Atlantic Trident 2017

[neptune]

https://www.airforcetimes.com/articles/ ... rd%20Brief

Air Force kicks off Atlantic Trident exercise with the F-35 and British and French partners

By: Christopher Diamond,
April 11, 2017

Beginning on Wednesday, American airmen will partner with their British and French counterparts for the 2017 Atlantic Trident exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, according to the Air Force. The exercise will be hosted by the 1st Fighter Wing. Airmen from the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force will participate in exercises aimed at enhancing interoperability through combined coalition aerial campaigns. The exercise, featuring the new F-35 Lightning II, is one of the first to focus on integrating fifth-generation fighter capabilities, according to the Air Force. In addition to the F-35, the exercise will feature the F-22 Raptor, as well as the Brits' Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Dassault Rafale. U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and T-38 Talons will take on the role of adversary aircraft for the exercise. Additionally, U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry and KC-10 Extender aircraft will support the exercise.

“This exercise was designed to encourage the sharing and development of air combat [tactics, techniques and procedures] with our French and U.K. partners, against a range of potential threats leveraging U.S. Air Force fifth-generation capabilities,” said Col. Peter Fesler, the 1st Fighter Wing commander. “This is not only an opportunity to share the capabilities of the aircraft, pilots and maintainers between our nations, but to build friendship, trust and confidence that will improve our interoperability as we go forward.” About 225 American airmen are expected to participate in the exercise, as well as 175 personnel from the British Royal Air Force and 150 from the French Air Force. The exercise kicks off Wednesday and ends April 28. A similar exercise — this one without the F-35 — was held at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in December 2015.

[spazsinbad]

Art of War: fifth-gen, allies train to defeat future adversaries
27 Apr 2017 Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard, 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

"JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (AFNS) -- Imagine an enemy who knows how you operate. They know your game plans, have been in your position and used your gear. On top of that, they outnumber your team and have the ability to regenerate. The 27th Fighter Training Squadron's T-38 Talon red air pilots were that opposing force during the allied exercise, Atlantic Trident 17....

...In addition to partnering with allied nations to take on red air, the Raptors also teamed up with a fellow fifth-generation fighter, the F-35 Lightning II. While both the Raptor and Lightning provide fifth-generation stealth capabilities, the aircrafts' strengths are in different specialties that, when combined with fourth-generation partners, create an ideal line-up.

"What this exercise really helps us with, in regard to our foreign partners, is figuring out how are we going to integrate and how we all get on the same sheet of music, so that when something kicks off, we can go in there with very little prep time and know how we're going to integrate with those forces," said Hebert. "It's the same with the F-35 just coming online and the unique challenges that the aircraft brings to the fight. It's about how we come together and work together to maximize the efficiency of the entire fighting force out there."

To utilize the allied force to its best capabilities, the fighters are placed in certain roles. The French and Royal air forces' fourth-generation fighters act as the linebackers bringing a larger fleet and a heavy load of weapons while the F-22 and F-35 act as running-backs and quarterbacks, bringing a stealth aspect but specializing in different areas.

"Where we do our work best is in those separate arenas," said Michael. "The F-35 takes care of the air-to-ground while backing us up in the air-to-air side of the house and vice versa."
In addition to fine tuning tactics, techniques and procedures between the U.S., French and Royal air forces against future adversaries, Atlanti<script id="gpt-impl-0.4358184439566661" src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/gpt/pubads_impl_115.js"></script>c Trident 17 also aimed to give future F-22 pilots a unique perspective through the red air program. Much like the advantage red air has in understanding the F-22, the adversaries learn to think like an enemy.

"What benefits adversaries like Champ (Obrien) is, he is thinking about adversary weapons all the time because he is employing them during this assignment," said Hebert. "When he moves over to the Raptor, he's going to have that filed in the back of his mind knowing what kind of threats, and depending on what part of the world he is in, what weapons they have."

