Operations group validates new capability

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  The 3rd Operations Group validated their air-to-air gunnery capability April 7, by performing their first live fire gunnery mission over a range in Alaska.

"Our fighter pilots are required to have two live fire training missions a year," said Lt. Col. Terry Scott, 3rd Operations Group deputy commander. "We have to make sure our pilots are trained appropriately."

The air-to-air gun mission consisted of a Cessna Conquest towing an aerial banner, or target, 2,000 feet behind it while two F-15 Eagles took turns firing at the banner.

The radar reflective target is launched by dragging it behind the plane until it lifts off the runway. Once the mission is over, the target is dropped onto a designated recovery area.

"Before we had to go down to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., to get the required training," said Capt. Jarrod Aranda, 3rd Wing Weapons, chief of F-15 tactics . "Now, we can fulfill our gunnery training requirement here."

The new capability not only keeps Elmendorf pilots current on training, but also ready to deploy.

"You don't want the first time you fire the gun to be in a combat situation," said Captain Aranda. "It is an incredible opportunity to get realistic wartime training right here in Alaska."

Safety during these training missions is paramount, and there are precautions to ensure no one is put in harm's way.

"On the ground, we make sure the cables are hooked up and connected to the towing plane properly," said Master Sgt. Davis Young, 3rd Wing Flight Safety. "We also make sure there are no twists in the banner's lanyard."

"In the air, to ensure the safe separation between bullets and the towing aircraft, the fighters can only fire while the towing aircraft is turning and only from inside the turn," said Colonel Scott.

With this successful validation, training on air-to-air gunnery can be accomplished throughout the year here in Alaska, and other units, if they desire, could come here and train as well.

Captain Aranda said that in the future, units attending Red Flag exercises could also be afforded the opportunity to shoot the gun during their deployment here.