Air Force Magazine. In January, the Air Force will open a new F- 2. USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. At about the same time, it will probably launch a similar course for two unmanned aerial vehicles—the MQ- 1 Predator and MQ- 9 Reaper. Some of the service’s top young operators should begin cycling through the courses now in the final stages of development. Establishment of these new disciplines is a big deal, but the change doesn’t stop there. The Weapons School is undergoing a large- scale rejuvenation. This is expected to be a critical factor in preserving the Air Force’s qualitative combat edge. New aircraft with advanced capabilities—the F- 2. Many systems, such as the B- 5. Air Force Weapons School, held twice a year at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, is grueling, demanding, and very unforgiving. MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Capt. Kari Armstrong, an F-15E Strike Eagle weapon systems officer with the 389th Fighter Squadron, received more than a diploma from the USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB. Other aircraft, such as the Predator and Reaper, essentially went straight from development to combat, with USAF scrambling to maximize their power. A Weapons School F- 2. Nellis AFB, Nev. The Raptor course will begin turning out new F- 2. The graduate patch (inset) is awarded to about one out of every 2. Emery)All of these factors conspire to make the quality of its operators a key Air Force advantage. My Navy Fighter Weapons School (NFWS) Top Gun Class of 1972. Navy Fighter Weapons School 'TOPGUN' Table of Contents Home Prologue Flight Training F-4 Tour. Ironically, years after having become a TOPGUN graduate in 1972. Laser engraved Weapons School 6oz. Grad Patch color flask. Available in 8 colors. USAF 'ATTACK' Weapons School Patch Size: 3 1/4' In Stock: >5 Price: $7.99. This is the USAF 'ATTACK' Weapons School GRADUATE patch worn on the flightsuit. This patch does NOT have velcro attached. I can include some if you. United States Air Force Weapons School Graduate ABU Patch. Your USAF Weapons School Graduate patches are 3.5” tall, and 100% embroidered with Velcro backing. The Air Force is determined to exploit that advantage, which is where the Weapons School comes in. The Weapons School once focused on creating experts in . Today, platform- specific expertise is still developed, but is followed during the 5. Part of the USAF Warfare Center, the Weapons School dates to 1. Aircraft Gunnery School. It rose to its greatest prominence in the 1. Future generals John P. Keys, and other students and instructors worked to improve F- 4 Phantom tactics in response to the frustrating results in Vietnam, and to develop the tactics needed to make the most of the then- new F- 1. Throughout the 1. WICs) for everything from the F- 1. The demands of the Global War on Terror have accelerated the changes. In- House Experts. The goal remains the same, however: Train a cadre of officers who return to their squadrons and become the in- house tactical experts, the masters of integration. Plans for the Predator and Reaper WIC have been turbulent. It was just February when Gen. Michael Moseley, then Chief of Staff, announced the plan for a Weapons School UAV squadron. Since then, the nascent squadron has been scrambling to assemble a cadre of instructors, build a syllabus, and secure access to the necessary equipment. The goal was to run a validation course in the second half of 2. B), with 0. 9A being the first full- up course. In June, however, this plan was deferred by a minimum of six months—a casualty of the surge of Predators and Reapers into the US Central Command war zone. The students and equipment needed to run a UAV weapons course are instead being diverted to the operational units at Nellis and nearby Creech Air Force Base. Turner, commander of the provisional UAV squadron. The F- 2. 2 course also has a problem of too few airplanes. Raptors are spreading out to operational units around the United States, and the 4. Weapons Squadron received its first F- 2. The squadron, which also runs the F- 1. C WIC, has to share Raptors with Nellis’ operational test community, however, because of the Air Force- wide shortage of F- 2. Nine to 1. 3 Raptors with WA and OT tail codes will be shared at Nellis. Hoog, commander, USAF Warfare Center, said the aircraft will all be identically prepared so that they can perform both test and WIC sorties, perhaps on the same day. The number of Raptors at the Warfare Center will fluctuate as aircraft become available and depart again for other assignments. The F- 2. 2 curriculum has been several years in the making, and will run a . Micah Fesler, chief F- 2. The first full- up course will be 0. B. The ultimate goal is to train about four Raptor weapons undergraduates (WUGs) per session, in addition to six F- 1. C WUGs. The F- 2. Eagle share the air dominance mission, which is why they are grouped together. The Raptor course will fly integrated missions with the stealth bombers. The course will teach skill sets, not responses to specific threats. Air superiority and suppression of enemy air defenses/destruction of enemy air defenses . The crew was taking part in a Weapons School live- fire training exercise. Gruenwald)Building a proper F- 2. Air Force’s inventory. Traditional tests don’t necessarily challenge Raptor pilots. A straight- up battle against F- 1. F- 1. 