20 July 2010
Exercise Willoh provided the New Zealand Army Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) and Joint Fires Observer (JFO) personnel a unique opportunity to gain Close Air Support (CAS) training with fast air assets within New Zealand.
The Army, in recent years, has been attempting to regenerate a small group of personnel with skills to conduct CAS tasks in support of ground based forces. Once JTAC’S are qualified there are strict currency requirements that must be maintained biannually. These include the requirement to conduct CAS training with “fast air” aircraft, something that has been impossible to achieve in recent years.
The deployment of the RAAF to New Zealand for Exercise Willoh is an example of the New Zealand Defence Force and the Australian Defence Force once again training together to met common objectives. The exercise was also an example of air and land forces operating in support of each other—“Joint” training. The ground based assets also included indirect fire assets firing in support of the CAS missions. Management of the training area airspace during the training was coordinated by the JTAC’s. This enabled the indirect fire assets to continue firing while the aircraft were operating within the training area. A mix of lateral and attitude separation methods were employed during the training. Airspace Coordination Measures were employed effectively with minimal effort by all exercise participants.
The training involved both day and night sorties. Unfortunately, no live ordnance was able to be dropped during the exercise; however the RAAF supplied a quantity of Laser Guided Training Rounds (LGTR’s). The LGTR’s are a practice bomb fitted with a laser guidance kit. The NZDF owns a small quantity of Laser Target Designators (LTD), which are over 20 years old and were planned to be used for the exercise. The LTD’s had been held in storage within Whenuapai for a number of years, however a small number of avionic technicians spent countless hours working on the LTD’s to enable them to be employed on the exercise. LTD’s are most commonly associated with assisting the delivery of kinetic effect on targets but they are also very useful in assisting with the positive identification of objects/ areas to aircraft. This assists in reducing the possibility of fratricide against friendly forces.
The RAAF deployed to NZ with target acquisition pods that enabled a wide range of capabilities to be employed. Some of the targeting pod capabilities were laser designation, infra red laser spot and a forward looking infra red (FLIR) full motion video capability. The benefit of the FLIR video to the JTAC’s was the ability to see exactly the same image that is displayed to the pilot, through the use of a Remote Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) terminal. A major benefit of the ROVER terminal is it decreases the amount of time it takes the pilot to visually acquire the intended target, by day or by night.
Exercise Willoh was a success from the perspective of the personnel involved in the CAS phase of the exercise. It reinforced the ability of NZDF personnel to operate with ADF personnel at a tactical level. Hopefully, the ADF will return to New Zealand for future exercises involving CAS aircraft. The aim of future exercises from JTAC and JFO personnel would be to involve CAS aircraft in collective training exercises.
Equipment
By Warrant Officer Class Two Johnny Garton
IZLID 200P
Capability staff are procuring 11 IZLID 200P LASER target markers for issue to JTAC/JFO personnel to support the regeneration of the JCAS capability. The IZLID 200P is a compact, lightweight IR LASER for pointing and marking targets. The IZLID 200P is small enough to fit into the user’s pocket, and it is powerful enough to call in air strikes out to 39 Km. The IZLID will be issued with LASER safety glasses for personnel within the JOST party.
Transponder Beacon
Capability staff are also procuring 11 SMP 2000 lightweight, pocket size RADAR transponders that when activated send a signal enabling the beacon’s location to be displayed on the RADAR of any NATO or ABCA attack or search aircraft. The SMP 2000 is not degraded by weather or poor visibility and can be used as a personal locator beacon and to indicate the location of whatever friendly force or vehicle/equipment it is attached to.
Forward Observer Course
By Captains David Mortimer and Stuart Tylee
The 2010 Artillery Forward Observers’ course recently spent a week at Waiouru Military Training Area practising their Observation Post procedures, conducting mortar fire missions and familiarisation with Close Air Support.
The course consisted of ten students ranging in rank from Lance Bombardier to Captain. Having already completed a month of theoretical and simulated training, this was the first opportunity for course members to call in live fire missions.
On the first day the course was split into two Joint Offensive Support Teams (JOST’s) and orders were issued to establish observation posts at Ammo Boxes Major (near Nursery). Following a two-hour march into the position course members took turns in conducting mortar mark missions for the Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 jets. As the weather started to turn bad hopes for a hot meal in camp were dashed as orders were issued for the establishment of a number of observation posts throughout the training area overnight. The two JOSTs spent the next ten hours tackling the steep ravines and spur-lines in and around Flat-Top, Imjin and Cook Tank Track in order to achieve their required zones of observation and acquire their necessary target information. A very wet and tired course eventually made its way to the Indirect Fire Observer Trainer facility in camp to call in some simulated missions before a short but well-deserved rest.
The final day was spent assessing course members on their ability to call-in mortar fire missions individually prior to a period of maintenance and the return to Linton Camp.
Joint Forward Observers
In conjunction with the 2010 Artillery Forward Observers’ course, a number of personnel trained as Joint Fires Observers (JFO’s) the previous year deployed to Waiouru Military Training Area to practise Type 2 Close Air Support procedures with the Australian and New Zealand Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs).
While the majority of JFO’s came from 16 Field Regiment, including two officers from the AFO course; qualified personnel from other units also joined in the training. Prior to deploying to Waiouru, revision training was conducted in the simulation centre at Linton Camp with JTAC instructors from 4 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
JFO’s are trained to call Type 2 and 3 as well as Emergency CAS, in the absence of specialist JTACS on the ground, although final clearance authority to engage remains with a JTAC who would monitor radio net from another location. JFO’s are trained to call in CAS missions, collate and send target information and conduct target talk on direct with the pilots.
In Waiouru, the JFO’s had the opportunity to direct two RAAF F/A-18’s in a number of medium level dry and Laser Guided Training Bomb sorties. This was the first opportunity for the JFO’s to practise with jets as all previous training was either simulation based or with the RNZAF CT4 aircraft.
JFO qualification is a new capability for the NZDF and one that is recognised and utilised by coalition forces daily in theatres around the world.