become colloquially known as ‘Patch
Wearers’ in light of their coveted shoulder
patch that stands them out as tactical
system experts, weapons instructors
and leaders.
The Weapons School consists of 19
Weapons Squadrons at nine locations
across the US. Twelve squadrons are
based at Nellis including the 433rd WPS,
which ies both the F-22 and the F-15C.
The mission of the Weapons School is
to produce the lead instructors, the
trusted advisors, for the commanders to
help raise the level for excellence for
everybody within a squadron. They must
pass the demanding ve-and-a-half
months of academics and platform-
speci c instruction to become aWeapons O cer. That culminates in the
Integration Phase (WSINT — known as
‘Wizint’). They take their platform
knowledge and apply it across the
spectrum of capabilities, that way, when
they get back to their squadrons, not
only do they know how to raise the bar
for each community, but they also
understand their speci c platform’s
importance and role within the wider Air
Force and how to best maximise all those
capabilities in an operational
environment.CANDIDATE SELECTION
Lt Col Huebinger spent three years at the
433rd WPS as an instructor, before he
returned here and became the DO andAbove: The 433rd
WPS includes
instructors who
are among the
most experienced
Raptor pilots.
Jamie Hunter
Left: Early
missions during
the course see
F-22s going
up against
each other in
basic ghter
manoeuvres.
Jamie Hunter
Right page
clockwise: With
the Las Vegas
skyline in the
distance, a pair
of F-22s from
the Weapons
School recovers
to runway 03L.
Jamie Hunter
A Weapons
School F-22
recovers to Nellis
following a
morning mission.
Jamie HunterWith the
famous Sunrise
Mountain in the
background an
F-22 student
taxies out for a
mission.
Jamie Hunter‘THE F 22
BEING A PREMIER
AIR TO AIR
PLATFORM, WE
ARE ONE OF THE
CONSUMERS
THAT REQUIRE
THE GREATEST
NUMBER OF
ADVERSARY
AIRCRAFT.
THE CURRENT
SITUATION IS THAT
IT’S DIFFICULT
TO SCHEDULE
THE NUMBERS
OF ADVERSARY
AIRCRAFT THAT
WE’D LIKE AT
TIMES’
LT COL BRAD HUEBINGER
(^74) RAPTOR
72-81 Weapons School C.indd 74 28/09/2017 15:01