AirForces Monthly – September 2019

he ‘Stingers’ departed

Belgium on June 3 and

returned on June 14. The

Corsican trip was part of a typically

busy schedule for the squadron, which

has been heavily involved in frontline combat

in the past decade, including deployments

for operations over Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and

Syria, as well as meeting NATO air defence

responsibilities under the Baltic Air Policing

mission. The squadron deployed to Corsica with

a total of five of its Block 15 F-16AM airframes.

Located in the Mediterranean between the

southeast of the French mainland and the west

coast of Italy, Corsica is home to a NATO tactical

training centre and a French Air Force helicopter

liaison unit at Base Aérienne 126 Ventiseri-

Solenzara, construction of which dates back

to World War Two. While at Solenzara, the

Belgian squadron flew 72 sorties and more than

90hrs of flying time. This intensive activity gave

each pilot an opportunity to fly between seven

and nine sorties across the whole exercise.

Deployed operations

The ‘Stingers’ arrived in the Mediterranean

with multiple objectives. A major goal was to

assess the squadron’s ability

to get up to speed and then

start generating sorties from

a deployed operating base

(DOB). This required thorough

preparation and co-ordination

with the host nation. The squadron

knows only too well from past

experience that it may be required to

deploy anytime, anywhere around the globe.

After the five 1 Squadron Fighting Falcons

touched down on the first Monday of the

exercise, the unit was able to fly its initial

training missions just three hours later, using

different pilots to the ferry flight. (Four jets

were used for regular sorties during the

exercise and one served as a spare.) This

proved the squadron was well prepared and

ready to meet its objectives. Mechanics,

pilots and support staff all played their part

in a successful endeavour, and the ‘Stingers’

completed 97% of their planned sorties.

Another aim was to boost morale within the

squadron, achieved by lodging and working

together on base, without outside interference,

throughout the two weeks. In this way, 1

Squadron personnel were ideally positioned

to better understand each

other’s roles, including limiting

factors as well as uncovering

potential new capabilities.

Dogfi ghts over the Med

Once in the air, the main flying

aspiration was to perform basic

fighter manoeuvres (BFM) using infrared

decoys (flares). Each day, the squadron

carried out five BFM missions organised in

three waves and involving ten of its pilots. The

‘Stingers’ departed the airfield in two- or four-

ship formations. BFM sorties were carried

out with different numbers of attacking and

defending aircraft, including 2-v-2, 2-v-1 and

1-v-1 battles. Pilots operated at a variety

of altitudes and airspeeds, and included

3K, 6K, 9K and ‘butterfly’ manoeuvres.

During a 3K manoeuvre, the attacking aircraft

starts 3,000ft behind the defending aircraft.

Starting at this short distance, the attacker

already has their opponent in the ‘control zone’,

so the pilot is capable of engaging missiles

and is within effective range to fire the F-16’s

20mm Vulcan gun. With this in mind, the task

for the defending pilot is to vacate this zone.

Solenzara Stingers

with the host nation. The squadron

experience that it may be required to

to better understand each

other’s roles, including limiting

factors as well as uncovering

potential new capabilities.

Dogfi ghts over the Med

Once in the air, the main flying

aspiration was to perform basic

fighter manoeuvres (BFM) using infrared

T

N ATO

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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 51

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