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Karo-Aviation visit NAS Fallon 2015-3
Article and pictures by Ronald de Roij


NAS Fallon and the Fallon Range Training Complex are the Navy's premier integrated strike warfare training facilities. Its mission is to support carrier air wings preparing for deployment and to host joint and multinational training and exercises.

Known throughout the Navy as the only facility in existence where an entire carrier air wing can conduct comprehensive training while integrating every element of the wing into realistic battle scenarios. Fallon enjoys more than 300 clear flying days per year and gets the most out of each of those days with its four bombing ranges, the electronic warfare range and all of its other excellent training facilities. Making Fallon a one-stop training facility unequalled by not many other facilities.

Naval Air Station Fallon traces its origins to 1942, As part of the Western Defence Program, initiated to repel an expected Japanese attack on the west coast. As the war progressed and the possibility off on invasion dropped, it became a base to train pilots in a realistic environment which included the construction off target ranges. In the years that followed the training facility’s where expanded to their present form .

In the early 90’s a new hangar, ramp and academic building were built in 1995 to accommodate the arrival of Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (Top Dome) from San Diego to Fallon in early 1996. With the transfer off NAS Miramar to the USMC the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Centre (NSAWC) was commissioned at Fallon NAS. Combining the functions of TOPGUN, the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School and the Naval Strike Warfare Centre into one command. At the same time VFC-13 moved to Fallon replacing VFA-127 in the adversary role.

"The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center really is an umbrella organization that brings together several schools of excellence with regard to core combat capabilities, TOPGUN for fighters, CAEWWS (Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School), HAVOC (Airborne Electronics Attack Weapons School), JCAS (Joint Close Air Support), and the rotary wing training school or RWWS "


NSAWC

Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC)

The  NSAWC  is the result of the combining of three commands into a single command in 1996, to enhance aviation training effectiveness. This came in to effect when the Naval Strike Warfare Center based at NAS Fallon was joined with the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (TOPDOME) which both moved from NAS Miramar as a result of the transfer of NAS Miramar to the USMC.

The mission of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center is identified in the command brief as follows:

 

 
 
 
 
 

Train Naval Air Forces on advanced tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) across all combat missions at the individual, unit, and integrated air wing levels; develop, validate, standardize, and publish combat TTPs for Naval Aviation; support naval components and Combatant Commanders with aviation subject matter expertise; and make recommendations on aviation warfare requirements.

The NSAWC flies a mixture off F/A-18 Hornets, Super Hornets and Growlers as well as the F-16 Fighting Falcons , SH-60R/S Seahawk helicopter and E-2 Hawkeyes  to perform these duties.
High losses in Vietnam led the Navy to create a special advanced pilot training school, known as TOPGUN, at NAS Miramar. The result was a dramatic improvement in the air combat kill ratio against Soviet-trained North Vietnamese pilots.

In the early ’80s, as the result of a strike in Lebanon where the Navy lost a couple of airplanes and some airmen it became clear to the Navy that they had to do the same thing for integrated warfighting as they did for the fighters with TOPGUN. So the Strike Warfare Center was created to teach entire air wings how to integrate all their capabilities. In the same period an E-2 weapons school (TOPDOME) was established.

Today, NSAWC is the Navy’s primary authority on training and tactics development, both for specific aircraft and for integrated strike warfare. In addition to aircrew training, its mission includes aviation requirements recommendations, research and development priorities for integrated strike warfare, maritime and overland air superiority, strike fighter employment, airborne battle management, combat search and rescue, close air support, and associated planning support systems. TOPGUN is only one part of what has become the NSAWC.
Subsequently, weapons schools where created for Navy helicopters and the new EA-18 Growlers electronic warfare/attack aircraft all part of the NSAWC.

The model for training in Navy tactical aviation is train the trainer; that starts at the different weapons schools, where they become weapons and tactics instructors. A typical student comes out of his first fleet assignment to go through the course. He then goes to one of the weapons schools, followed by a tour in the fleet as a squadron training officer, with primary responsibility for tactics and war fighter training. This is the model for developing tactical skills at a individually level.

On a other level training is given to each individual squadron ,before they deploy, that has gone through their advanced readiness program. As they deploy to Fallon with all their weapons and capabilities. The NSAWC teaches them how to integrate each of those pieces into a whole to do strike warfare.
This can be done as a single squadron , but is also done on the level of a complete carrier air wing. During a training like that a certain number of senior officers will go through an airborne mission commander syllabus. Those officers, who would plan and lead an actual strike, have been around long enough to understand other weapons in the wing, and the NSAWC will show them how to use them all.

