BILLED JASDF Fighter Training - April 1996

[Suvorov]

JASDF FIGHTER TRAINING - APRIL 1996

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TRAINING OBJECTIVE: AIR SUPERIORITY PILOTING - AIR DOMINANCE I | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th FIGHTER WING
CLASSIFIED

JAPANESE AIR SELF-DEFENSE FORCE
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BLUEFOR	REDFOR
1st FIGHTER WING x24 F-5As (Shenyang J-11s)​	3rd Fighter Wing x24 F-16 C/D Block 50/52+​
2nd Fighter Wing x24 F-16 C/D Block 50/52+​	4th Fighter Wing x24 F-16 C/D Block 50/52+​

Japanese F-5A (Shenyang J-11)

Japanese F-16 C/D Block 50/52+

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MISSION BRIEFING

The goal of this mission is for pilots to practice establishing air superiority against an opponent's fighters, the most likely scenario at the beginning of an operation. Fighter wings have been separated into BLUEFOR vs. REDFOR. The goal here is simple, to practice and teach effective coordination, cooperation, and dog fighting skills necessary to win the war in the skies. The teams will engage each other several times over the course of the training. Each new engagement has the objective of one side winning. Each plane is armed with electronics that simulate their firing and receiving damage, thus allowing planes to "hit" and "kill" each other safely. Ground control will monitor the hits and kills and order killed pilots to land their planes. Each operation, wing commanders must plan, strategize, and coordinate with their allied fighter wing to achieve victory.

LOGISTICS
Pilots would begin their training from the airbase located in Tokyo Japan. Exercises would take place over the Pacific Ocean. All planes are fully fueled, maintained, serviced, and ready for action. Ground control would monitor the exercise and recall any pilots with any issues. Pilots would not be permitted to operate below 30% fuel capacity.

 

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Training Phase I: Countering the Enemy Fighters and Maximizing Your Own Capabilities.

Training day 1 took on a more ominous feeling. Pilots were whispering that they might actually be deployed to a combat zone, and soon. The instructors and commanders hushed the whispers and brought the pilots to focus. REDFOR and BLUEFOR had separate operating rooms. From each room they would strategize their first attacks.

BLUEFOR
BLUEFOR forces differed from REDFOR in that it possessed the F-5As. There was a great deal of debate about whether the F-5As would stand up to American made assets. Studies suggested that the F-5As would perform better in close dogfights but that the American assets would perform better at range. They wished to test this. Their plan was to have the F-16s form a screening force to protect the F-5As until the F-5As could close the distance. Once the F-5As were close enough that their superior maneuverability would be most effective, the plan would switch, with the F-5As flying primary attack and the F-16s flying support.

REDFOR
REDFOR had the advantage of having a standardized aircraft. It meant that they could have greater predictability and stability throughout the engagement. They had the same assumptions as BLUEFOR and guessed that the BLUEFOR pilots would attempt to take advantage of the F-5As maneuverability. This meant that REDFOR wanted to keep the fight long, and keep as much distance as possible. To do this REDFOR would initially fly towards the approaching BLUEFOR pilots, in three waves, spaced significantly far apart. Each wave would fire off slightly less than max range Fox 3 AIM 120 AMRAAMs and then break off their attack and drop countermeasures against any counter-maxrange AIM 120s. Their rear flanks would be protected by the next wave of fighters, and so on. When the final wave breaks off, the first wave would attempt to reengage and continue to harass from afar until BLUEFOR was reduced enough in capability to approach with Fox 2 missiles.

Each side would practice drawing up these types of battle plans and thoroughly analyzing the capabilities of an aircraft and planning around it.

 

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Training Phase II: The Merge, Initial Contact with the Enemy

Fighters from BLUEFOR and REDFOR we’re now being prepped for their initial contact with the enemy - “the merge” and how best to execute the created plans. Having gone through initial engagement simulations and best practices, the fighters were now ready to engage.

All planes were checked and prepped, fully fueled and all working to performance specifications. The pilots from each side would take off and assemble over the Pacific Ocean and then fly to the engagement zone. Once over the engagement zone the simulated combat would begin.

Pilots would practice coordination within each of their formations and subdivisions: Wingmen develop deeper coordination with wingmen; flights working together; flights working as a squadron; and multiple squadrons coordinating together and with ground forces.

 

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Training Phase III: Fox-3, Chaff, and Long-Range Combat

Pilots were in the air now and had spotted one another on long range radar. As planned, both sides only had a portion of their forces in the lead elements. Their strategies, however, were different.

BLUEFOR had significantly more fighters in their lead elements as per of the screening force. BLUEFOR fired off 10 simulated Fox-3 missiles in the first wave, compared to the five from REDFOR. More REDFOR pilots were forced to fly defensively much sooner than those from BLUEFOR, disrupting REDFOR’s initial attack pattern. As pilots from both sides realized they were targeted. They would release simulated chaff to distract the radar guidance of the fox-3 missiles. REDFOR broke their attack pattern while BLUEFOR pressed forward. However, these were max range missiles, meaning hit chance was low to begin with. BLUEFOR managed to score two kills with no kills on their side.

However, REDFOR still had pilots in their lead elements who fired off further FOx-3s then continued with the attack pattern. The second wave of REDFOR also did the attack and break-off engagement. It was then that the commanders of BLUEFOR realized that REDFOR sought to keep this fight long. BLUEFOR then ordered its pilots to fly almost maximum speed to close the distance as soon as possible. Focus would be on distance rather than hits for the next few moments.

 

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Training Phase IV: The Dogfight, Combat Maneuvering, and Combat Cooperation

The speed change shocked REDFOR somewhat as it made their follow up elements have to break off much faster. BLUEFOR pilots built up a great deal of “energy” which prevented them from maneuvering with REDFOR pilots as well as locking on to some missiles but the distance was significantly closed.

REDFOR pilots were forced to break their attack pattern but continued with the strategy of attempting to maintain distance. They shifted, however, somewhat. Now, the lead elements would break off and try to bait BLUEFOR Pilots to overextend while REDFOR pilots looping back into combat position could catch the BLUEFOR pilots by surprise.

Commanders barked orders keeping their groups organized and focused on tactical objectives. Pilots that were “killed” continued to be ordered to the ground.

All activities were monitored from the ground and any logistical or maintenance issues that became apparent were handled and dealt with. Pilots would be ordered to the ground and support personnel would address the issues.

 

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Training Phase V: Learn & Improvise

After the first dogfight the pilots would return to base to refuel, address maintenance, and rest. The following day the pilots would repeat the exercise. This time, they would be expected to learn from their prior engagement and apply the lessons to new plans.

Having assessed the prior engagements and pilot capabilities, the two sides designed new strategies with the intention of rapidly engaging enemy pilots and seizing control of the skies. With their new strategies implemented, the two sides again would face off. Key to this phase was from pilots to learn to adapt and improvise to some measure of knowledge of the enemy and their tactics. Commanders were rated on their ability to create initial plans as well as their ability to adopt mid-fight to changing circumstances.

Pilots again engaged and learned and adapted. Once the exercise was complete, all pilots successfully landed. Any and all maintenance issues were addressed. Planes were checked by ground staff and once they passed their inspection, they were returned to their hangars.

TRAINING COMPLETE