The scheduled combat mission for this week was postponed at the last minute due to aircraft availability, so the Black Aces took the opportunity to conduct training in the Marianas Islands on some rarely-used weapon systems: AGM-84D Harpoon and AGM-84H SLAM-ER.
Two Dealer flights launched out of Andersen AFB and were tasked to attack two targets.
1. A Chinese type 52 Luyang destroyer steaming 150nm to the NW of Guam
2. A factory on the southern end of Tinian Island.
Both Dealer flights reviewed the set up and configuration steps for AGM-84H missiles and then launched their SLAM-ERs against the factory and achieved hits. However many pilots reported not receiving terminal guidance and video information being delivered through their datalink pods (configuration error/omission?).
Both flights also attacked the type 52 destroyer with Harpoon missiles, launching in both Bearing Only and R/BL mode. All aircraft successfully fired their Harpoons and several hits were registered on the destroyer. A few missiles never found their target and several were shot down by the destroyer's point defense system. It was a good reminder of the need for multiple missiles launched in a coordinated attack against any modern surface combatant class ship.
All five Dealer aircraft then refueled at a KC-135 in the area before proceeding out to the USS GEORGE WASHINGON (CVN-73) for a shipboard recovery.
The mission was a good chance to practice employing some weapons that most of us had not used in quite some time (for some it was the first time using the SLAM). Even the more experienced pilots were required to expend considerable brain power on remembering the steps to properly configure and program an 84H to follow a pre-programmed route on the way to target and set the various flight parameters.
Accordingly, the mission served to reinforce the concept of getting out on the squadron training ranges periodically and refreshing the numerous perishable skills required to successfully employ the Hornet and its many weapon systems.
DEALER 1
1-1 Trim - ground/sea targets, AAR, trapped
1-2 Rhino - ground/sea targets, AAR, trapped
DEALER 2
2-1 Mr. Bean - ground/sea targets, AAR, trapped
2-2 Chaos - ground/sea targets, AAR, trapped
2-3 Iceberg - ground/sea targets, AAR, trapped
27 March 2022 - Marianas Weapons Training
Re: 27 March 2022 - Marianas Weapons Training
Pilot records and Greenie Board updated.