Building experience and connections at Freedom Flag

A growing Australian presence at Exercise Freedom Flag 24-1 in the Republic of Korea recently allowed Royal Australian Air Force aviators to build experience that cannot be found at home.

Previously titled Exercise Vigilant Defense, the exercise ran from October 28 to November 1, and is conducted annually between the US Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).

Since 2022, RAAF has sent a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to the exercise, flying from Gimhae Air Base near the city of Busan.

This year, RAAF also sent a nine-person team from 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit (114MCRU) to Osan Air Base near Seoul.

The team embedded within the USAF 621st Air Control Squadron to provide support to the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC).

Exercise Freedom Flag missions involved hundreds of aircraft, and exposed RAAF aviators to airspace and scenarios they wouldn’t normally experience in Australia.

This included opportunities for a RAAF KC-30A to refuel the famous A-10C Thunderbolt II – known affectionately as the ‘Warthog’.

The exercise also involved the US Marine Corps and US Army.

Leading the 114MCRU team at Osan Air Base, Squadron Leader Aaron Thorpe said the exercise built working-level relationships with American counterparts.

“Integration with the USAF CRC team was achieved with Australian CRC staff assuming USAF positions seamlessly,” Squadron Leader Thorpe said.

“One of our members picked up a C2 [command and control] team lead role for one of the missions, which required them to lead the USAF and ROKAF C2 elements in execution.

“This ability to integrate in on their team, systems, positions and processes is unavailable elsewhere in our exercise program.”

Missions are conducted in tightly controlled airspace and include offensive and defensive counter-air, air interdiction, close air support, combat search and rescue, air drops and aerial medical evacuation missions.

“This exercise allowed more junior staff to gain the same knowledge, skills and experience operating with their USAF equivalents,” Squadron Leader Thorpe said.

“These are experiences that many of our older members have gained from previous deployments in the Middle East region where they embedded with USAF CRC units.

“The experience at Freedom Flag will allow us to continue our level of turn-key integration with Allied partners in the future.”

While the RAAF CRC team ‘plugged in’ to the existing USAF C2 structure, it also provided awareness of its own capability in Australia.

This included RAAF’s Bandicoot capability, which allows smaller dispersed C2 detachments to be rapidly established in remote locations.

“They were very keen to understand our transition to the Bandicoot capability, with a particular focus on individual positions and training needs,” Squadron Leader Thorpe said.

“This is especially relevant as the USAF conducts its own transition to Tactical Operations Center – Light and small form factor C2 systems.”

The RAAF KC-30A contingent likewise used Exercise Freedom Flag to build on its relationships, according to Squadron Leader Martin Drew, of 33 Squadron.

“We integrated with the ROKAF’s 261st Aerial Refueling Squadron and conducted mission planning, interfly exercise missions and sharing of procedures and training,” Squadron Leader Drew said.

“Our ROKAF hosts provided apron space, maintenance and support facilities, and working and briefing areas within their squadron.

“The exercise also provides experience with working from ROKAF bases, including setup and continuous flying operation from a foreign military airfield.”

The ROKAF operates four KC-330 Cygnus MRTTs, which are almost identical to the RAAF’s own KC-30As.

“We also shared experience of hose and drogue operations with the ROKAF, as they currently don’t employ this air-to-air refuelling system on their aircraft,” Squadron Leader Drew said.

“There were some language challenges, though these were overcome and managed with specific host officers and translations provided during mass briefs.”

The RAAF KC-30A contingent brought considerable operational experience to the relatively unfamiliar flying environment at Exercise Freedom Flag.

“There are unique airspace constraints and real-world strategic effects by integrating with both US and Republic of Korea air assets,” Squadron Leader Drew said.

“We provided two planners to the combined US, Korean and Australian planning week at Osan Air base.

“This gave our pilot and aerial refuelling officer planners exposure to mission planning cycles and experience in new airspace.”

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