The adversaries who were on their way to playing on blue team as F-22 pilots were able to attend the blue team meetings - getting an inside look to how their future team operates in a coalition environment. "Getting to sit in on all the briefs and debriefs is very eye-opening in that I get to see how everything is integrated together, so that is a great knowledge base," said Obrien. "Talking to everybody here, from the Raptors to the (F-15E) Strike Eagles or British and French, getting to see their perspective on how things are supposed to go and how they operate is great for us because all we know is what we've seen from the Raptors."

While it may be possible to predict what the next fight looks like, there’s no guarantee that the prediction will be accurate. However, each time the world's most technologically advanced aircraft teams with the U.S. Air Force's oldest allies, the red and blue players gain more insight, techniques and tactics to add to the coalition playbook."

Photo: "Fourth and fifth-generation U.S. Air Force aircraft fly in a training airspace during Atlantic Trident 17 near Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., April 26, 2017. Both generations of aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, French air force and Royal Air Force participated in the exercise to provide differing capabilities needed in a highly contested airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Natasha Stannard)" https://media.defense.gov/2017/Apr/26/2 ... 22-065.JPG (1.9Mb)

Source: http://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/ ... versaries/

[mixelflick]

What a picture!

Thank you

[spazsinbad]

Trilateral, Cross-Generation Integration at Langley
01 May 2017 Brian Everstine

"JB Langley-Eustis, Va.—The Air Force’s fifth generation F-22s and F-35s flew alongside the best British and French fighters for the first time in a large-scale exercise here, but the aircraft is not the focus of the event.

For USAF commanders planning and flying regularly in Exercise Atlantic Trident 2017, the pilots and maintainers themselves are the important focus of the trilateral exercise.

“There’s been a lot of interest in the machines. Which airplane is better? What are their capabilities? How are you using them?” Col. Peter Fesler, commander of Langley’s 1st Fighter Wing, told Air Force Magazine on April 27 as the exercise wound down. “The thing I think is particularly interesting, the man in the machine matters tremendously. You can have the most capable aircraft in the world, but with a pilot who can’t perform, he will be beat. That’s why training matters, it’s why we have to do things like [this exercise]. You can’t just buy airpower.”...

...And this time, USAF F-35As from Eglin AFB, Fla., joined in.

Over the course of three weeks, USAF F-22s and F-35s flew alongside Eurofighters and Typhoons against USAF F-15Es from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and T-38s at Langley acting as “red air.” The first week focused on basic fighter maneuvers, the second on defensive counter air operations, and the third on offensive counter air.

F-22s and F-35s used stealth and advanced sensors to coordinate the speed and firepower of the Eurofighters and Rafales in combat against F-15Es and T-38s that had to develop different tactics to take on the advanced aircraft, said Lt. Col. Brad Bashore, commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin.

“Sometimes sheer numbers are more important than the actual technological capabilities of that airframe,” Bashore said.

T-38s are “sneaky” and able to get closer, while F-15Es used their sensors to try to track the adversaries from distance.

“A big way to challenge fifth generation aircraft is to give you numbers, you put a lot of aircraft in the air,” Fesler said, adding that makes F-22 pilots plan better because of their limited number of weapons. “You can run Raptors out of munitions, and make pilots have to work.”

Eglin’s F-35s were called to participate in the exercise because the Air Force’s only operational F-35s, assigned to Hill AFB, Utah, were busy, on the first deployment to Europe. The intense exercise helped the squadron’s instructor pilots better understand the capabilities and limitations of their aircraft and in turn improve their ability to teach new F-35 pilots.

Eglin’s F-35s are flying on the Block 2B software suite, which is more limited compared to the Block 3i suite on Hill’s F-35s. The jets were limited to Mach 1.6, 50 degree angle of attack, and 7Gs, however the F-35s were still able to use stealth and sensors to make a difference, Bashore said.

But the jets themselves don’t tell the whole story of the three-week exercise.

“All these aircraft have tremendous capabilities, but if we don’t plan them and integrate them and understand each other’s capabilities and limitations, and use them to their full potential, then we could lose in any combat scenario,” Bashore said. “It’s more about the human element.”

