The Boeing EA-18G Growlers of No.6 Squadron RAAF added an additional dimension to Pitch Black air combat exercise held in the relatively empty skies of the Northern Territory in August and September.
Although Growlers had participated in the previous Pitch Black exercise, in 2018, they were not fully integrated into the exercise order of battle and 6 Sqn crews mainly used their presence as a squadron work-up opportunity.
Pitch Black 2022 therefore was the first in the biennial series of air combat exercises to utilise a dedicated airborne electronic attack and jamming capability. For the daily missions, the Growlers were fitted with a single ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System pod fitted to the centreline pylon and two underwing fuel tanks. Weapons being simulated included the AIM-9X within visual range air to air missile (represented by a single Captive Air Training Missile on an underwing hardpoint) and a notional AGM-88 High Speed Anti Radar Missile (HARM) capability.
Normally based at Amberley in south east Queensland, 6 Sqn deployed seven aircraft and a number of crews to Darwin for Pitch Black 2022, where they flew missions in support of high value assets such as RAAF Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT).
However, while the electronic warfare capability of the aircraft was utilised in the daily flying operations of Pitch Black 2022, it was not used to its full capability due to the unclassified nature of the multi-lateral exercise.
“We have certain guidelines we are given, in terms of mission planning, about what we can execute when we’re airborne,” explained EA-18G pilot, Flying Officer “Sam”, in between Pitch Black missions. “I guess up here we're not exercising the full capabilities of our jet.”
During Pitch Black 2022, the aircraft flew in support of both day and night missions on a six-turn-six basis, and working with Red Air or Blue Air assets as required by the exercise director.
Air arms from no fewer than eleven countries took part in the daily flying operations, with day missions comprising in excess of 40 aircraft and night missions of around 20, which Flight Lieutenant “Kuovo”, an Electonic Warfare Officer (EWO), explained complicated mission planning and execution.
“Working with that many different nations makes it more complicated in certain respects, but there are other aspects which aren't as complicated,” he said. “So, certain parts of this exercise are a lot more complicated than what we normally deal with, but obviously, it [Pitch Black 22] being unclassified in nature, there are certain things that are a little bit easier.”
In other news, ADM understands that a replacement Growler for an aircraft lost in a take-off accident in the US in 2018 and announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in September 2021 is currently being modified to RAAF specifications in the US and will be delivered to Amberley in early 2023.
