Karo-Aviation
visit NAS Fallon 2015-3
Article and pictures by Ronald de Roij
NAS Fallon and the Fallon Range Training Complex are the Navy's premier
integrated strike warfare training facilities. Its mission is to support
carrier air wings preparing for deployment and to host joint and
multinational training and exercises.
Known throughout the Navy as the only facility in
existence where an entire carrier air wing can conduct comprehensive
training while integrating every element of the wing into realistic
battle scenarios. Fallon enjoys more than 300 clear flying days per year
and gets the most out of each of those days with its four bombing
ranges, the electronic warfare range and all of its other excellent
training facilities. Making Fallon a one-stop training facility
unequalled by not many other facilities.
Naval Air Station Fallon traces its origins to 1942, As part of the
Western Defence Program, initiated to repel an expected Japanese attack
on the west coast. As the war progressed and the possibility off on
invasion dropped, it became a base to train pilots in a realistic
environment which included the construction off target ranges. In the
years that followed the training facility’s where expanded to their
present form .
In the early 90’s a new hangar, ramp and academic
building were built in 1995 to accommodate the arrival of Navy Fighter
Weapons School (TOPGUN) and Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons
School (Top Dome) from San Diego to Fallon in early 1996. With the
transfer off NAS Miramar to the USMC the Naval Strike and Air Warfare
Centre (NSAWC) was commissioned at Fallon NAS. Combining the functions
of TOPGUN, the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School and the
Naval Strike Warfare Centre into one command. At the same time VFC-13
moved to Fallon replacing VFA-127 in the adversary role.
"The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
really is an umbrella organization that brings together
several schools of excellence with regard to core combat
capabilities, TOPGUN for fighters, CAEWWS (Carrier Airborne
Early Warning Weapons School), HAVOC (Airborne Electronics
Attack Weapons School), JCAS (Joint Close Air Support), and
the rotary wing training school or RWWS " |
NSAWC
Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC)
The NSAWC is the result of the combining of three commands into a
single command in 1996, to enhance aviation training effectiveness. This
came in to effect when the Naval Strike Warfare Center based at NAS
Fallon was joined with the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and the
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (TOPDOME) which both moved
from NAS Miramar as a result of the transfer of NAS Miramar to the USMC.
The mission of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center is identified in
the command brief as follows:
Train Naval Air Forces on advanced tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs)
across all combat missions at the individual, unit, and integrated air
wing levels; develop, validate, standardize, and publish combat TTPs for
Naval Aviation; support naval components and Combatant Commanders with
aviation subject matter expertise; and make recommendations on aviation
warfare requirements.
The NSAWC flies a mixture off F/A-18 Hornets, Super Hornets and
Growlers as well as the F-16 Fighting Falcons , SH-60R/S Seahawk
helicopter and E-2 Hawkeyes to perform these duties.High losses in Vietnam led the Navy to create a special advanced pilot
training school, known as TOPGUN, at NAS Miramar. The result was a
dramatic improvement in the air combat kill ratio against Soviet-trained
North Vietnamese pilots.
In the early ’80s, as the result of a strike in
Lebanon where the Navy lost a couple of airplanes and some airmen it
became clear to the Navy that they had to do the same thing for
integrated warfighting as they did for the fighters with TOPGUN. So the
Strike Warfare Center was created to teach entire air wings how to
integrate all their capabilities. In the same period an E-2 weapons
school (TOPDOME) was established.
Today, NSAWC is the Navy’s primary authority on training and tactics
development, both for specific aircraft and for integrated strike
warfare. In addition to aircrew training, its mission includes aviation
requirements recommendations, research and development priorities for
integrated strike warfare, maritime and overland air superiority, strike
fighter employment, airborne battle management, combat search and
rescue, close air support, and associated planning support systems.
TOPGUN is only one part of what has become the NSAWC.
Subsequently, weapons schools where created for Navy helicopters and the
new EA-18 Growlers electronic warfare/attack aircraft all part of the
NSAWC.
The model for training in Navy tactical aviation is train the trainer;
that starts at the different weapons schools, where they become weapons
and tactics instructors. A typical student comes out of his first fleet
assignment to go through the course. He then goes to one of the weapons
schools, followed by a tour in the fleet as a squadron training officer,
with primary responsibility for tactics and war fighter training. This
is the model for developing tactical skills at a individually level.
On a other level training is given to each individual squadron ,before
they deploy, that has gone through their advanced readiness program. As
they deploy to Fallon with all their weapons and capabilities. The NSAWC
teaches them how to integrate each of those pieces into a whole to do
strike warfare.
This can be done as a single squadron , but is also done
on the level of a complete carrier air wing. During a training like that
a certain number of senior officers will go through an airborne mission
commander syllabus. Those officers, who would plan and lead an actual
strike, have been around long enough to understand other weapons in the
wing, and the NSAWC will show them how to use them all.
