A RAF Brize Norton based Voyager is providing a key part of Exercise RED FLAG, the ongoing major exercise run by the United States Air Force in Nevada.
The Voyager detachment including aircrew from both 10 and 101 Squadrons is providing essential air to air refuelling support to the deployed RAF Typhoons of 1 (Fighter) Squadron and 41 TES, together with United States Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.
The exercise for the Voyager aircrew provides vital training as it generates the experience of flying in congested and contested airspace. The simulated combat missions also allow the aircrews and support personnel to integrate fully into complex planning cycles and execute demanding mission profiles, thereby developing interoperability with allies.
For the aircrew they also must overcome the challenge of operating from Nellis Air Force Base, which is surrounded by high terrain that makes handling large aircraft a significant challenge. Not only do the mountains tighten the approaches, but the presence of the international airport requires aircraft to make their final turn to land within only 2.5 miles of the threshold, a pretty tight turn in a large airliner.
Wing Commander Mike Udall the Officer Commanding 101 Squadron, who is flying on the exercise, explained the challenges a Voyager pilot has: “The sharply-rising terrain up to 10,000 feet means that climbing a 200-ton airliner isn’t possible in quite the same way as for the hundreds of fighter jets here.”
“To overcome these challenges all crews have undertaken synthetic training in operating around Nellis. This gives crews a very accurate understanding of topographical layout of the area and approach procedures, making them more familiar with the terrain when it comes to live flying. Each actual departure and approach is carefully scrutinised with regard to the aircraft’s performance for its given weight. This may differ from Air Traffic Control’s plan, meaning continuous liaison with Nellis ATC is essential.”
“Nellis AFB is predominantly a fighter base and therefore Air Traffic Control tend to treat the majority of traffic in this way, although they are sympathetic to our constraints. The focus on visual separation and approaches is another one of Voyager’s main threats when flying from here. All of these challenges are valuable for Voyager Force, but, ultimately, we are here because the Voyager Force has a warfighting ethos and takes its role in supporting fast jet operations very seriously.”
Wing Commander Mike Udall,
Officer Commanding 101 Squadron
The Voyager aircrew are supported by a ground support element of engineers and associated enablers that are a mixture of regular and Sponsored Reserve personnel from the Voyager Force. Led by Chief Technician Simon Bradley, the Line Station Manager, he explained the challenges from an engineering perspective: “For us this is a well-trodden path for Voyager, which means, yes, there are challenges, but they are well understood and so we also have the solutions.”
The Voyager role on Exercise RED FLAG is as a force multiplier. This means that the Voyager is able to keep the fighters in the air for longer periods if needed. As a critical enabler for Combat Air, it is vital that the Voyager crew are fully integrated with the fast jet missions through a full range of communication systems.
On Exercise RED FLAG the ranges in use are relatively close to Nellis AFB and the missions are constrained in length to allow time for briefing and debriefing. By including air to air refuelling, however the endurance of the fast jets are enhanced and the exercise replicates an extremely important element that is crucial on real operations, where the sortie length are often much longer.
The final element of the training that is being delivered for the Voyager Force, is the challenges of operating from a Forward Operating Base. Nellis AFB is playing the part of the FOB and therefore the engineering support elements have to devise the solutions required to conduct operations from Nellis and the communications technicians from RAF Leeming based 90 Signal Unit have also been deployed to provide the critical communications solutions required to enable the integrated communications that Exercise RED FLAG demands.
