Page 27 - Australian Defence Magazine Sep-Oct 2022

THE exercise, involving multiple fighter aircraft from Air Instructor (MTI); E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning
Combat Group, C-130J Hercules from Air Mobility Group and a P-8A Poseidon from Surveillance and Response Group, graduated the latest generation of Air Warfare instructors who now become the subject matter experts within their parent units.
Diamond Storm 22 was the culmination of a six-month Air Warfare Instructors Course (AWIC 22), which saw the sharpest candidates from across the air force hone their skills through a series of training events and exer- cises, known as Force Level Integration Events.
AWIC22 comprised nine course streams, which graduated subject matter experts in the air, maritime and land domains and comprised: F-35A Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI); P-8A Poseidon Maritime Combat Instructor (MCI); No. 4 Squadron Combat Control Instructor (CCI); F/A-18F Super Hornet Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI); EA-18G Growler
and Control Instructor (AEW&CI); Fighter Combat Instruc- tor (FCI) for air battlespace management, and Intelligence Combat Instructor (ICI) for intelligence workforce courses. Of these nine courses, no fewer than three were held for the first time during AWIC 2022.
AWIC HISTORY
The AWIC series began in 2017, replacing the previous Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI) course which had been running since 1954, but had focussed – as the name sug- gests – on training fighter aircraft instructors.
The origins of the FCI itself reflected the need for a more professional approach after the post-war contraction of the RAAF and the introduction of high-performance jet air- craft. This was soon given added impetus by the experiences of 77 Sqn, which transitioned from piston-engine Mustangs
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
DEFENCE BUSINESS AWIC22 27
Tactics Instructor (GTI); C-130J Hercules Mobility Tactics to Meteor jet fighters in the midst of the Korean War.