Advancing technology, changing threats, and new approaches to the use of
aviation assets in increasingly complex and networked battle theatres
are being reflected in the training now conducted at Fallon. With the
introduction of the F-35 Lightning and pilotless drones to the Navy, the
training scenario will only become more complex in the future.
Aircraft assigned to the Adversary role replicate tactics,
mission profiles as well as markings and insignas of their
near peer adversaries. In order to make training as real as
possible adversaries often sport “splinter” color schemes,
that are inspired by Russian 4th and 5th generation
aircraft, along with traditional camouflaged livery, like
that used by the Russian Naval Aviation. |
NSAWC consists of multiple departments. Personnel Resources (N1) oversees
administrative functions, supply, security, automated information
systems, and first lieutenant. The Intelligence Department (N2) provides
support to air wing training in Fallon as well as to fleets and battle
groups based all over the world. Additionally, N2 contains the CIS
(Computer Information Systems) division. Operations (N3) manages
scheduling for aircraft, aircrew, the training ranges, and keeps aircrew
log books and records. The Maintenance Department (N4) maintains all NSAWC aircraft, including parts and supplies, manages the loading,
unloading and storage of ordnance, and maintains aircrew flight
equipment.
Plans, Programs and Tactics (N5) is involved in tactics development and
assessment for tactical aircraft and H-60 helicopters, program
management and participation, mission planning, and inter/intra service
liaison. N5 is the legacy "Strike U" organization and is headed by a
Naval Aviator who typically fleets up from the N7 dept head position.
The C4I/C2W Department N6 provides graduate-level command, control,
communication, battle management, and electronic reconnaissance training
to E-2 Hawkeye and EP-3 Aries aircrew, joint and combined personnel. N6
department contains the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS)
and the Electronic Reconnaissance Division. CAEWWS conducts the E-2
Advanced Mission Commander Course (AMCC) and Weapons and Tactics
Instructor (WTI) syllabus, as well as the EP-3 Strike Integration
course. In addition to the course of instruction N6 Department conducts,
N6 instructors support the N5 Department as Command and Control
instructors and evaluators during Air Wing Fallon Detachment training
and have been instrumental in the development of requirements for future
Navy C2 systems, such as the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. N6 Department
resides in the Fleet Training Building with the N3, N7, and N8
departments.
The Navy Fighter Weapon School (N7) instructs advanced methods of
strike-fighter employment through the "TOPGUN" Strike Fighter Tactics
Instructor (SFTI) course. It also conducts the Strike Leader Attack
Training Syllabus (SLATS) and Senior Officers Course (SOC); and manages
air wing power projection training. N7 personnel retain the traditional
light blue T-shirts and light brown leather nametags worn by TOPGUN
personnel and have their own spaces (shared with N6 and N8) separate
from the main NSAWC building that house the heritage of TOPGUN legacy in
forms of Photos and other memorabilia. The NSAWC F-16 aircraft sport the
TOPGUN patch on the tail.
The Navy Rotary Wing Weapons School (N8) instructs graduate-level rotary
wing employment through the "SEAWOLF" Seahawk Weapons and Tactics
Instructor (SWTI) course. It also conducts the Strike Leader Attack
Training Syllabus (SLATS), Senior Officers Course (SOC), assists N5 with
airwing training, and manages the Navy's Mountain Flying Course.
Operational Risk Management/Safety Department (N9) manages
air-and-ground related safety programs as well as medical training
programs.
The fixed wing assets and rotary wing assets
from the air wings work and train together at other times
during a workup cycle, and in other locations, but NAS
Fallon is the only place where they can come together to
train on an instrumented Navy range |
One of the last schools to be activated is the
Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School (N10) is the EA-18G Growler
weapons school and conducts the "HAVOC" Growler Tactics Instructor
course. NSAWC's AEAWS department will provide training to the fleet’s
electronic attack squadrons with the techniques, tactics and procedures
to ensure aviation superiority in the electronic attack and air-to-air
arena.
NSAWC has been working closely with Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island,
Wash., and Commander Electronic Attack Wing Pacific (COMVAQWINGPAC)
toward the goal of establishing a training center at Fallon since
2006. The actual training started in October 2009, when the first instructors show up to start
creating the course. Once they got the airplanes to validate all the work they've
done including building scenarios, flights, simulations and lectures the
program really started in 2011.
Growler training at NSAWC will be similar to the older EA-6B "Prowler"
training program, "the Growler is basically an ICAP III Prowler
stuffed inside an FA-18F", with emphasis on electronic
attack protection and the inclusion of Top Gun lectures
covering the air–to-air arena. |
The number off schools will always be changing as
others systems are integrated in the US Navy like the F-35C , but also
as schools are re-established like the the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile
(N20) in 2013.
We thank PAO Zip Upham for arranging our visit to
NAS Fallon and the
staff off NAS Fallon for their hospitality and help during our visit.
|