardsmen, and government employees from the US Department of Defense and Canada’s Department of National Defence.
Maintenance lead for the 180FW during ARCTIC EDGE 2022 Senior Master sergeant Mark Close said: “It’s always awesome to come to a place like this.
“To work with multiple services, Navy, Marines, and other Air Force entities, putting our unit on display, showcasing our talents and what we bring as the Guard and as the 180FW.”
Last month, the US and Bangladeshi air forces participated in Exercise Cope South 22. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
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About InVeris Training Solutions
InVeris Training Solutions combines an agile approach with an unmatched expertise in training technology to design and deliver customized, cutting-edge, first-rate training solutions that keep military, law enforcement and commercial range customers safe, prepared and ready to serve – Because Seconds Matter™. With a portfolio of technology-enabled training solutions, and a team of 400 employees driven to innovate, InVeris Training Solutions is the global leader in integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training solutions. With its legacy companies, FATS® and Caswell, InVeris Training Solutions has fielded over 15,500 live-fire ranges and 7,500 virtual systems globally during its 95-year history. The Company is headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia and partners with clients in the US and around the world from facilities on five continents.
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