Training’s a real blast for class of 2018
IT’S a five- minute flight in a fast jet from RAAF Base Townsville to the Field Training Area.
It’s a six- week journey to earn the right to call in the air strike on a designated target on that range.
Exercise Black Dagger has the class of 2018 taking turns on Ant Hill calling in the F/ A 18A Hornets from 75SQN on to targets 4km away.
The experience is as close to combat conditions as its gets and the release of high explosives doesn’t disappoint.
The huge fireball from the strike confirms a successful attack. The sound of the explosion takes several seconds to reach Lance Bombardier Beau Saddler, who called it in.
Lance Bombardier Saddler is into year five of his career with the 8th/ 12th Regiment in Darwin. He’s used to the noise. He’s in an artillery regiment but his JTAC role is different – more complex, challenging, reactive.
It demands a cool head, quick decisions and clear language – all done in the heat of battle.
“We’re definitely at the pointy end of the spear,” he said. “Apart from the cool end of the job, dropping bombs, I need to manage the airspace so all the aircraft can move about safely.”
The battlefield is a 3D landscape that is constantly changing right up to the second the release of a bomb is authorised. When the job’s done, the JTAC picks up their weapon once again and moves on.
The commanding officer is Wing Commander Michael Duyvene de Wit.
He has 11 students this time around and says the exercise provides realistic experiences for them.
“Trainees get to co- ordinate a range of operational fires and effects under supervision before eventually going forward to conduct that role on combat operations,” he said.
The Queensland sunshine can be punishing. More so when loaded with the means to fight along with multiple radios to call in machine gun fire, artillery rounds or air support.