Tyndall schools air dominance professionals on LARGER scale

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Vesta M. Anderson
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Approximately 24 aircraft launched from Tyndall's flightline Aug. 1 to protect Apalachicola Airport and Tyndall Air Force Base from "enemy attack" during a large force engagement training exercise.

An LFE exercise provides aircrew real-time, live-flying experience to better prepare them for real-world air-combat missions by pinning "blue air," also known as friendly forces, against "red air," the adversaries.

This LFE exercise, dubbed War Day, was one of the largest LFEs conducted here; 24 blue air fighter jets comprised of eight F-15 Eagles from the 2nd Fighter Squadron, eight F-15s Eagles from the 95th Fighter Squadron and eight F-22 Raptors from the 43rd Fighter Squadron squared off against 16 red air aircraft including Tyndall's eight F-15 Eagles, two F-4 Phantoms, five MU-2 Mitsubishis, and one B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, N.D.


"Large force exercises like this one are critical to maintaining our sharp and credible instructor cadre," said Lt. Col. Kevin Huyck, 95th Fighter Squadron commander and War Day deputy commander. "Planning a complex mission like this one takes weeks, and is excellent instructor continuation training for Team Tyndall."

In addition to honing instructor's skills, LFEs provide student pilots and air battle managers a broader perspective of larger, more complex missions.

"It's about being able to impart (LFE) knowledge and experience to the students we put through Tyndall," said Lt. Col. Mark Hayes, 2nd Fighter Squadron commander and War Day mission commander. "They are used to seeing smaller pieces of the whole picture, but by seeing an LFE, they're able to put together these small pieces. It gives them the motivation to know and do better, and then apply those skills later in their training."

During the exercise, F-15s and F-22s set up base defense air patrols protecting the coastline from attackers, which approached from more than 100 miles south of the Gulf of Mexico. The F-15s, F-4s, MU-2s and B-52 simulated enemy aircraft attempting to attack the airfields.

The scenario presented realistic challenges found in real-world air combat.

"Multiple types of aircraft allow for more effective dissimilar aircraft coordination and training by challenging pilots, controllers and air battle managers to keep track of all the friendly players while determining where the base attack is coming from - and from which simulated enemy aircraft," said Colonel Huyck.

Coordination between the F-15s and F-22s also presented challenges.

"You have to take advantage of each other's strength and weaknesses in a tactical manner; it's something seen in many joint environments," said Colonel Hayes. "They were employed as a cohesive team; sharing data and communications."

Aside from the exercise's size, another unique addition flew directly down from Minot AFB to join in the charades. Flightline personnel watched the skies as the heavy, extended wings of the B-52 flew over Tyndall's airfield later that morning simulating a "striker."

"Having a B-52 as part of the striker package is great," said Colonel Hayes. "Not just because it's not a notional target, but also because it has jamming capabilities, so it makes the mission realistic. That combined with the MU-2s flying at low altitudes where we couldn't see them - it really resembled what real strikers do."

The event went off without a hitch, leaving rumors to echo throughout Tyndall's fighter squadrons of another War Day, this time hopefully with participation from other F-15 and F-22 bases. Either way, Tyndall's instructor cadre schooled their students and brought training to an even higher level.

"Pilots, air battle managers, weapons directors, intelligence, weather and airfield personnel all worked together to make the War Day a huge success," said Colonel Huyck. "Tyndall can sleep well...the Blue Air successfully defended the airfields from attack by the Red Forces. Large Force Employment scenarios like this one keep us focused on our mission to provide Air Dominance for America to fly, fight, and win!"