Air Force, Navy pilots train together over Okinawa

US Air Force,

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan: Air Force and Navy pilots are sharpening their aerial combat skills in simulated dogfights and strike missions from March 1 through 21 over Okinawa.

Using the base as a power projection platform, F-15 Eagle pilots from the 67th Fighter Squadron and F-22 Raptor pilots from the deployed 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron are training with Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet pilots from the Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 102.

Tracking the action from their E-3 Sentry aircraft, members of the 961st Air Airborne Control Squadron will direct the simulated airwar.

The F/A-18 pilots are engaging in a high-speed, high-stakes contest of hide-and-seek with F-22s.

Lt. Col. Lansing Pilch, an F-22 pilot and commander of the deployed 27th EFS, said his squadron was honored to introduce the Navy pilots to the F-22. Colonel Pilch said with its state-of-the-art avionics suite, the fifth generation stealth fighter is a force multiplier that increases the capabilities of other fighter jets.

“The Super Hornet is an impressive, versatile aircraft,” Colonel Pilch said. “Its wide range of capabilities could complement those of the F-22 extremely well in combat. Our goal with the fifth generation F-22 is to use our enhanced situational awareness to make those around us better. By training together, we will become a more effective joint fighting force.”

The training makes the Navy and Air Force aviators an even more formidable joint team, capable of dominating the skies anywhere and anytime, said Col. Ronald Banks, the 18th Operations Group commander.

“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to fly with our sister service, especially since any contingency we may find ourselves in will be a joint operation,” said Colonel Banks, an F-15 pilot with than 2,000 flight hours.

“Joint training allows us to refine our joint tactics, techniques, and procedures while simultaneously building confidence in our ability to fight together,” the colonel said. “Joint operations are the standard for all future contingencies.”

Capt. Paul Bobnock, 67th FS Weapons and Tactics chief, said the F-15 pilots and F/A-18 pilots took turns playing “blue” friendly and “red” opposing forces during mock air-to-air and air-to-ground training sorties.

A Longview, Texas, resident who has been flying the F-15 for six years, Captain Bobnock said flying with the F/A-18 allows the F-15 pilots to employ different tactics in response to this different airframe.

“We typically train against similar aircraft from our own squadron on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “When I train against dissimilar aircraft, it introduces the unexpected.”

It is imperative for fighter pilots to “train like they will fight,” said Navy Capt. Michael Vizcarra, the commander of Fleet Activities Okinawa.

“I cannot overstate its (joint training) importance as all the services bring a variety of warfighting options to the combatant commander, and are typically utilized together to maximize their effects,” Captain Vizcarra said. “The Pacific is the largest (area of operations) on the planet, and the ability of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to coordinate and execute together is an imperative and one that should be constantly exercised to ensure mission accomplishment.”