Exercise Maple Flag
By FGOFF Nathan Tucker
Exercise Maple Flag
In May, jet pilots and transport crews from around the world descended upon Cold Lake, Canada, for exercise Maple Flag – an annual exercise designed to simulate the first 10 days of war in an air and ground threat environment. Each day different skill-sets were tested and subsequently evaluated – the aim being to learn from any mistakes made, and to develop the crews’ war-fighting ethos for current operations.
Various countries and aircraft were represented in 2008. The USA, Canada, The Netherlands and Singapore flew the F15, F16, F18 and Prowler, while New Zealand (C-130), Germany and France (C-160s) owned the transport arena. The USA and France also contributed an AWACS platform each to provide a realistic command and control element. Prior to each launch, all crews gathered for an extensive combined planning session.
Based upon a convincing scenario, each mission allowed the different crews to test their abilities in various areas. The jet pilots took to the air against a ‘Red Air’ enemy force consisting of F16s and Alpha jets, simulating Russian Flankers and Fishbeds respectively. Each carried AA-10C and AA-10D air-to-air missiles and while they waved their hands in the air at altitude, the transport elements conducted low-level airdrop and air land missions to re-supply friendly forces on the ground. Each flight also provided a chance to test out the crews’ threat reaction skills against simulated surface-to-air threats, such as SA-6, SA-8 and SA-11, AAA, and small-arms fire. Once back on terra firma, all participants attended a mass-debrief. Here, a GPS-based playback was picked apart on a movie screen and any valid ‘kills’ analysed. All crews received feedback about their threat avoidance techniques and, more importantly, whether or not they had survived the fight. This allowed us not only to apply the lessons-learnt on our next flight, but to also form information-sharing relationships with the other nations.
One country that all nations have a developing interest in is Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) regularly sees crews from 40 Squadron employing techniques practised at Maple Flag, including low-level flying and tactical communications. Multi-national intelligence sharing is another element practised, and is vital for the successful conduct of missions in the Middle East. Exercises such as Maple Flag provide an arena within which to share information and learn from other countries’ mistakes.
All-in-all, Maple Flag 2008 was tactically challenging and rewarding. While the flying itself was worth the trip, the relationships formed and the information shared with our potential coalition partners were infinitely more valuable. We also managed to find time to experience Canadian hospitality, which was first class. Next year will potentially see a change to the running of the exercise, moving from a day-only war to include both day and night components – the effect of which will only serve to advance No. 40 Squadron’s future war-fighting capabilities.