NNS020926-06 CVW 5 Conducts Training on Farallon de Medinilla
Release Date: 9/26/2002 1:39:00 PM
By Lt. j.g. Nicole Kratzer, Carrier Air Wing Five Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AFB, Guam (NNS) -- A detachment of Sailors and aviators from Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW 5), the Navy's only permanently forward deployed air wing, spent the month of August operating out of Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, conducting strike weapons training on Farallon de Medinilla.
Farallon de Medinilla, also known as FDM, is an uninhabited island approximately 150 miles north of Guam. Its roughly 206 acres are used as a live fire range by forward deployed U.S. Forces.
"The training the air wing is able to complete, flying from Andersen and utilizing the targets at FDM, is essential to our readiness," said Capt. Pat Driscoll, Commander, CVW 5. "Training out of Guam allows us to carry live ordnance and execute large scale strike tactics."
CVW 5 trained in two phases with 16 aircraft present during each phase.
Phase one included 14 F/A-18 Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 27 and 192. Phase two consisted of seven F-14 Tomcats from Fighter Squadron (VF) 154 and seven Hornets from VFA 195. Two E-2C Hawkeyes from Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 115 participated in both Phases one and two.
Each phase began for the strike aircraft with basic bombing to improve accuracy. Aviators used metal containers, the size of a small trailer, as targets. As the phase progressed, bombing scenarios became more complicated to closer simulate real combat situations.
For example, a scenario may require aviators to fight through a group of 'enemy' aircraft before reaching the target; accurately bomb the target; and return through the group of 'enemy' aircraft before landing safely at home.
Throughout the detachment, Hawkeyes from the "Liberty Bells" of VAW 115 worked with the Tomcats and Hornets to coordinate air strikes and air-to-air tactics.
According to Lt. j.g. Steven Taylor, a Naval Flight Officer with the "Liberty Bells," the Hawkeyes provide "big picture situational awareness" of other radar contacts in the area. This helped the strike aircraft focus more closely on accurately bombing a target. Hawkeyes also provided essential communication links between aircraft, controllers, and close air support elements.
CVW 5 aviators also got a chance to work with members of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 5 and SEALs from Naval Special Warfare Unit 1. Helicopters from HC 5 sat on alert on USS Saipan (LHA 2), ready to provide Search and Rescue support for aviators.
They also provided airlift support to transport the SEALs to FDM. Once on the island, the SEALs acted as Forward Air Controllers, coordinating air strikes with CVW 5 aviators from the ground.
Aviators were not, however, the only members of CVW 5 receiving invaluable training. Approximately 90 Aviation Ordnancemen from both CVW 5 and USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) were also in Guam to maintain proficiency in their rate.
The aviation ordnancemen were responsible for ordering, tracking, and transporting munitions to Andersen, as well as maintaining an inventory of them throughout the detachment. More importantly, however, was the opportunity to handle live ordnance.
"It was a great learning experience for me," said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Adam Gee, a new member of VF 154's ordnance division.
Due to Japanese restrictions, CVW 5 is not able to carry live ordnance from their forward deployed operating base in Atsugi, Japan. Working from Andersen, CVW 5 and Kitty Hawk's aviation ordnancemen were able to go through the entire process of building, inspecting, loading and unloading a live weapon.
"This was the first time I got to see a lot of these weapons in person," Gee also said. "Until now I had only seen them in books I studied."
All told, CVW 5 Aviators logged over 933 flight hours for a sortie completion rate of 99.5 percent. They expended 302,000 pounds of ordnance, including two Mk-84 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and ninety Laser Guided Training Rounds (LGTR).
"USS Kitty Hawk and air wing Sailors had a great opportunity to train, and did a superb job safely loading ordnance; and achieving our outstanding sortie completion rate," said Driscoll.
CVW 5 will continue doing unit level training in preparation for an upcoming scheduled fall underway period onboard Kitty Hawk.
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