Happy Thursday, FighterSweep Fans! As we’ve previously mentioned, the FighterSweep Mafia has journeyed out to scenic Southern Oregon to revel in fantastic levels of both jetwash and the Sound of Freedom!
Exercise Sentry Eagle 2015 has kicked off officially, the airspace coming alive with the skilled precision and lethality of Dissimilar Air Combat Training. The units participating this year are F-15s flown by the 173 FW (Oregon ANG) and 144 FW (California ANG); F-16Cs flown by the 149 FW (Texas ANG), 162 FW (Arizona ANG), and 309 FS (AETC from Luke AFB, Arizona); F-16CJs flown by the 169 FW (South Carolina ANG); U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets from VFA-146 and a single F/A-18F from VFA-154; and finally, a pair of KC-135s from the 141 ARW (Washington ANG) at Fairchild AFB near Spokane. Nine different commands totaling nearly fifty aircraft.
A Block 30 F-16C from the 149 FW, Texas Air National Guard, sits ready at Kingsley Field for the initial sorties of Exercise Sentry Eagle 2015.
The Ops Desk was buzzing with activity as the sun came up, long before the first pilots stepped to their jets. The pace was relentless, with two separate VULs (VULnerability periods), both working through a Defensive Counterair construct. The last aircraft from the second go landed late in the afternoon, bringing to a close what was, essentially, the warm-up phase of the exercise.
Beginning tomorrow, the scenarios become more complex, and each of the participating fighter units will have the chance to work from both offensive and defensive postures. The entire exercise, though based specifically around DACT, offers these Air National Guard units the opportunity to work their integration pictures, working with different units and a variety of platforms as they execute their missions.
A Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet from the “Blue Diamonds” of VFA-146 taxis out for a Sentry Eagle DCA mission.
If you’re in the area keep your eyes open–you’ll see quite the display of combat power. Stay tuned for more Sentry Eagle action, as we’ve got some more fun things coming your way!
(Featured photo by Scott Wolff)