Photo By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Pagan | MQ-9 Reaper aircraft sit in a hangar at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., Dec. 12, 2024....... read more read more
MARCH ARB, Calif. – Intelligence dominates the battlefield; even the ancient strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu counseled “Know thy enemy” as one of his tenants of success in warfare.
After repeated successes in the Pacific theater, the 163d Attack Wing has once again been asked to guide other MQ-9 Reaper units towards understanding and improving maritime domain awareness.
Beginning this week, the 163d Attack Wing kicks off participation in exercise Steel Knight 24. The exercise, hosted by the U.S. Marine Corps, will bolster collaboration with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to include the California Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing.
It will test near-peer competition in technological and operational capabilities in a multi-domain environment. To translate, this means exercising cutting-edge surveillance technology into usable information for boots on the ground.
Further, detecting naval, air, and ground threats constitutes a “multi-domain” environment. Each battleground presents unique challenges; detecting a small ship across hundreds of miles of open water is vastly different from identifying potential adversaries in an island chain. Combine those domains with different intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and the amount of data coming in is almost overwhelming.
Luckily, with the expertise offered by the 163d, our joint partners can keep their head above Pacific waters.
“The 163d Attack Wing is a partner of choice in the Indo-Pacific. Using cutting -edge capabilities, the Grizzlys are leaders in MQ-9 technology at the forefront of near-peer competition from China. The 163d provided direct exercise support and incorporated continuation training opportunities for the 107th Attack Wing during Steel Knight 24,” said Maj. Eve Derfelt, public affairs officer for the 163d. “During the three-phased exercise, the 163d worked directly with I Marine Expeditionary Force to create a real-world training opportunity for advanced maritime campaign operations.”
The 163d ATKW will share its MQ-9 prowess by providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance facilitating joint integration operations. The Wing will launch an MQ-9 and fly the aircraft remotely during the initial phase of the exercise. The crews will then hand off control to the 107th Attack Wing, based in Niagara Falls, N.Y., aiding continuation training for both units.
“Steel Knight provides us the great opportunity to work side-by-side with our Air Force teammates and conduct realistic training. We’re a joint team, so working together and learning from one another in a training environment makes us that much more effective,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Thomas Coyle, assistant chief of staff for intelligence, 1st Marine Division.
Steel Knight 24 will bolster the 163d’s partnership with the 1st Marine Division, U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet and sister units at the 920th Rescue Wing and 107th Attack Wing. The exercise will test joint interoperability across ground and maritime terrains.
“We flew in direct support of I Marine Expeditionary Force and provided an MQ-9, piloted by members of the 107th Attack Wing, New York Air National Guard. This offered a rare opportunity for NY Guard members to train in Pacific maritime environment with Joint partners. With our dynamic capabilities in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, the 163d is leading the way in its ability to adapt to the ever-changing adversarial environments across the globe,” said Derfelt.
The MQ-9 enterprise continues to showcase its capability around the globe, leaving a smaller footprint with a big impact. The continuation training the 163d provides enables units from across the Air National Guard to bolster their own maneuverability and agility.
“Partnering with the Marine Corps and Navy has showcased the MQ-9's expeditionary airpower capabilities, demonstrating our value in maritime exercises and enhancing our interoperability with joint forces. As we repeatedly integrate MQ-9s into these exercises, we've proven our worth to ground commanders, strengthening our rapid response to our future near peer threat,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Jason Carr, 107th Attack Wing public affairs officer.
Steel Knight is a scenario-driven exercise rehearsing command and control across multiple services. It is an annual exercise that began in 1991.
| Date Taken: | 12.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2024 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 488035 |
| Location: | MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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