Photo:"​US Air Force, French air force, and Royal Air Force fly in formation during Atlantic Trident 17 near JB Langley-Eustis, Va., April 26, 2017. USAF photo by SSgt. Natasha Stannard." http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pub ... 22-051.JPG (0.8Mb)

Source: http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pag ... ngley.aspx

[SpudmanWP]

Why are the F-35s flying with radar enhancers but the F-22s are not?

Btw, found this gem about the exercise:

“If the pilots of both {F-22/35} could carry a 9mm and open the canopy inflight, they would have 15 more kills per sortie,” the senior Air Force official told me. “It's like fighting Mr. Invisible.”

DAVE MAJUMDAR
http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/s ... 2-and-f-35

[sferrin]

http://www.jble.af.mil/News/Photos/igca ... PhotoDate/

[arian]

Why are the F-35s flying with radar enhancers but the F-22s are not?

Looks like they are (it's that little fairing behind the weapons bay, right?)

[SpudmanWP]

Why are the F-35s flying with radar enhancers but the F-22s are not?

Looks like they are (it's that little fairing behind the weapons bay, right?)

The angle must have been bad in the 1st pic.

Also, Did they remove them for the games? It seems so based on what the OpFor has been talking about.

[arian]

The angle must have been bad in the 1st pic.

They're on the other side of the plane, so maybe that's why it can't be seen.

[hornetfinn]

Btw, found this gem about the exercise:

“If the pilots of both {F-22/35} could carry a 9mm and open the canopy inflight, they would have 15 more kills per sortie,” the senior Air Force official told me. “It's like fighting Mr. Invisible.”

DAVE MAJUMDAR
http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/s ... 2-and-f-35

LOL, that's probably true. I don't think the preceding comment is somewhat wrong though:

While the Raptor would be the most formidable fighter in the world due to its raw performance even without stealth, it’s now clear to me that even the F-35 with its mediocre kinematic performance will be an extremely dangerous foe in the air due to its low radar cross-section and sensors.

While Raptor likely has most awesome raw performance, I think F-35 kinematic performance is way better than "mediocre". Sure F-22 and possibly even Eurofighter Typhoon has advantages in kinematic performance, but even then F-35 is pretty damn good. Maybe it's just wording like saying that Wladimir Klitschko is "mediocre" boxer after latest two matches.

[spazsinbad]

Some good quotes here but why has this thread been moved here? Spent an HUGE amount of time looking for it in F-35 section of the forum - what a crock. And the sooner SLDinfo learn to have single sentences combined in paragraphs....?

Reshaping Fighter Operations in the Air Combat Space: Atlantic Trident 2017
01 May 2017 Todd Miller

"...flames.

The ability to intake, consolidate and distribute key elements of real time combat information by a fifth generation enabled combat force drives a much higher level of integration.

Fesler noted that “multiple people/assets may be involved with the finding, identifying and targeting portion of an air to air encounter.

The pilot may take care of the final step and fire the missile that kills the target, but wouldn’t have found their way to that merge unless the assets got them there.”

This discussion has implications for the debates on the F-35s kill ratios.

As Fesler expresses, “without the context, the kill ratio means nothing.

For example, what were we asking the F-35 to do at the time, was it predominantly in an air to ground role and only picking up the occasional leaker?

Well then that may lead you to the number of 15.

But if the F-35 was in a Defensive Counter Air (DCA) role with solely an air to air responsibility -one could expect a fundamentally different number.”..."

Source: http://www.sldinfo.com/reshaping-fighte ... dent-2017/

[gc]

We Flew Red Air against F-22 Raptors, F-35 Lightning IIs, Rafales and Typhoons in Atlantic Trident ’17. Here’s How It Went.

Facing off against a historic gathering of the most formidable fighter aircraft in the western world (many would argue in the world)? Catching a seat in one of the “Langley Adversaries” on an actual Red Air vs Blue Air vul (vulnerability period, which references the time when an aircraft is subject to harm). What time do I need to be there?

The United States Air Force (USAF) 1st Fighter Wing located at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) hosted the event. 1st FW is responsible for 30% of the USAF Raptor fleet. Described as “America’s premier Air Dominance wing,” the 1st FW is elite company. This group (with the help of the 71st FTS) ensures the Raptors under their command are maintained, manned by skilled pilots, and ready to go when and where needed worldwide, at a moment’s notice.

