The Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) 75 Squadron has launched into Exercise Cope North 25 with a bang, testing the skill of their armament technicians (ARMTECHs) and aircrew by dropping 64 GBU-39 small-diameter bombs off the coast of Guam.
Working alongside United States Air Force (USAF) armament technicians, 14 Australian ARMTECHs loaded more than a tonne of explosives on to the squadron's F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighters across three days.
The aim was to perfect their skills and efficiency in deploying armed aircraft from a USAF base.
Explosive ordnance technician Flight Sergeant Simon Nelson described the importance of the experience for his team.
"There were a lot of difficulties to overcome when attempting a mission like this," Flight Sergeant Nelson said.
"Weather, different regulations and tight loading windows put lots of pressure on the teams, especially the supervisors.
"I could not have been more impressed by the team. They worked closely with our USAF counterparts and provided support to each other to ensure mission success."
'Our maintenance team as a whole has been outstanding [in delivering] mission-ready jets - achieving an outcome that is a first for RAAF F-35A operations.'
The opportunity to operate aircraft with live munitions and employ those munitions was also excellent training for the aircrew involved. Employing live ordinance provides end-to-end confidence in the F-35A's air to surface lethality.
Commanding Officer 75 Squadron Wing Commander Andrew Nilson said the training and execution of these kinds of missions were valuable to the squadron and the RAAF as a whole.
"I am extremely proud of our ARMTECHs to be able to overcome all of the challenges associated with [high explosives] operations, especially from an international base," Wing Commander Nilson said.
"Our maintenance team as a whole has been outstanding [in delivering] mission-ready jets - achieving an outcome that is a first for RAAF F-35A operations."
75 Squadron and the rest of the Australian contingent on Exercise Cope North 25 now shift focus to fully integrated mission planning and execution with their American and Japanese allies over their remaining time in Guam.
