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07 Oct 22. UK, New Zealand and Nato forces take part in USAF’s RED FLAG-Alaska 23-1. Red Flag-Alaska is designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment. Personnel and air assets from the UK, New Zealand and Nato are participating in the US Air Force’s (USAF) multilateral exercise RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 23-1. Sponsored by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), the exercise is being conducted from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska between 6 and 21 October.
Participating aircraft include C-130 Hercules aircraft from No. 47 Squadron of the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Nato along with aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) No. 40 Squadron.
USAF RF-A 23-1 team lead major William Hock said: “The Detachment-1 staff is excited to welcome Great Britain, New Zealand and Nato to JBER for this iteration of RF-A.
“We have worked closely with our allies to design and execute a large force exercise to advance joint and international interoperability.”
RF-A’s latest iteration will provide realistic training to the forces in a simulated combat environment.
As part of this ongoing exercise, around 1,000 service members will undertake flying missions as well as maintain and support over 40 aircraft from nearly 15 different units.
Such practices will allow the multilateral participants to exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures, at the same time, enhancing interoperability with each other. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
06 Oct 22. Namibia and Cameroon naval forces participate in UNITAS for first time. For the first time since the inception of the event in 1960, the Namibian and Cameroonian navies participated in the multinational exercise UNITAS this year off the coast of Brazil.
Namibia’s NS Elephant (A11), a Chinese-made multi-purpose ship, and two Cameroonian patrol boats, CNS Le Ntem (P108) and CNS La Sanaga (P109), took part in UNITAS LXIII, which was held from 8 to 22 September.
Air Marshal Martin Kambulu Pinehas, chief of the Namibian Defence Force, told Janes that the two navies have “enjoyed sound relations in maritime affairs since 1994, when the naval co-operation agreement was signed in Namibia” between the two governments. (Source: Janes)
05 Oct 22. Advanced Technology to Modernize Training for the Future Force.
- Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions and General Dynamics Mission Systems Continue to Enhance the Synthetic Training Environment with 81-Millimeter Mortar Instrumentation
Cubic Corporation’s Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions (CMPS) division’s M252 81-mm instrumented mortar system, developed in partnership with General Dynamics Mission Systems, recently completed demonstrations and test activities at Fort Hood that support Soldier Touch Point 3. The system will enable the Soldier to gather iterative performance feedback and robust data to meet and refine requirements, providing state-of-the art technology for emulated munition capabilities.
“As emerging threats increase the complexity of the mission, proper training for Soldiers becomes a greater priority. Our solutions continue to modernize training and enhance situational awareness for the warfighter,” said Jonas Furukrona, vice president and general manager of CMPS’ Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) Training. “M252 81-mm technology answers the call at command level as well as on the ground.”
An effective fighting force will reinforce talent with the technology that advances training for the warfighter to the next level. The M252 81-mm solution is a new indirect fire training system that uses geo-pairing to deliver accurate ballistic munition trajectories and terminal effects during live, force-on-force training exercises. The system will enable Soldiers to gather iterative performance feedback and robust data collection to meet and refine requirements. The M252 81-mm solution results in a realistic training environment that forges Soldiers into the battle-capable fighting force of the future. The technology produces next-level data gathering and enhanced fighting capabilities. Leaders will be training a precise, efficient and deadly force. How the Army is using advanced technology to modernize training. (Source: ASD Network)
03 Oct 22. Patrol Squadron Nine Conducts Harpoon Shot while Participating in Atlantic Thunder 2022. Patrol Squadron Nine (VP-9) recently had the unique opportunity to participate in Atlantic Thunder 2022, a joint, multi-phase, multinational exercise designed to increase NATO interoperability and strengthen the United States-United Kingdom strategic partnership. The highlight of the exercise for VP-9 occurred with a coordinated time-on-target strike of the decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate USS Boone.
Various joint and multinational assets collaborated on the Hebrides Deep Sea Range off Scotland’s northwest coast in order to achieve the exercise’s main tactical objective, sinking the decommissioned USS Boone. Combat Air Crew Six (CAC-6) was selected to carry out the coordinated time on target strike portion of the exercise with the AGM-84D Harpoon, an anti-ship missile developed by Boeing. Among the other assets that joined CAC-6 and VP-9 in other phases of the exercise were the Royal Navy’s HMS Westminster and its Agusta-Westland AW159 Wildcat Helicopter, three Royal Air Force Typhoons of the 41st Squadron, one U.S. Air Force McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, and a U.S. Navy submarine. Additionally, range clearance safety was provided by other U.S. P-8A’s from VP-9’s sister squadron, VP-46.