After two days of rain and scrubbed vuls the clouds began to lift. Didn’t matter, even with clear skies a nasty storm was brewing over the Atlantic, Typhoons, Lightning strikes, with the “gusts of wind / bursts of fire” (Rafale), and the “Bird of Prey” (Raptor) circling over it all. Not a Hollywood script, this is what awaits the Strike Eagles and Talons of Red Air posing as a variety of MIG threats with specific missile emulations.

The Platforms & Players:

Blue Air: 1st FW F-22A Raptors; Eglin AFB F-35A Lightning IIs; Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons; French Air Force/Armée de l’air Dassault Rafales.

Red Air: 71st FTS “Ironmen” T-38A Talons; 391st FS “Bold Tigers” F-15E Strike Eagles from Mountain Home AFB, ID.

Given operational security, some of the following flight details are principally correct.

The six participating Talons flew in two flights of three, “Vodka” and “MIG”. The Strike Eagle flights “Marlin” and “Dagger” combined to form another 6 aircraft. 12 Red Air with E-3A Sentry support, against 16 Blue Air. Given Blue Air was farthest from JBLE and launched first, they enjoyed tanker support from the Armée de l’air KC-135, as well as US tanker units (including at one point a KC-10 from the 305th AMW Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst).

What could we expect of the vul?

Red Air understood that Blue Air was tasked with a strike mission (target location unknown to Red Air) using the Rafale and Raptor as strikers. While some might think the F-35As should have been the strikers, Raptor was the word and Raptors do have a very effective strike capability. The rest of Blue Air, Typhoons and Lightning IIs (and perhaps a mix of Raptors) were flying escort protecting the strikers.

Blue Air was challenged to employ “total force integration” across nationalities and platforms to form a multilayered, overlapping sphere of impenetrable “armor.” Certainly, Blue Air would utilize their superior sensors to create a 3D picture of the battle space and their state of the art weapons to “destroy” Red Air well beyond visual range (BVR).

Red Air would utilize dissimilar threats against Blue Air coming from a multitude of directions and altitudes. The Talons and Strike Eagles primary goal: to find the Blue Air strikers (call sign “Rogue”), fight through the escorts to get within an effective (emulated) missile envelope and realize a kill. However, even if a visual on a Raptor or Lightning II was realized (and Red Air had the radar capability) they would still be “chasing a mirage” and could not expect to get a lock. Great.

Total force integration of the Gen 5 and 4.5 platforms creates a nasty dilemma for a real adversary. At the best of times target fixation is deadly, add 5th Gen assets in the mix – fatal.

While the scenario sounds like a futile effort for Red Air, it is key to understand that this exercise is not a game where the highest kills wins. Rather, the primary purpose of the exercise is to ensure Blue Air (our collective nations fighting edge) refine Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs). With common, familiar TTPs, the coalition will quickly come together in the face of a future conflict and be effective, day one.

The coalition of Blue Air was challenged to maximize their mix to most efficiently use each aircraft’s exceptional capabilities, weapons loads and available fuel. The best efforts of Red Air would test the tactics of Blue Air, to ensure they overlook nothing, and responded correctly to the dynamic of the fight. If a Blue Air participant required a learning lesson – it was up to Red Air to provide it, and this is the right time and place to do so. Perhaps in the “fog of war” an area of the formation would be left uncovered, and Red Air would get a leaker through to do some damage.

The 71st FTS fields young pilots preparing for the Raptor as well as seasoned Raptor pilots and pilots with plenty of experience in alternate platforms. One look at the markings on the F-15E Strike Eagles of the “Bold Tigers” and it was clear there is plenty of combat experience in those cockpits. No question, this group of pilots had the ability to take down a Blue Air player. In a previous visit to the 71st FTS I met one of the T-38 pilots who had done that very thing. I expect it was a lesson that resonated with the Raptor pilot.

Waiting in open cockpit at the end of runway (EOR) Blue Air completes their launches, and our teammates in F-15Es thunder down the runway in glorious afterburner. Following MIG flight, Vodka flight of Talons launches last, one at a time in rapid succession.

