Pacific Perspective:USMC Develops Aviation Combat Skills With Australian Allies

The Aviation Combat Element (ACE) of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRD-F) conducted Exercises RAPTOR'S STRIKE 22 and DIAMOND STORM 22 with Australian Defence Force (ADF) counterparts from 2 May-24 June in Adelaide,South Australia,MRF-D reported.RAPTOR'S STRIKE enhanced low altitude air defence (LAAD) interoperability as LAAD Marines from Marine Air Combat Group 38 Detachment (MACG 38) integrated with ADF personnel.MRD-F Marines worked closely with 100 Air Defence Battery to improve integrated air and missile defence,thus demonstrating a primary feature of Force Design 2030 concepts and expeditionary advanced base operations.In the current Indo-Pacific Region environment,with a militarily assertive China and Russia causing concern from Japan to Taiwan and beyond,air defence assets are critical as they enable manoeuvring.Integrating these Marine Corps assets with Allied air defence capabilities further increases the ability to maintain freedom to manoeuvre.* Next,the MRD-F ACE moved on to DIAMOND STORM 22,providing aviation coordination and battlespace awareness to the Allied exercise force.Working beside Royal Australian Air Force counterparts,they developed key relationships;Anti-Air Warfare Tactics,Techniques and Procedures (TTP);and enhanced MRF-D battlespace awareness.While supporting real-world contingencies,the drills were also critical enablers of Exercises KOOLENDONG 22 and PITCH BLACK 22,which is led by the ADF.DIAMOND STORM was an Air Warfare Instructor Course incorporating top Australian pilots and Special Operations Forces. MACG 38 provided battlespace awareness and MRD-F Marines also supported the drills with MV-22 Osprey lift,transportation and manoeuvre.The ADF Air Warfare Centre and 88 Squadron focused on detailed integration of offensive air support;offensive counter-air;suppression of enemy air defences;fixed wing-delivered close air support;and Airborne Command and Control.The participants operated force-on-force against a thinking adversary with a comprehensive and modern integrated air defence system,within a contested electromagnetic spectrum environment and during the conduct of long-range combat assault transport missions.