AU UK US perspective on commanding the battlespace

Scanning the skies as part of Exercise Pitch Black is nothing new to 2 Squadron but, for this year’s activity, the airborne and ground teams have a definite American and British flavour.

CAPTION: Staff Sergeant Ian McLain from the United States Air Force monitors the E-7A Wedgetail from 2 Squadron before its next mission during Exercise Pitch Black 24. Story by Flight Lieutenant Matthew Edwards. Photos by Sergeant David Gibbs.

The 2 Squadron crews regularly command the battlespace, providing command and control support as part of the multilateral training activity, and on this iteration the unit has brought with it a USAF co-pilot, as well as embedded maintenance members from  the US Air Force and Royal Air Force.

The US and UK embeds are just two of the 4000 personnel from 20 nations involved in Exercise Pitch Black 2024 from July 12 to August 2.

2 Squadron Detachment Commander for the exercise Squadron Leader Darrin Lindsay said Australia had been leading the way in employing the E-7A Wedgetail across numerous exercises and the embedded allies offered value.

“Pitch Black 2024 allows us to showcase this to more countries from the Indo-Pacific and also to our NATO partners,” Squadron Leader Lindsay said.

“The United States Air Force and Royal Air Force have integrated perfectly both into our maintenance and aircrew structure. Our squadron operates trilaterally, all together.”

CAPTION: Mission aircrew from 2 Squadron monitor the airspace aboard the E-7A Wedgetail during Exercise Pitch Black 24.

Australia and the US have had a long-standing history of cooperation in the Northern Territory, including being the first international participants in Exercise Pitch Black 1983.

Captain Trevor Ahnder, one of the USAF members embedded into 2 Squadron, said his experience with the unit had been fantastic.

“They’ve integrated us well in their training, deployments and overall operations. This has been great – I really feel a part of the unit,” Captain Ahnder said.

“The USAF has brought experience operating on different areas and platforms. Being able to bring that to the E-7A has really helped diversify the experience and provide better capabilities.”

With the USAF set to acquire the E-7A in the coming years, Captain Ahnder said it was important to gain experience through embedding with the unit.

“Being fully integrated into the RAAF has really helped us understand and have more experience on the E-7A’s capabilities, making it an easier and faster transition to employ those capabilities in the USAF,” he said.

“We’ve definitely learned from the RAAF on how to employ this aircraft and how it operates on large-scale exercises, and how to better employ our fighters and surveillance in defence of foreign nations.”

CAPTION: Aircrew from 2 Squadron board the E-7A Wedgetail during Exercise Pitch Black.

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