Fallon flying
VFA-103 came to Fallon having just
completed an air-to-air weapons camp
at Tyndall AFB, Florida. This enabled the
squadron to validate its weaponeering
via live AIM-9M/X and AIM-120
AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range
Air-to-Air Missile) shots. ‘We fired a lot of
missiles down there,’ comments Craig.
‘it was part of the work-up syllabus, but
with some very basic sorties we just
take off, fly the profile and shoot the
missile.’ While some of the unit’s work-
up process is completed in a synthetic
environment, most is live flying. ‘We do
more in the simulator now compared
with a few years ago,’ he adds.
Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic
sends instructors to oversee the various
phases of work-up. These TOPGUN
graduates will typically join each event,
flying in the formation to gain a first-
hand appreciation of how the squadron
is progressing. Craig said, ‘Right now
we are about to launch an urban CASLCDR Craig’s jet
toting AIM-120
AMRAAMs.Above: ‘Jolly
Rogers’ skipper
CDR Westphall,
wearing the Joint
Helmet-Mounted
Cueing System
(JHMCS), goes
through pre-start
checks at Fallon.[close air support] event over the city of
Fallon. The instructors will go into the
city with our JTACs [joint terminal attack
controllers] on the radios and come up
with scenarios for the two-ship flying
overhead at 10,000ft. Here it’s about all
the different mission sets.’Ultimately, the SFARP period at Fallon
will build in complexity and see the
squadron getting to a stage where its
crews will be expected to strike a target
in the face of adversary opposition from
the resident F-5Ns of VFC-13 ‘Saints’.
In addition, for VFA-103 specifically46 July 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
UNIT REPORT // VFA-103
42-51 VFA-103 C.indd 46 20/05/2018 11:31