6s isn’t a fair fight, as evidenced by the Raptor’s performance at its first- ever Red Flag exercise last year—when the pilots rang up lopsided victories against the more experienced Red Air force. I can pick and choose who I kill. One of the basics is to overwhelm the students with numbers, said Col. Kindsvater, USAF Weapons School commandant. It is important to put the Raptor pilots into . Raptor pilots will have to learn when to get on the radio to distribute the information their sensors have gathered, and when it is best to just shut up. Small numbers of new aircraft don’t change the fundamental reality that the Weapons School has a much broader group of assets at its disposal than in years past. Today, only 3. 0 percent of the students come from the traditional fighter specialties. Simply getting the needed office space and airspace time over the Nellis Range can be a problem with 1. Crowding does have one undeniable advantage: It helps bring the Weapons School squadrons together, fostering the integration needed to get past platform- centric insularity and the notorious service stovepipes. The F- 1. 5 and A- 1. F- 4 WIC in 1. 97. Anderegg, chief USAF historian, in the book Sierra Hotel. Much of this is accomplished through course work that builds skills useful in all theaters. Improved close air support skills developed for Iraq, for example, are also of use in Korea. Once for fighters only, the school in the 1. Valenca)Solutions and Skills. The various WIC syllabi are updated every year, and many of the changes are made to address the demands of the War on Terror. A look at some of the recent updates illustrates how the school is working to solve immediate combat needs so that graduating . William Betts, one of the F- 1. Three of the scenarios are . Mark Dmytryszyn, B- 5. There is a heavy emphasis on standoff strike and the skills needed in the Pacific Theater, including the overwater mining mission. Gone is training for low- level conventional bombing. C- 1. 30: Missions have taken on a distinct tactical bent. Night- vision goggle landings, arrivals at unimproved assault landing zones, and delivery with the Joint Precision Air- Drop System are all keyed to CENTCOM’s needs. Access into denied or dangerous areas is a priority. KC- 1. 35: The course is now emphasizing combat arrivals and departures and avoiding Stinger- type man- portable missiles. The tankers have no defensive systems and poor situational awareness, so from MANPADS to small- arms fire, . Matt Petro, one of the refueling instructors. Students spend two weeks on these terminal- area threats and learn how to safely move refueling locations as close to the fight as possible. Six C- 1. 30s taxi at Nellis during a Weapons School- sponsored mobility exercise. The C- 1. 30 and C- 1. Stephanie Rubi)HH- 6. High- altitude missions, above 6,0. Afghanistan. Students work with escort aircraft, such as A- 1. F- 1. 5Es, and rescue personnel. In this high- demand field, . The squadron has the ability to train four WUGs per term, but has only been getting two. Space: The Weapons School’s space squadron traditionally prepared students to move into air operations centers, the Joint Space Operations Center, or space command and control squadrons. Now space weapons officers are also being sent to individual space squadrons to serve as experts more akin to the other weapons officers. Training focuses on theater missile defense, CSAR support, and other current missions. Though the UAV WIC is on hold, its goals are clear for when it does stand up. Campo, who was serving as director of operations for the provisional squadron, said UAV assignments were previously one- offs. Rated officers did a tour before returning to their primary aircraft. This made it hard to find expertise in the systems, so one of the goals will be to develop Predator and Reaper experts who will be the . Therefore, all the weapons instructors will be dual- qualified. The Weapons School plans to open courses for the MQ- 9 Reaper, such as this one at Creech AFB, Nev., as well as for the MQ- 1 Predator UAV. For many WUGs, however, the chance to work closely with other platforms is what stands out most about the Weapons School. The course was a rare chance to . Ryan Garlow, a graduate of the 0. A course for KC- 1. He is returning to a squadron that has seen half its assets deployed at all times. There is . Megan Luka, a graduate of the 0. A command and control course. Luka was headed to Robins AFB, Ga., to serve as an E- 8 Joint STARS weapons officer. The graduates are expected to be humble, approachable, and credible—traits that sound self- serving but are actually instrumental to the school’s success. Squadron and group commanders trust their input to solve complex tactical issues, and young lieutenants turn to them for advice and assistance. By the time graduates earn their Weapons School patch, . Getting to that point is not easy. The process begins with selection. Candidates must be instructors, volunteer for the course, and be selected by their wing leadership and a larger selection board. They are typically first lieutenants or captains with five to 1. This demographic means the . Megan Luka, a 2. 00. Weapons School grads. They helped steer her toward the course. Maj. Coyle, Weapons School staff director, said at . Students must manage the battle and master their combat system and how it integrates with others. The ME phase is . Kindsvater, Weapons School commandant. Unlike Red Flag, which is geared toward young wingmen and first- time mission commanders, ME throws the book at the students. Coyle noted that many skills are not exercised on current deployments.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2016
Categories |