Aviation Specials - July 2018

The NAWDC building houses a Tactical

Combat Training System (TCTS) room,

which features a ‘God’s eye view’ of the

range airspace. Each of the participating

aircraft carries a P5 TCTS datalink pod to

track their position for the ground

controllers. ‘The TCTS controller gives us

SA [situational awareness] via BRA

[bearing, range and azimuth] and

bullseye cuts because we have limited

radar and sensor capability in the F-5. It’s

about listening to them and building a

picture in your head. Some of the pilots

here are more pro cient with the radar,

some prefer to look outside — but it’s

mainly used for cueing to get your eyes in

the right piece of sky when you get close.’

The visiting  eet squadrons do most of

their simulator training back at home

base — coming to Fallon is all about the

live  ying. Holeski says the simulator is

great for being able to ‘ re’ missiles and

it enables some of the training safety

rules to be relaxed — however, most at

Fallon agree that nothing beats live

 ying. It’s about striking a good balance

for an e ective combination of both.

Enduring ‘Saints’

The F-5Ns provide the Navy and Marine

Corps with an ideal, low-cost, easy to

maintain adversary platform. They are

suited to replicating older third-

generation  ghters, such as the MiG-21,

but they work closely with the TCTS

ground controllers to be able to simulate

pretty much anything that’s out there by

using analysis of weapons engagement

zones across a range of capabilities.

The Fallon work-ups see contractor air

support brought in when increased

numbers are required. ‘It’s in the

higher-end phases,’ says Gottschalk, ‘but

we don’t spend a lot of time working

with contract air support, that’s

more NAWDC.’

The move to the F-35C Lightning II is

likely to see the VFC units looking to

blend the F-5’s capabilities with an in ux

of F/A-18s, but that’s still to be decided.

The mass of ‘Red Air’ is set to remain

important in order to truly tax the eager

Lightning II aviators. In the meantime,

more ex-Swiss Air Force Tiger IIs are

likely to become available to help

underpin the likes of VFC-13, as it

supports the feet with its unique range

of services.

Above: With their

nose wheels

extended, a

three-ship of

F-5Ns throttles

up ready to

depart Fallon.

Below: The vast,

desolate Fallon

ranges, in this

case near Gabbs,

in the southern

part of the

operating area.

US NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018

VFC-13 ‘FIGHTING SAINTS’^65

58-65 VFC-13 C.indd 65 01/06/2018 11:50