Beginning in 2022, the U.S. Air Force began embedding Airmen into Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail units through the Military Personnel Exchange Program in preparation of replacing the aging E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System.
This is but another example of the close-knit relations the US and Australia have built dating back to 1940 through 84 years of consistent partnership and interactions around the world. Exercise Pitch Black, which the U.S. has participated in since 1983, is a prime example of this relationship.
Pitch Black creates a critical opportunity for U.S. Air Force Airmen embedded within the RAAF 2 Squadron to gain valuable operational experience in the E-7A Wedgetail to prepare for future use of the airframe.
“For us, the purpose is really to get a familiarity of the E-7A Wedgetail from the Australians who have been operating it for a long time,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Oliver Ngayan, 2 Squadron E-7A Wedgetail air battle manager. “We integrate into their unit to learn how they operate the E-7A and take back that knowledge to develop our own procedures.”
For the U.S. Air Force, the program goes beyond familiarity with the Aircraft. Integrated members also work with RAAF members to solve problems and make operations more efficient and effective.
“Most of us have a lot of time on our platforms and we’re learning new ways of doing things,” said U.S Air Force Capt. Trevor Ahnder, 2 Squadron E-7A Wedgetail pilot. “RAAF members look at tactics one way, we look at it another, and being able to analyze the differences and find solutions is incredibly valuable. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to work together and build better processes.”
While U.S. Air Force Airmen are gaining valuable insights and experience with the Wedgetail, they are also providing information back to their RAAF counterparts ensuring the knowledge exchange flows both ways.
“With the inclusion of the United States Air Force alongside us on aircrew here, we’ve been able to take elements from their long history of the E-3 Sentry and bring that towards the E-7A Wedgetail,” RAAF Squadron Leader Darren Lindsey, 2 Squadron Detachment commander. “It’s a great privilege to be able to lead the Wedgetail deployment here for Pitch Black 2024 which allows us to integrate with numerous partners, but also showcase to our friends in the United States Air Force.”
Exercise Pitch Black’s strong emphasis on cooperation – from the individual level through to how nations work together during air operations – contributes to a secure, open, prosperous, and resilient Indo-Pacific region.
