Photo By Senior Airman Brooke Keisler | U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel O’Neil, 555th Fighter Squadron director of...... read more read more
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CERKLJE OB KRKI AIR BASE, Slovenia -- U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and Airmen assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, participated in exercise Agile Wyvern alongside the Slovenian Armed Forces at Cerklje ob Krki Air Base, Slovenia, Sept. 7-10.
Through Agile Wyvern, U.S. and SAF conducted Agile Combat Employment training. ACE ensures U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, along with allies and partners, are ready for potential short or no-notice contingencies by allowing forces to operate from various locations with varying levels of capacity and support.
“Agile Wyvern is designed to specifically test the compilation of equipment that we have to be quick and agile,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Joseph Basala, 31st Fighter Wing plans and programs chief of agile combat employment. “It's also designed to test our ability to take that equipment to airfields in partner nations and actually integrate with their operations seamlessly.”
During Agile Wyvern, three different mission sets were executed including air-to-air engagements with SAF Pilatus PC-9s, calling airstrikes with U.S. Airmen and SAF, and deliberate strike missions, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel O’Neil, 555th Fighter Squadron director of operations.
One driving point behind ACE is the ability to move limited equipment and personnel to airfields that may not have a U.S. presence, but still have the ability to operate.
“Agile Wyvern is important because sometimes when you just exercise on your base, you don't see your short falls because you have everything you need there, but then you come out here and have the opportunity for more experience and training,” said Tech. Sgt. Philip Thach, 31st Communications Squadron NCOIC of agile communications.
Exercises and deployments that utilize the concepts of ACE ensure the forces in Europe are ready to protect and defend partners, allies and U.S. interests at a moment’s notice, and generate lethal combat power should deterrence fail.
“This is important because it’s a critical player in strategic deterrence,” said Basala. “Being able to demonstrate interoperability keeps our combat credibility in the face of expanding military capabilities.”
Agile Wyvern featured U.S. Army Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy, that executed a simulated airfield seizure, as well as Airmen from the 31st Security Forces Squadron that recruited individuals from different career fields in the Air Force to practice defending assets.
“No matter where you go, what you do, security is the most important thing to establish, otherwise you can't operate,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Logan Ray, 31st Security Forces Squadron chief of standardization and evaluation. “Practicing our ability to defend our assets is paramount to us being successful.”
Training with joint, combined allies and partners is essential to the success of the ACE concept as well as increasing lethality and enhancing interoperability, allowing our forces to counter military aggression.
“ACE gets us speaking the same language,” said Basala. “It gets us to practice working with each other and learning how to coordinate with each other in the airspace and on the ground, and how to talk to each other in terms of tactical communication.”
The ACE concept allows USAFE-AFAFRICA to move forces more fluidly across the theater to seize, retain and exploit the initiative against an adversary in any environment.
“ACE is a new creative way for us to be survivable,” said O’Neil. “That’s where the Air Force and U.S. military really shine, through the ability to be adaptable and that’s what ACE is all about.”
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2021 09:34 |
| Story ID: | 405384 |
| Location: | CERKLJE OB KRKI AIR BASE, SI |
| Web Views: | 185 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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