We form up at 2,000 ft before punching through the clouds in formation. I’m back seat of Vodka #3 flown by “Code,” (1st Lt.) in tight our flight lead #1 “Shim” (Maj.) and #2 “HOTAS” (Maj). Within seconds we break through the clouds and the Talons look like beautiful black darts in the blue sky. The SR-71 Blackbird clearly established that “black jets” are the coolest, so we are in good company. The aircraft are stable and the pilots smooth. We stay in formation as we climb to altitude on the way to the fight.


T-38As of Langley Adversaries, 71st FTS “Ironmen” Vodka 1 & Vodka 2 during Atlantic Trident ’17 range bound. Flying out of Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

MIG flight is now far to the southeast working the opposite flank. Marlin and Dagger are well above us in their own airspace blocks working the higher altitudes. Red Air is tightening the noose. At altitude and nearing our block, Vodka 1 indicates he will run in on Blue Air from 10,000 ft below us. The Talon drops away so fast my perspective is forever altered. A high-performance aircraft allows the pilot to carve the sky at will shrinking time and space in ways grounded mortals cannot know.


Atlantic Trident 17 Red Air, 71st FTS Ironmen (T-38 Talon – Vodka Flight) and the 391st Bold Tigers (F-15E Strike Eagles – Marlin & Dagger Flights) RTB after DCA iwth a Blue Air Strike package of 1st FW F-22 Raptors, Eglin AFB F-35 Lightinging II’s, French Rafale’s and UK Typhoons.

With “go time” quickly closing in, Vodka 2 moves some distance from us. Flying almost parallel we form a wall approaching Blue Air. Red Air is attacking in numbers from many different directions and altitudes. Perhaps Blue Air will miss one of us as we close rapidly and a striker will fall!

We now appear to be alone in the sky, a single gunslinger in the expanse with weapons armed and ready against impossible odds. Focus and activity keep the thought at bay, the controllers voice a clear reminder that we are part of a much greater force and we do not fight alone.

“Fights On!” and we fly our vector like an adversary, oblivious to the invisible danger that lurks unseen in the distant (or near) sky. The next 45 minutes is something of a blur. The controller calls a heading, we turn – someone turns, there is a lot going on in the skies. The tempo increases, the radio crackling with voices. Controllers in the E-3A are busy directing and working what sounds like play by play of an intense play-off game. An intense play-off between warfighters.

Through the intercom, Code warns “G’s!” I have split second to prepare for a snap turn and the onset of G’s. Code is kind, the G’s are short-lived and light – well under 3. Within moments I hear the radio crackle, “Vodka 1 you’re dead,” followed by “Vodka 2 you’re dead.” Our flight is being picked off like tin cans on fenceposts. I wait to hear Vodka 3 you’re dead – but silence. I’m thinking, c’mom Code, this is our chance let’s press, I could use a kill on my resume. Marlin 1, Dagger 2 No, No – not the Strike Eagles! The comms crackle in warfighter shorthand, best deciphered by those who speak in this language. With a sense of the inevitable, I hear it “Vodka 3 you’re dead.” No sympathy, just cold, matter of fact. It is done. I don’t know what killed us, but we were shadow boxing with a lethal foe.

As we turn to regenerate it is clear this is not a fair fight. But that is the point, and why the tremendous investment in the 5th Gen aircraft. The USAF has no intention to fight fair, they have built their force to dominate the air. They who own the air will find it much easier to own the ground and sea. Looking straight up far above us I see a silver spec blazing across the sky contrail in tow at what appears to be supersonic speeds. A Raptor? It flies with impunity, we are mere spectators. If this was a real fight, seeing such a sight would be a great signal to RTB (return to base). Quickly.

After regen we return to the fight flying a designated vector. Code rolls the Talon inverted, and pulls briefly into a vertical descent and then a great diving arc. I had about as much as 1/10th a second to prepare for that, and 1/5 a second to enjoy it. Thank-you very much.

