BILLED Camp Asaka CAS Qualifiers

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CAMP ASAKA CLOSE AIR SUPPORT QUALIFIERS - JANUARY 1996

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TRAINING OBJECTIVE: CLOSE AIR SUPPORT LVL I | 1st FIGHTER WING
CLASSIFIED

JAPANESE AIR SELF-DEFENSE FORCE

1st STRIKE WING

Japanese F-1

CAS LVL I Badge

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1st Strike Wing
- 24 Mitsubishi F-1s

MISSION BRIEFING

Pilots will begin training to provide effective close air support. Utilizing dummy and electronic simulation weapons, these pilots will practice receiving orders for close air support from ground troops and from ground control. The goal is to provide accurate and effective close air support.

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: THEORY

Pilots would spend the first phase of their training covering the theory of closer air support. They would be given training manuals on theory and tested on their knowledge of such. The theory would cover the principles of basics of close air support doctrine, such as the purpose and goal of an attack run, concentration of fire against important target, reading and understanding maps, understanding coordinate locations, as well as independent fire theory when ground units cannot exactly pinpoint an enemy location. Much effort would be given to going over the overall command tactics behind close air support so the pilots understood their mission and role in a combined arms operation.

 

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Training Phase II: Flight Simulation Training

Pilots would be placed in flight simulators that emulated the cockpit of the F-1. In those simulators, the pilots would be put through several CAS scenarios. The first would be providing close air support called in by ground control. Enemy forces would be a decent distance from friendlies. Several scenarios would progressively bring friendly forces closer all the way to danger close. Next, the pilots would be required to strike very specific, key targets that were preventing ground troops from advancing. Additional scenarios included hitting enemy convoys and enemy bases. Pilots would also practice receiving vague CAS requests from infantry and using their own initiative to select important targets that were hampering the infantry.

 

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Training Phase III: Tactical Coordination

This phase will focus on familiarizing pilots with a new map area, coordinates, and terrain such that they can accurately respond to fire support coordinates from the ground or from headquarters. Pilots would go through several training exercises focusing on different parts of Japan whereby they would have to fly over a given coordinate. These would be one of the few times these exercises would take place over land, rather than being over the water. Pilots would fly over their theoretical "target" and report back to the instructors. Using ground control, the instructors could observe if the pilots did truly fly over the correct coordinates. Once the pilots were able to correctly identify four random strike locations using only called in targets, the pilots would be recalled and debriefed.

 

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Training Phase IV: Target Practice

This phase would take place over the ocean. The F-1s were equipped with non-explosive, practice bombs. Dummy targets were created over the ocean and anchored in place or allowed to drift if they were meant to simulate moving targets. Pilots were now required to hit the targets. If the pilots were dropping guided missiles, the dummy targets would emit a signature that mimicked real targets which would allow the fake missiles to track the targets. Pilots would now simulate actually hitting targets once they had the coordinates for the strike.

 

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Training Phase V: Scrambling to Targets

Pilots were now asked to be able to scramble into their jets in order to provide rapid air support from an enemy that surprised allied forces. Very little instruction would be given while the pilots were on base. The scramble alert would go off, pilots would receive comms to immediately get airborne and start hitting enemy targets. Pilots would have to combine all of their training for target selection, ordered fire support, and independent target selection plus accurate strikes in this mission. Targets were arrayed over the ocean to simulate approaching enemy targets. Pilots were given a limited time window to accurately hit targets and return to base. This was the final test with those who were able to accomplish the task on time were passed and made pilots.

TRAINING COMPLETE