Combat Aircraft – August 2019

academic phase known as ‘Diamond

Sage’ in Canberra. Exercise ‘Diamond Seas’

followed as an integration exercise, held

at RAAF Pearce, Western Australia, and

incorporating navy and army elements in

maritime scenarios.

This was followed by an air event

centered on defensive counter-air

(DCA) — Exercise ‘Diamond Shield’

— conducted from RAAFB Amberley,

Queensland and RAAFB Williamtown,

New South Wales, from March 11-29.

The culminating exercise of ‘AWIC19’,

‘Diamond Storm’, was held in May from

RAAFB Darwin and Tindal in the Northern

Territory and focused on o ensive

counter-air (OCA) tactics.

‘Diamond Shield’

The three-week ‘Diamond Shield’ saw

nearly 80 participating aircraft  ying in

two daily waves of missions. Under the

bilateral Enhanced Air Co-operation

(EAC) initiative, the USAF deployed

signi cant air assets to support both

‘Diamond Shield’ and ‘Diamond Storm’.

The majority of the aircraft operated from

Williamtown, including home-based

F/A-18A/B Hornets as well as F/A-18F

Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers

from Amberley. The exercise took place

over the Tasman Sea, stretching from

the waters outside Newcastle all the way

north to Byron Bay some 450km away.

Forming the core of ‘Red Air’ adversaries

were 10 F-16Cs from the Paci c Air Forces’

(PACAF’s) 18th Aggressor Squadron.

Coming in from Exercise ‘Cope North’ in

Guam, the aggressors were a long way

from their home at Eielson AFB in Alaska.

This was the fourth visit the aggressors

have made to Australia to provide

adversary support for the RAAF.

Squadron commander Lt Col Jason

‘Majik’ Monaco told Combat Aircraft,

‘Working together with the exercise

control team from No 88 Squadron,

we provide an OCA style-mission for

the RAAF weapons school course. In

the scenario, we  y a package of strike

and escort aircraft to attack notional

Above: An

aggressor ‘Viper’

recovers from

a ‘Diamond

Shield’ sortie. Its

rudder had been

scavenged from

a ‘Blue Flanker’-

scheme aircraft.

Inset: Lt Col Jason

‘Majik’ Monaco,

squadron

commander of

the 18th AGRS.

http://www.combataircraft.net // August 2019 79

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