The F-111 Aardvark returned to US skies earlier this year. No, the US Air Force did not bring the long-range strike aircraft out of retirement. Rather, the Royal Australian Air Force deployed six of its still-kickin’ F-111Cs to Nellis AFB, Nevada, for a Red Flag exercise.
In addition to the F-111s from 1 Squadron at RAAF Amberley, seven F/A-18s from 3 Squadron at RAAF Williamtown also deployed to Nellis. Almost 300 RAAF personnel accompanied the thirteen aircraft. According to Gp. Capt. Gavin Davies, the detachment commander, the swing-wing fighters required no aerial refueling during the long deployment from Australia to Nevada. Remarkably, only two fuel stops were required along the way — one at Kwajalein Atoll and the other at Hickam AFB, Hawaii — which speaks to the impressive range of the F-111.
After arriving at Nellis, RAAF aircrews flew range familiarization sorties over the base’s vast bombing and gunnery ranges before the two-week exercise began on 6 February. Once Red Flag 06-1 kicked off, the RAAF F-111 crews flew four-turn-four profiles. The first missions were flown during daylight; the second missions at night.
"Deployments to Red Flag in the United States are an important part of the RAAF long-term tactical training schedule," explains Davies. "The RAAF is committed to participating in future Red Flags. F-111s returning to Nellis is a distinct possibility until the last F-111 is retired and withdrawn from RAAF service." Australian squadrons have participated in Red Flag about every two years since 1980.
Red Flag, hosted by the 414th Combat Training Squadron at Nellis, forms the core of USAF large-force employment training. The 414th conducts war exercises so combat aircrews can train in the most realistic simulated war environment possible. Red Flag is neither a competition between flying units nor a competition between pilots. It is an exercise to conduct airpower training. Participants come from flying units around the US Air Force.
Red Flag spans two-week periods several times throughout the year. During Red Flag 06-1, the first session for the year, the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard participated. Australia and the United Kingdom were the international air forces participating. This exercise also featured first-time participation of international forces operating with US stealth assets, namely the B-2 Spirit and the F-117 Nighthawk. By integrating the participants into large strike packages and flying them against Red forces — highly trained adversaries flying F-15 and F-16 fighters — the realism of Red Flag is unmatched by any other exercise. The participants completed several thousand sorties.
After completing Red Flag, the RAAF F-111s stayed in Nevada for a short period to fly missions in support of other training initiatives. Davies indicated that the Aardvarks flew with the EL/L 8222 electronic warfare jamming pod against threat arrays not available for training in Australia. The six F-111s and associated personnel departed Nellis at the end of February, retracing their deployment route to the United States and arriving back at Amberley on 2 March.
The RAAF is deploying F-111s for two exercises within Australia in 2006, Aces North in May and Pitch Black in July. Aces North lasts five months and trains RAAF aircrews in skills necessary for tactical employments of fast jet aircraft and their weapon systems. Pitch Black, the RAAF’s largest exercise, trains its men and women with representatives from other air forces in the region.
RAAF F-111s will also deploy to Malaysia in September for Exercise Bersama Lima. This major exercise involves air, maritime, and land forces of the Five Power Defense Arrangements: Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
The F-111, which was designed, developed, and produced by General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin, was first delivered to the US Air Force in October 1967. The US Air Force retired the F-111 fleet in 1996. The RAAF has flown the F-111Cs since June 1973. Even though RAAF’s F-111 force is now in the twilight of its service life, the Australians keep the fleet combat ready and the aircrews well trained. The RAAF F-111 fleet will remain a powerful deterrent until a new combat fighter, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, assumes its missions in the next decade.
Andy Wolfe is a Lockheed Martin chase photographer based at Edwards AFB in California.
