Page 53 - Defence Industry Guide #55

ADM’s Defence Industry Guide 2022 | Edition 55 | www.defencesuppliers.com.au
AIRPOWER 53
half years on a broad array of exercises and operations around the world.
“We’re talking looking for pirates off the coast of Soma- lia, looking for submarines off the coast of Southern Cali- fornia, doing search and rescue in the Southern Ocean, as well as three tours of duty in the Middle East,” WGCDR Jovanovich said. “That was an amazing thing to happen to somebody in their twenties.”
Following her stint as a P-3 captain, WGCDR Jovanovich became qualified as an experimental test pilot after com- pleting one year of training at the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The privilege of such an opportunity was not lost to an aeroplane enthusiast like WGCDR Jovanovich.
“Even just going to where that school is – Edwards Air Force Base – was a dream come true for me,” she said. “Edwards is the home of flight test. That’s where Chuck Yeager first went supersonic in 1947, it’s where the space shuttle used to land as an alternate landing field, so it was an amazing place to be.”
She notes that, while exceptionally rewarding, Test Pilot School was no easy feat. The prestigious institution has graduated less than 3,000 students in more than 70 years of operation – when she graduated in 2014, WGCDR Jo- vanovich was the first Australian in 25 years to do so. The course involved a two-year Master’s degree compressed into one year, along with practical training in flying 23 dif- ferent types of aircraft.
IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE
Despite such memorable experiences, she says that if she had to choose the single most rewarding part of her 20 years in the Air Force so far; “It’s the people that I’ve worked with, always”.
And it’s the people to which she attributes the success of 10 Sqn today.
“It’s all about the team,” WGCDR Jovanovich said. “This version of 10 Sqn – noting that this is my third posting at the squadron – is the closest and most integrated team I have ever worked with. And I mean, across all ranks and specialisations, and including both uniformed personnel and contractors.”
“I believe we have, hands-down, the best maintenance workforce in the Air Force,” she continued. “They do an absolutely magnificent job of keeping two 40-year-old airframes flying and achieving outstanding serviceability rates that are the envy of much newer aeroplanes.”
WGCDR Jovanovich also commends the aircrew – “all of whom are specialists in their own areas, and who all work seamlessly together to deliver world-class ISREW effects” – as well as support sections, including administration, opera- tions, intelligence, IT support and logistics.
“Our logistics section is actually a bit of a special high- light because 10 Sqn in the past never used to have a logis- tics section of its own,” she added. “But as our aircraft have aged, sustaining them and maintaining them at the high operational tempo that we need them to be at has become a real exercise in logistics support.”
10 Sqn has also broken new ground in 2021 by having
both a female Commanding Officer and Executive Officer. WGCDR Jovanovich is third after only two other women to become the Commanding Officer of an operational flying squadron: WGCDR Linda Corbould between 2006 to 2008, and WGCDR Sarah Stalker between 2018 to 2020. Further- more, WGCDR Jovanovich, alongside the squadron’s Execu- tive Officer, Squadron Leader Jenna Higgins, make the first pair of female aviators to lead an operational flying squadron
in 100 years of the Air Force.
“I think that’s both a big deal, and not a big deal,” WGC-
DR Jovanovich said. “It’s a big deal because we’re breaking new ground, and it’s not a big deal because at 10 Sqn that’s honestly just business as usual. Everybody just accepts that we’re here because we’re awesome at our jobs, and we are. So, we just get on with it.”
While WGCDR Jovanovich does not draw focus to fe- male leadership as a contributing factor to the squadron’s success, she observes that “it is reflective of the unit’s broader culture of diversity and inclusivity – and that cul- ture certainly does contribute to our success.
“The diversity means that there’s always lots of different ideas floating around 10 Sqn, and the inclusivity means that people feel valued and that their ideas are valued. That, to me, is what gives us an edge when it comes to problem solving. I think both military aviation and military operations are basically continuous problem-solving exer- cises – so that culture of diversity and inclusivity is why we’re really good at what we do.” ■
SVT is a Specialists in Providing solution to meet Military Vibration and Shock Standards.
Shock and Vibration Technologies specialises in high deflection Naval Shock Mount, High performance elastomeric Anti-Vibration mounts, Wire Rope
Cable mounts, Shock mounting 19” racks as well as consoles and Milex 19” aluminium transport cases.
SVT is the Australian representative for Stop-Choc UK, Barry Controls UK and US, Desapro, IDC and South midlands Communications.
SHOCK AND VIBRATIONS TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD
Unit 14/9 Ladbroke Street Milperra 2214 Phone: (02) 9771 0444
svt.net.au
09056 DFD SHOCK.indd 1
21/05/18 2:51
PM