Page 5 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 8-14-15

BULLSEYE Creech News 5August 14, 2015

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Combat Hammer tests RPA teams

By Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen Ron went on to say exercises like this allow U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen
crews to generate combat efficiencies, learn
432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing what they could do better, and learn how to Airmen from the 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load a GBU-12 Paveway II
be more effective in a safe manner. laser-guided bomb on an MQ-0 Reaper at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 5. The
Public Affairs maintenance crew was evaluated on timeliness, safety, and precision of loading
All of the crews were evaluated on speed, munitions on remotely piloted aircraft as part of the 2015 Air-Ground Weapons
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — accuracy, and precision while still maintain- Systems Evaluation Program, also known as Combat Hammer.
Airmen from four squadrons within the ing proper safety procedures. More specifi-
432nd Wing and 432nd Air Expeditionary cally, maintenance personnel were inspected
Wing participated in the annual Air-Ground on proper loading of munitions, while the
Weapon Systems Evaluation Program, also aircrew members were charged with flying
known as Combat Hammer, Aug. 3-7 here. to the Utah Test and Training Range, locat-
ing targets, striking, and returning home as
The exercise tested the maintenance crews, proficiently as possible.
pilots, sensor operators, and intelligence Air-
men on operational assessments evaluating “They had to transit to the airspace, employ
the reliability, maintainability, suitability and the weapons, and exit the airspace,” Ron said.
accuracy of remotely piloted aircraft muni- “Half of the targets were stationary and the
tions. others were moving.

“Combat Hammer is an air-to-ground The mission put aircrews of all ranks and
weapons system evaluation program that skill levels to the test. For some, it was their
spans over four days and tests the entire phase first time employing an AGM-114 Hellfire
of employing a weapon,” said. Capt. Ron, missile or GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided
432nd Operations Support Squadron wing bombs.
weapons plans officer. “This includes every-
thing from building and loading a weapon, “We had five first time GBU-12 and three
maintenance that generates the aircraft, get- first time Hellfire shooters,” said Capt. Marcus
ting the aircrew in the seat, and ultimately Kollross, 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron
employing the weapon.” RPA WSEP lead evaluator. “Being able to

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen employ in training or an exercise before Ellsworth’s capability to continue combat
shooting in combat not only builds confi- without having to send their people here for
Airman 1st Class Ricardo Garcia, 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load dence in the individual, but also teaches the the exercise. They were able to dial in to the
crew member, left, and Staff Sgt. Charlie Loper, 432nd AMXS load crew chief, prepare to crew realistic expectations prior to their first aircraft and fly the exercise from their home
load GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs onto an MQ-9 Reaper at Creech Air Force combat engagement. No other major weapon station.”
Base, Nev., Aug. 5. The maintenance crews loaded the munitions in support of the 2015 system goes into combat without having the
Air-Ground Weapons Systems Evaluation Program exercise. opportunity to employ first.” This year’s exercise marks the fifth anniver-
sary of RPAs participating in WSEP.
The crews from Creech AFB were joined by
432nd AEW crews at Ellsworth AFB, South “Overall, everyone did a great job, they
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remote split operations. Kollross said. “There was a lot of learning, but
being able to learn in this type of environ-
“The RSO capability allows us to split ment allows the crews to gain confidence
operations from other bases across time to be able to execute a mission they’ve never
zones,” Ron said. “We were able to preserve done before.”

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen

Evaluators from the Air-Ground Weapons Systems Evaluation Program discuss the Airman 1st Class Quantavious Wall, 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load
ongoing WSEP exercise at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 5. The exercise took place crew member, safety wires a GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided bomb onto an MQ-9 Reaper
Aug. 3-7 and tested maintenance, pilot, sensor operator, and intelligence crews to ensure at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 5. The aircraft was loaded in preparation of the 2015
precision of remotely piloted aircraft strikes. Air-Ground Weapons Systems Evaluation Program Combat Hammer exercise, which
operationally assesses and evaluates the reliability, maintainability, suitability and accuracy
of remotely piloted aircraft munition.