The fight is on! Red Air inverted and going for a 10,000 ft drop with the 71st FTS “Ironmen” T-38 Talon flown by Lt. S. Harlow, “Code.”

At some point, we pull near 4G, and the prospects have my undivided attention; will I weight 1,000 lbs today, or just 750? I am told the pilots generally do not notice the physical, it is muscle memory that kicks in while their mind is focused on the battle. I am glad to hear that, I’d certainly hate to lose my train of thought in such a time and place. The Talon bottoms out 10,000 ft below where the maneuver started, and we climb all the way back to 20,000 ft. It takes a minute to perform the massive maneuver. And then I believe I hear music – “Rogue 1” you’re dead. Did we get a Blue Air Striker? Perhaps for all the Red Air jets that fell – perhaps we got one…

45 minutes’ pass in the vul, and we break for RTB. Code directs me to the right, where descending from much higher airspace, four F-15Es of the 391st FS. In tight formation, the Strike Eagles of Marlin and Dagger flights bob up and down like joined parts of a living being. Magic. Magic always ends leaving you wanting more, that’s how you know it is magic.

Some may ask, “What is it like to fly adversary against the most lethal integrated fighter force on the planet?” My answer, “You just die. Sight unseen. You just die.”

Bury your pride, and get used to dying. But do not forget, your “death” serves a greater purpose.

The seemingly futile fight and subsequent “deaths” are critical to ensure the readiness of the cutting edge of our warfighters, and “Total Air Dominance.”

https://theaviationist.com/2017/05/05/w ... w-it-went/

[barrelnut]

Red Air: 71st FTS “Ironmen” T-38A Talons; 391st FS “Bold Tigers” F-15E Strike Eagles from Mountain Home AFB, ID.
.......
Red Air would utilize dissimilar threats against Blue Air coming from a multitude of directions and altitudes. The Talons and Strike Eagles primary goal: to find the Blue Air strikers (call sign “Rogue”), fight through the escorts to get within an effective (emulated) missile envelope and realize a kill. However, even if a visual on a Raptor or Lightning II was realized (and Red Air had the radar capability) they would still be “chasing a mirage” and could not expect to get a lock. Great.

That's pretty awesome, considering that those Strike Eagles should be upgraded with APG-82's by now.

http://www.mountainhome.af.mil/News/Art ... ar-system/

[hornetfinn]

As I've said before, it's very possible that F-22 and F-35 have such a low RCS that it gets lost under the background noise and noise within the radar itself. While radar range equation takes into account the minimum detectable signal strength, that's usually omitted in calculations as it's publicly unknown and usually well kept secret in military radars. The radar just can't see the target because there is external and internal interference which overcomes the weak signals coming from the target.

This is why AESA radars are so wanted. They have by far the lowest internal noise levels and can reduce external noise effects due to distributed receiving elements (instead of just one in PESA and MSA radars). The difference is very big especially against very low RCS targets, but it seems that might still not be enough to reliably overcome stealth. That's why networking, multispectral sensors and sensor fusion are so important.

[spazsinbad]

Not much info about 'dagscratching' in this PDF but hey what do you expect? 10 page PDF attached.

Team Spirit
July 2017 Jamie Hunter

"...Maj Dante is an ex-A-10 pilot who is now flying the F-35A with the 58th FS. He said: ‘We were asked to come here to this exercise in order to expose everyone to the F-35 and to make sure our tactics are sound in an international exercise, so they can understand the abilities we bring to the fight.’

Of the F-22, Dante added: ‘We both have a lot of situational awareness [SA]. They’re able to see the Link 16 but they can’t pass it out to anybody. In the F-35 I can share that, which is a huge advantage. I’m a force-multiplier. I’m no longer that single fifth-generation asset that can go in there and kill with the SA I have. I can pass it to anyone on Link 16, so we’re all better for having an F-35 in the AOR [area of responsibility].’

Referring to the long-range scenario versus close-in BFM, Dante concluded: ‘We should be shooting dudes before we get into a turning fight, but we are doing the visual fight, holding our own and beating up guys.’..."

Source:Combat Aircraft July 2017 Vol.18 No.7