Impelling Victory
In May 1993 personnel from four Carrier Airwing Nine squadrons based aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) joined forces with the nation of Qatar during Exercise Impelling Victory in the Arabian Gulf. Deployed to the Gulf as the Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) airwing, Carrier Airwing Nine (CVW-9) sent three F-14's and three F/A-18's, representing Fighter Squadrons 24 and 211, and Strike Fighter Squadrons 146 and 147, to conduct air combat maneuvering exercises, overland strikes and war-at-sea strikes.
Units assigned to NAVCENT frequently conduct exercises with one or more Gulf nations to sharpen their skills and develop their ability to work together to provide security and promote stability in the region. Throughout the exercise, U.S. Navy pilots flew side-by-side with Qatari Mirage 2000's and Alpha Jets, including a war-at-sea exercise with USS Shasta (AE 33). Together, the two nations flew more than 200 sorties.
"The Qatari pilots are very professional," said CDR Rob Adamson, VF-24 executive officer and the officer-in-charge of the Impelling Victory detachment. "A large number of their pilots participated in the exercise and we learned from each other." At the exercise debrief, Adamson noted the U.S. pilots benefitted from the Qatari's excellence at flying over land at very low altitudes, tactics extremely important to the Navy in its new strategy, "...From the Sea." The Qatari pilots were also highly satisfied with the chance to work with the Americans, and expressed the desire for a longer exercise with more aircraft. For the Americans, it was an excellent opportunity to practice overland tactics, work with an Arabian Gulf coalition partner, and to operate overseas as a shore detachment.
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