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In an effort to neutralize the enemy and their ability to impact
combat operations, the 57th Wing and 26th Weapons Squadron, in
conjunction with Airmen from the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary
Wing, supported and created the U.S. Air Force's first-ever MQ-1
Predator and MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft Electronic Combat
Officers (ECO) course.
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June 10, 2016 - Airmen from the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary
Wing pose with their instructor, Capt. Craig, 26th Weapon Squadron
MQ-9 Pilot (center), after graduating from the U.S. Air Force's
first-ever Electronic Combat Officers course. The course focuses on
training aircrews of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft to
mitigate potential signal interruptions thus reducing the potential
risks to RPAs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nadine Barclay)
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“We've been working for the last year and half or so to
build the ECO course for the RPA community,” said Capt.
Craig, 26th WPS MQ-9 pilot and ECO course creator. “It's
very fulfilling to see it's finally coming into fruition.”
Since the insatiable demand for intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance capability grew faster than
the Air Force could produce qualified MQ-1 and MQ-9
aircrews, the reality of low manning, platform
sustainability and training became a constant concern.
Since MQ-1 and MQ-9 aircraft require satellite signals to
operate, it becomes extremely important for aircrews to train
towards mitigating potential signal interruptions. RPA ECOs
integrate with the affected MQ-1/9 aircrews, the relay site, space
command, and others at the Air Operations Center (AOC) to mitigate
these signal interruptions.
“I had this vision back in 2013,
when I wrote the syllabus for the first time,” said Craig. “I didn't
think it would end up turning into an actual ACC [Air Combat
Command] course.”
Craig, who previously served as a
Formalized Training Unit (FTU) Instructor at Holloman Air Force
Base, New Mexico, was deemed the most knowledgeable about the
satellite communications (SATCOM) threats and how to combat them. He
spent the next three years laying the groundwork for the course.
Armed with the knowledge of a manning shortage, Craig developed
new tactics, techniques and procedures that would allow the current
manning to act in dual hatted position thus reducing the risks RPAs
are subject to.
After taking the course Airmen will return to
their units as trained experts on RPA use of the electromagnetic
spectrum (EMS) to include, but not limited to: area of operation
(AO) non-kinetic threats, radio communications, GPS, remote-split
operations (RSO), SATCOM, and Link 16 a tactical data exchange
network (JTIDS).
“It came to a point where I felt that we
will no longer be fighting in a permissive war and it couldn't just
be me that knows how to fight against it, so I drafted up a syllabus
on how I would train an ECO to fight a threat,” said Craig. “At the
same time the 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron was testing how to
fight against SATCOM contested threats. I was just at the right
place at the right time.”
Since Air Force regulations dictate
that every wing or squadron Weapons and Tactics office will have
graduated and certified Electronic Combat Pilots (ECPs), Electronic
Warfare Officers (EWOs) or ECOs, the demand for a certified ECO
course for MQ-1 and MQ-9 squadrons grew.
“They [Air Force
Central Command] are in the demand phase for information,” said
Craig. “They want to learn what the RPA capabilities are.
Leadership's mindset of the Predator and Reaper's capabilities in a
non-permissive fight are shifting now that we have proven new
innovative solutions.”
Much like Sun Tzu alluded to, we must
mitigate our own weaknesses before they can be exploited by the
enemy, which is why the newly created ECO course is designed to be a
three phase system and walks the students through 15 days of
rigorous training.
“The course offered realistic training and
challenging missions,” said Maj. Joseph, ECO student. “It would do
us no good to practice in "theory" without real-world, realistic
training scenarios that will mirror future/present threats that we
may face.”
The first phase begins with the academics portion
of the course and teaches students to plan and prepare against a
jamming threat.
Next the students learn to integrate RPAs
into the SATCOM during simulated flights, followed by the final
hands-on portion in which students execute TTPs in support of
airborne RPA flight operations in the Nevada Test and Training
Range.
“One student will sit in the seat and experience what
it's like to receive a jamming signal while flying another student
acts as the ‘ECO' and supports the pilot who has received the
threat,” said Craig. “They swap roles and do it all over again so
they both get to experience those perspectives, from both the pilot
and the ECO.”
In addition, students received help from the
26th Space Aggressors Squadron from Schriever AFB, Colo., who
replicate enemy threats to space-based and space-enabled systems
during tests and training exercises.
“Getting to interact
with the Aggressors was incredible,” said Joseph. “We learned about
friendly and adversary capabilities and mindsets, challenges and
weaknesses. This program is about preparing for a more advanced
adversary, so it's important to train against the best.”
By
using GPS and SATCOM jamming techniques, the 26th WPS provides the
Air Force, joint and coalition military personnel with an
understanding of how to recognize, mitigate, counter and defeat
these threats.
Still developing Airmen with the skills needed
to win today's fight and prepare for tomorrow's threats without
directly engaging the enemy doesn't come without its own challenges.
“One of the misconceptions we have is that, we're already
critically manned,” said Craig. “We can't divvy out any more bodies
to be only ECOs, or deploy them to be a part of this fight at the
relay site. The truth is, units don't lose a pilot or an instructor,
but using the current manning to do both they gain an expert in the
squadron.”
Being one of only a handful of trained ECOs is
something the only fully certified Air Force RPA ECO is set on
changing.
“I'm the only RPA ECO in the Air Force community,
meaning I don't have other ECOs that I can go to and ask questions,”
said Craig. “Since we only have one dedicated instructor, myself,
the ratio is one to four. There will be four students, four times a
year and as we continue to train ECOs we will grow in size until we
have two-to-three ECOs in every unit.”
The course, which was
conducted jointly between Creech and Nellis AFBs, recently graduated
a beta class of five Airmen assigned to the 432nd WG.
Although the training currently focuses on officers, enlisted Airmen
in RPA career fields may also attend a modified ECO course prior to
deployments.
In a time when Airmen are asked to find
vulnerabilities, develop a course of action and implement change to
mitigate threats through innovation, Craig offers one final piece of
advice.
“We are definitely preparing for tomorrow's fight
through innovation, 100 percent,” said Craig. “I'd say to other
Airmen not to give up on their innovation. Be persistent, perfect
your theory, and get it to the right people with influence who will
be able to help you in developing that innovation. I've had
tremendous support from the 26 WPS cadre, USAFWC, 432d AEW, and ACC
to get this course where it is today; I wouldn't have been able to
do it alone.”
By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nadine Barclay
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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