Atlantic Thunder 2022 proved to be a rousing success for all participants, as it not only accomplished all of its primary objectives and sunk the decommissioned USS Boone, but according to the UK’s after action report, the process “achieved several firsts for the U.K. and U.S. in terms of advanced warfighting techniques and delivering complex weapon effects against a realistic target.” Ultimately, the ship formerly known as the USS Boone stood no chance against the “remarkable amount of combined firepower within a short period.” First to hit the ex-Boone were two SM-6 missiles, courtesy of the HMS Westminster. This was followed in short order by the coordinated Harpoon shot conducted by CAC-6 and the HMS Westminster. At precisely 1521Z, the AGM-84D Harpoon launched from the P-8A had a rendezvous with two surface launched AGM-84D Harpoons via the HMS Westminster into the hull of the ex-Boone. The HMS Westminster’s portion of coordinated time on target strike included passive over-the-horizon-targeting generated by U.S. Naval Integrated Fires (NIFE), marking the first time this type of targeting has ever been accomplished against a real life target with multinational collaboration. Raymond O’Toole, Principle Deputy Director, Operational Test and Evaluation from the Office of the Secretary of Defense remarked on this coordinated targeting, stating, “What we’ve demonstrated through this exercise is a new capability–to gain and exchange information for targeting purposes.”
Coordinated time on target shots such as the one conducted by CAC-6 and the HMS Westminster require precise multinational cooperation via detailed planning, communications, and tactical data link employment from multiple nations and services. Successful coordinated shots are remarkably effective in overwhelming a potential combatant’s defenses by delivering rapid amounts of ordnance on target simultaneously and from multiple trajectories and domains. “What we’ve seen in Atlantic Thunder today, is that with Royal Air Force, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Royal Navy all operating together [with] helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, ships, and a submarine, every one of which is capable of going to war tomorrow, we’ve proven it today for the first time in decades in the Atlantic,” summed up Royal Navy Rear Admiral James Parkin.
Following VP-9’s successful coordinated Harpoon shot with the HMS Westminster, the ex-Boone endured several more rounds of punishment from exercise participants. The three RAF Typhoons arrived in short order to deploy four Paveway IV precision guided missiles onto ex-Boone. This was quickly followed by the Wildcat Helicopter’s two Martlet missiles and shortly thereafter two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) dropped by the F-15E Strike Eagle. The sub-launched munition and Explosive Ordnance Disposal live charges delivered the final blow against the ex-Boone, sending her to the depths of the North Atlantic in over 6,500 feet of water.
Notably, the decommissioned USS Boone was prepared and configured specifically to meet stringent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. This was done to mitigate potential adverse effects and keep risk to the environment as low as practicable. In addition to the ex-Boone’s configuration, strict acoustic and visual monitoring from multiple sources on the range ensured that the risk posed by the exercise to marine mammals was extremely low.
VP-9’s contribution to Atlantic Thunder 2022 was critical to the exercise’s overall success and demonstrated the P-8A’s and MPRF’s ability to provide long range, coordinated strike capability in the maritime domain, with the added challenge of multi-national and multi-service planning and coordination.
Commanded by Cmdr. James J. Donchez, and based out of NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, the 279 Sailors assigned to Patrol Squadron Nine (VP-9) are currently deployed to the Sixth Fleet AOR and operate the P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft. (Source: ASD Network)
30 Sep 22. US Army deploys rocket artillery to Latvia for a HIRAIN (HIMARS Rapid Aerial Insertion) during Exercise SILVER ARROW 2022. The US Army has deployed advanced rocket artillery to Latvia as part of a Latvian national exercise. The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, arrived in Latvia on 26 September to participate in Exercise SILVER ARROW 22. The launchers were picked up from Germany by US Air Force MC-130J Commando II transport aircraft based in the United Kingdom; they then flew to Liepāja Airport on the country’s western coast.
HIMARS gives NATO the ability to conduct powerful long-range precision strikes, and the US Army regularly deploys the system to the Baltics to train alongside NATO Allies. In recent years, US Special Operations Command Europe (US SOCEUR) has practised rapidly deploying the system via the UK-based Commando II transports. Should a crisis occur, they will be able to rush HIMARS launchers nearly anywhere in Europe on short notice.
