Photo By Airman 1st Class Josh Kaeser | An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 178th Wing and an a F-16C Fighting Falcon from the...... read more read more
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SPRINGFIELD-BECKLEY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ohio — Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing, in collaboration with units from the New York and Mississippi Air National Guard, recently concluded Exercise Advanced Wrath. The exercise, held from March 9 to March 21, showcased the 178th Wing’s ability to support forward combat operations through Agile Combat Employment, providing lethal capability and seamless integration with joint and interagency forces for future operations.
The centerpiece of Advanced Wrath was the MQ-9 Reaper, which traveled to Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base for the second consecutive year. Over the two-week exercise, the MQ-9 executed a variety of missions designed to validate the 178th Wing’s readiness to support national defense objectives and postured the base as a future hub for persistent MQ-9 operations.
During this event, the aircraft successfully loaded and employed two GBU-12 inert munitions precision strike capabilities and reinforcing the Wing’s combat mission set. This capability not only expands the lethality of the 178th Wing but also highlights its ability to provide support in contested environments.
According to 1st Lt. Benjamin Retherford, project officer for Advanced Wrath, the successful weapons employment was a critical step forward in posturing Springfield as a combat-capable location for MQ-9 operations.
The exercise was centered on cross-platform coordination, integrating assets from U.S. Special Operations Command, the U.S. Coast Guard 9th District Command, Air Force Research Laboratory, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Riverside Research, and the Federal Aviation Administration, alongside Ohio’s own MQ-9 and UAS capabilities.
The New York Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing and the Mississippi Air National Guard also played critical roles in the exercise, bringing additional expertise to the mission.
USSOCOM received direct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance support from the MQ-9 Reaper, enhancing special operations forces’ targeting and intelligence collection while enabling verification for Joint Terminal Attack Controller qualifications.
The focus on ISR and precision targeting for USSOCOM emphasized the MQ-9’s role in advanced warfighting integration, validating the readiness of units to support deployed areas of responsibility.
At the same time, the 178th Wing partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard’s 9th District Command, based in Cleveland, Ohio, for joint Search and Rescue and personnel recovery training over Lake Erie.
During these missions, the MQ-9 provided overwatch and ISR support, demonstrating its ability to locate and track both military and civilian vessels and personnel in distress. This SAR mission enhanced the Coast Guard’s operational readiness and showcased the MQ-9’s flexibility in supporting Defense Support to Civil Authorities and maritime domain awareness operations.
“This exercise showed how the MQ-9 can seamlessly integrate with cross-department organizations to enhance maritime domain awareness and provide overwatch for SAR operations,” Retherford said.
Another major focus of Advanced Wrath was supporting research, development, and testing efforts with AFRL’s SkyVision Ground-Based Detect and Avoid system. This partnership enabled the MQ-9 to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations in the National Airspace System, without a chase aircraft, marking a significant milestone for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operations in the U.S.
The FAA’s Springfield office worked in close coordination with the Wing to validate new FAA “file and fly” procedures, paving the way for future MQ-9 flights under routine NAS operations.
The collaboration between AFRL, FAA, and the 178th Wing demonstrated Springfield’s growing role as a hub for research, development, and testing of cutting-edge unmanned systems and aviation technologies.
Simultaneously, NGA and Riverside Research conducted Counter-Unmanned Aerial System testing, utilizing the MQ-9’s ISR capabilities to track and characterize UAV targets launched by AFRL and the Ohio Department of Transportation’s UAS Center. This testing advanced the understanding of target characterization and refined the MQ-9’s ability to contribute to national counter-UAS missions, directly supporting both state and national agency research and development initiatives.
Exercise Advanced Wrath was also a proving ground for Agile Combat Employment concepts. The 178th Wing demonstrated its ability to rapidly generate, employ, and sustain MQ-9 operations from Springfield-Beckley ANGB with a small, agile footprint, increasing survivability and reducing reliance on traditional fixed basing.
Lt. Col. Zachary Eaton, 178th Operations Support Squadron commander, highlighted the strategic advantages of Springfield’s proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where AFRL and Lifecycle Management Center personnel can directly support unmanned system testing and development.
“We are posturing Springfield as an ACE hub for unmanned operations,” Eaton said. “We’ve proven we can launch, recover, and employ MQ-9s from an austere location with minimal footprint, while still delivering lethal effects and high-end ISR.”
The exercise demonstrated not only lethality but also the flexibility to support Ohio Governor-directed disaster and humanitarian response options, multi-region FEMA support, and future regional exercises.
Springfield-Beckley ANGB’s ability to host MQ-9 operations enhances the state’s role in providing Defense Support to Civil Authorities, positioning the Wing to support disaster response missions in the Great Lakes region and beyond.
As Advanced Wrath concluded, the 178th Wing proved it is postured for persistent MQ-9 operations at Springfield-Beckley ANGB. The exercise validated Springfield as a regional hub for unmanned systems research and development, a reliable node for joint and interagency operations, and a lethal force provider in support of national security objectives.
The path forward includes future MQ-9 operations supporting U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue missions on the Great Lakes, expanded research, development, and testing partnerships with AFRL and NGA, regional basing for joint exercises, and readiness to support FEMA and humanitarian assistance operations.
“We are ready for the next step,” Retherford said. “Bringing the MQ-9 to Springfield isn’t just about the platform—it’s about delivering lethal capability where and when the nation needs it.”
As the Air Force accelerates toward the future fight, Springfield-Beckley ANGB has positioned itself as a critical node for the MQ-9 Reaper’s lethality, warfighting capabilities, and Agile Combat Employment in both national defense and domestic operations.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.19.2025 15:18 |
| Story ID: | 493243 |
| Location: | OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 264 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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