OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. —
As a Lead Wing, the Fightin’ Fifty-Fifth continues to search for methods to additional develop its mission integration capabilities by leveraging long-standing ties with different Air Pressure items in addition to with its coalition companions.
A kind of traditionally sturdy relationships is with the 552nd Air Management Wing at Tinker Air Pressure Base, Oklahoma.
The 552nd ACW offers all operations, upkeep, logistics, coaching and fight assist for the E-3 AWACS.
As two wings which might be each very massive in dimension, have excessive ops tempo, fly comparable airframes, and share a worldwide footprint, the fifty fifth Wing and 552nd ACW have so much in frequent.
“Basically, our two wings have operated collectively fairly a bit over time, going again to when the ‘iron triad’ mantra was being constructed within the early 2000s,” mentioned Col. Keven Coyle, 552nd ACW commander, who was at Offutt Air Pressure Base not too long ago to function the Non-Kinetic Operations Coordination Course air element command and senior mentor.
The iron triad included all of the Air Pressure’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance plane. It was an total shift inside the service that sought to align extra intently all these distinctive and specialised capabilities.
“What the ‘iron triad’ meant was collectively we’re sooner and extra deadly than we ever are by ourselves,” Coyle mentioned. “The 135s and all of its variants have area of interest capabilities which might be extraordinarily necessary and wanted. Once you mix these with different platforms which have augmenting area of interest capabilities, we improve pace to focus on and improve pace and accuracy of data.”
Because the Air Pressure appears to be like to transition the best way it generates air energy throughout air operations in contested environments, having that continuity between items might be essential.
“We’re each obtainable means to arrange our wing to guide the longer term struggle,” mentioned Col. Kristen Thompson, fifty fifth Wing commander. “Due to this fact, it’s necessary for us to accomplice with our sensible teammates on the 552nd ACW to make sure we construct integration between our two warfighting wings.”
Thompson began her Air Pressure profession as an E-3 pilot. Each her and Coyle are former 960th Airborne Air Management Squadron commanders, and that familiarity solely helps to additional nurture that partnership.
“We’ve at all times had loads of cross move over time,” Coyle mentioned. “The fifty fifth Wing’s digital warfare officers come all the way down to Tinker, our navigators go as much as Offutt, and we are likely to share pilot expertise so much.”
The 2 items not too long ago teamed as much as assist Train Resolute Hunter, a multi-national and joint service train at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada.
“The one place we usually get to work collectively usually is at Crimson Flag, so bringing us all collectively at Resolute Hunter was nice,” Coyle mentioned.
Along with the usual train which serves to enhance battle administration, C2 and ISR integration and readiness throughout the Division of Protection and with our coalition companions, the fifty fifth Wing additionally used Resolute Hunter to check its Lead Wing capabilities.
The Warhawks used Fallon as their Predominant Working Base with Ahead Working Stations at Offutt and Davis-Monthan Air Pressure Base, Arizona.
“It was the primary time for lots of our staff to exit into an austere setting and execute C2,” Thompson mentioned. “It was a fantastic expertise, and we’ll proceed to take these alternatives to study in order that we’re able to execute when known as upon.”
Coyle mentioned because the Lead Wing idea grows, it’s good that items just like the fifty fifth Wing have the chance to guide C2 for forces just like the 552 ACW given their total mission set.
“A C2 ISR Lead Wing might be extra aligned with us given the constraints and points we are likely to have with heavy plane like ours,” he mentioned.
Because the fifty fifth Wing undergoes modifications as a Lead Wing, the 552 ACW can also be making ready for some modifications of its personal as it should transition from the E-3 to the E-7 over the subsequent few years.
“It’s very thrilling to be a part of that and main that change for our platforms,” Coyle mentioned. “Our E-3s have loads of nice capabilities, however the E-7 will carry much more.”
Nonetheless, one factor that gained’t be altering is the 2 wings enduring relationship.
“Our partnership with the fifty fifth Wing as we transition to the E-7 goes to get even stronger,” Coyle mentioned. “We’ll see much more connective tissue between our two wings over time.”
“We’re very grateful for the ties we have now to the 552nd ACW, and we sit up for constructing upon that sooner or later,” Thompson mentioned.
