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Shaw F-16s participate in exercise strike mission in Puerto Rico
February 24, 1999 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
Four 20th Fighter Wing F-16s participated in a 3,000 mile strike mission to Puerto Rico and back Feb. 16 as part of the multi-service Joint Task Force Exercise '99-1.
The exercise, run by the Navy's Second Fleet from Norfolk, Va., is designed to meet the requirement for quality, realistic training to fully prepare U.S. forces for joint operations when forward deployed, according to a 2nd Fleet Public Affairs press release. It also tests the participating forces on their ability to deploy rapidly, conduct joint operations during a crisis and refine tactics, techniques and procedures in joint force operations.
The three-week exercise ended Feb. 23.
After departing, flight lead Maj. John Fyfe, 20th Operations Support Squadron Weapons and Training Flight commander, and three other pilots from the 55th Fighter Squadron flew south to Miami where they joined up with a tanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. From there, the tanker refueled the F-16s until a point 200 miles north of Puerto Rico. They then rendezvoused with a Navy Strike package made up of approximately 20 aircraft that included F-14s, F-18s and EA-6Bs.
The package then pushed south to the Vieques Range off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico where they dropped 2,000-pound bombs.
"We don't typically get the opportunity to drop those types of bombs in training, so it was a good deal for us," Fyfe said.
There are very few ranges in the continental United States where the military services can drop live heavyweight ordnance and the Vieques Range is well suited for delivery of those types of munitions, according to the major.
More than 24,000 U.S. joint service members and people and equipment from allied nations participated in the exercise.
According to Vice Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of the Navy's U.S. 2nd Fleet and Striking Fleet Atlantic, the JTF exercise trains operational units in a battlefield environment.
"Specifically (it prepares forces) for the types of challenges the military faces today," Fallon said. "It provides our battle group and amphibious ready group units valuable experience in operations with forces of other services and other nations, while giving them an opportunity to refine joint and combined warfighting skills," he said.
For Fyfe and the other three Team Shaw pilots, working with Navy forces was "pretty easy."
"Although getting a hold of (Navy forces) on the boat was at times difficult because of their limited communications. We use similar tactics and talk the same language so the integration and mission execution itself wasn't difficult," the major said.
The three-week exercise ended Feb. 23.
After departing, flight lead Maj. John Fyfe, 20th Operations Support Squadron Weapons and Training Flight commander, and three other pilots from the 55th Fighter Squadron flew south to Miami where they joined up with a tanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. From there, the tanker refueled the F-16s until a point 200 miles north of Puerto Rico. They then rendezvoused with a Navy Strike package made up of approximately 20 aircraft that included F-14s, F-18s and EA-6Bs.
The package then pushed south to the Vieques Range off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico where they dropped 2,000-pound bombs.
"We don't typically get the opportunity to drop those types of bombs in training, so it was a good deal for us," Fyfe said.
There are very few ranges in the continental United States where the military services can drop live heavyweight ordnance and the Vieques Range is well suited for delivery of those types of munitions, according to the major.
More than 24,000 U.S. joint service members and people and equipment from allied nations participated in the exercise.
According to Vice Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of the Navy's U.S. 2nd Fleet and Striking Fleet Atlantic, the JTF exercise trains operational units in a battlefield environment.
"Specifically (it prepares forces) for the types of challenges the military faces today," Fallon said. "It provides our battle group and amphibious ready group units valuable experience in operations with forces of other services and other nations, while giving them an opportunity to refine joint and combined warfighting skills," he said.
For Fyfe and the other three Team Shaw pilots, working with Navy forces was "pretty easy."
"Although getting a hold of (Navy forces) on the boat was at times difficult because of their limited communications. We use similar tactics and talk the same language so the integration and mission execution itself wasn't difficult," the major said.
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