[Footage courtesy Latvian Ministry of Defence]
This Latvian Ministry of Defence NATO footage, released by NATO on 29th September, includes shots of HIMARS rolling off a US MC-130J Commando II transport aircraft before live-firing across the Baltic Sea during Exercise SILVER ARROW. (Source: joint-forces.com)
30 Sep 22. STARCOM concludes first live simulation exercise Black Skies 22. The exercise aimed to enhance the USSF’s command-and-control capabilities of the participants. The US Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) has completed its first live simulation space combat readiness exercise, Black Skies 2022.
Conducted between 19 and 23 September, the exercise aimed to enhance the US Space Force’s (USSF) command-and-control (C2) capabilities.
The development of this exercise took around nine months and was led by the 392d Combat Training Squadron, assigned under USSF’s Space Delta 1, with support of several combat squadrons and Space Operations Command (SOC) units.
It includes National Guard Bureau (NGB), US Air Force’s (USAF) reserves and 25th Space Range Squadron (SRS), under Space Delta 11.
The event allowed the participants to practice C2 of various joint electronic warfare fires in a realistic scenario, by operating real systems.
USSF 392d CTS commander lieutenant colonel Albert Harris said: “This is different from virtual simulation involving real people operating simulated systems, and constructive simulation involving simulated people operating simulated systems.”
Besides, several advanced training ranges were configured by the 25th SRS for this exercise. The stretch of this range was the distance between California and Colorado, with elevation to a point 22,000mi above the Earth. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
30 Sep 22. Troops from 17 Nato allies take part in exercise Silver Arrow. The multinational drills in Latvia were intended to strengthen interoperability among military forces. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) has announced the participation of nearly 4,200 troops from 17 allied nations in Exercise Silver Arrow 2022 held in Latvia. The multinational exercise was intended to strengthen interoperability among the various military forces.
Allies such as Albania, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, the UK, and the US took part in the exercise. The annual drills also saw the participation of Nato’s multinational battlegroup, which is a part of Latvia’s Mechanised Infantry Brigade.
As part of the exercise, combined forces working alongside US Army Europe and Africa deployed two M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
The HIMARS systems were delivered to the location by joint US personnel assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, and the 1st Infantry Division Artillery.
The systems displayed a dry fire drill and a live fire exercise using two reduced-range practice rockets, demonstrating their ability to deploy rapidly in the defence of the alliance.
The quick response exercise was performed in coordination with the Latvian Armed Forces and the Swedish DIVARTY Forces.
Latvian National Guard’s 4th Brigade, 44th Infantry Battalion commander lieutenant colonel Viktors Kareckis said: “It is important to know Nato’s capabilities and to understand what each partner can do, what the United States can do, what the Latvian military can do, and how to better work together.”
Baker Battery, 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade commander captain William A Christner said: “The rockets can fire up to 70km while the guided missile can fire up to 270km.”
“The launcher can roll up to a firing position, acquire its position via GPS and be ready to shoot within 30 seconds.
“One of the advantages the HIMARS has is its mobility. It’s a wheeled vehicle so it’s much faster and can go to a lot more places than a tracked vehicle. It’s also mobile in that it can get on an aircraft and fly to austere airfields to extend its range.” (Source: army-technology.com)
30 Sep 22. US and five allied nations participate in European Partnership Flight event. The event allowed participants to discuss challenges and practices related to F-16 sustainment and operations. The US, along with five allied and partner nations participated in a week-long event to discuss the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft’s maintenance and operations.
The five participant nations included Bulgaria, Poland, Belgium, Portugal and Romania.
The multilateral event, known as European Partnership Flight (EPF), was held in Bucharest, Romania, on 19 September.
It was co-hosted by the Romanian Air Force and the US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).
Other US representatives included the USAF’s 187th Fighter Wing (FW), assigned under Alabama National Guard, Air Force Life Cycle Management Centre (AFLCMC), 31st Maintenance Group, 162nd FW and Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron.
In this event, the military service members from all six countries discussed challenges and suitable practices related to the sustainment and operations of fourth-generation fighter aircraft.
In addition, the officials explored different areas of collaboration for participant nations to support F-16 logistics and training.
This also involved analysis of significant roles and coordination activities between operations, maintenance and munition units.
It was co-hosted by the Romanian Air Force and the US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).
Other US representatives included the USAF’s 187th Fighter Wing (FW), assigned under Alabama National Guard, Air Force Life Cycle Management Centre (AFLCMC), 31st Maintenance Group, 162nd FW and Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron.
In this event, the military service members from all six countries discussed challenges and suitable practices related to the sustainment and operations of fourth-generation fighter aircraft. (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, private and commercial range clients 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 15,000 live-fire ranges and 7,500 virtual systems globally during its 90-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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