Advancing technology, changing threats, and new approaches to the use of aviation assets in increasingly complex and networked battle theatres are being reflected in the training now conducted at Fallon. With the introduction of the F-35 Lightning and pilotless drones to the Navy, the training scenario will only become more complex in the future.


 

 
         
           

Aircraft assigned to the Adversary role replicate tactics, mission profiles as well as markings and insignas of their near peer adversaries. In order to make training as real as possible adversaries often sport “splinter” color schemes, that are inspired by Russian 4th and 5th generation aircraft, along with traditional camouflaged livery, like that used by the Russian Naval Aviation.

 

 
 
 
 
 

NSAWC consists of multiple departments. Personnel Resources (N1) oversees administrative functions, supply, security, automated information systems, and first lieutenant. The Intelligence Department (N2) provides support to air wing training in Fallon as well as to fleets and battle groups based all over the world. Additionally, N2 contains the CIS (Computer Information Systems) division. Operations (N3) manages scheduling for aircraft, aircrew, the training ranges, and keeps aircrew log books and records. The Maintenance Department (N4) maintains all NSAWC aircraft, including parts and supplies, manages the loading, unloading and storage of ordnance, and maintains aircrew flight equipment.

Plans, Programs and Tactics (N5) is involved in tactics development and assessment for tactical aircraft and H-60 helicopters, program management and participation, mission planning, and inter/intra service liaison. N5 is the legacy "Strike U" organization and is headed by a Naval Aviator who typically fleets up from the N7 dept head position.

The C4I/C2W Department N6 provides graduate-level command, control, communication, battle management, and electronic reconnaissance training to E-2 Hawkeye and EP-3 Aries aircrew, joint and combined personnel. N6 department contains the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS) and the Electronic Reconnaissance Division. CAEWWS conducts the E-2 Advanced Mission Commander Course (AMCC) and Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) syllabus, as well as the EP-3 Strike Integration course. In addition to the course of instruction N6 Department conducts, N6 instructors support the N5 Department as Command and Control instructors and evaluators during Air Wing Fallon Detachment training and have been instrumental in the development of requirements for future Navy C2 systems, such as the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. N6 Department resides in the Fleet Training Building with the N3, N7, and N8 departments.

The Navy Fighter Weapon School (N7) instructs advanced methods of strike-fighter employment through the "TOPGUN" Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) course. It also conducts the Strike Leader Attack Training Syllabus (SLATS) and Senior Officers Course (SOC); and manages air wing power projection training. N7 personnel retain the traditional light blue T-shirts and light brown leather nametags worn by TOPGUN personnel and have their own spaces (shared with N6 and N8) separate from the main NSAWC building that house the heritage of TOPGUN legacy in forms of Photos and other memorabilia. The NSAWC F-16 aircraft sport the TOPGUN patch on the tail.

The Navy Rotary Wing Weapons School (N8) instructs graduate-level rotary wing employment through the "SEAWOLF" Seahawk Weapons and Tactics Instructor (SWTI) course. It also conducts the Strike Leader Attack Training Syllabus (SLATS), Senior Officers Course (SOC), assists N5 with airwing training, and manages the Navy's Mountain Flying Course.

Operational Risk Management/Safety Department (N9) manages air-and-ground related safety programs as well as medical training programs.

The fixed wing assets and rotary wing assets from the air wings work and train together at other times during a workup cycle, and in other locations, but NAS Fallon is the only place where they can come together to train on an instrumented Navy range

One of the last schools to be activated is the Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School (N10) is the EA-18G Growler weapons school and conducts the "HAVOC" Growler Tactics Instructor course. NSAWC's AEAWS department will provide training to the fleet’s electronic attack squadrons with the techniques, tactics and procedures to ensure aviation superiority in the electronic attack and air-to-air arena.

NSAWC has been working closely with Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Wash., and Commander Electronic Attack Wing Pacific (COMVAQWINGPAC) toward the goal of establishing a training center at Fallon since 2006.  The actual training started in October 2009, when the first instructors show up to start creating the course. Once they got the airplanes to validate all the work they've done including building scenarios, flights, simulations and lectures the program really started in 2011.

Growler training at NSAWC will be similar to the older EA-6B "Prowler" training program, "the Growler is basically an ICAP III Prowler stuffed inside an FA-18F", with emphasis on electronic attack protection and the inclusion of Top Gun lectures covering the air–to-air arena.

The number off schools will always be changing as others systems are integrated in the US Navy like the F-35C , but also as schools are re-established like the the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (N20) in 2013.

 
           

We thank PAO Zip Upham for arranging our visit to NAS Fallon and the staff off NAS Fallon for their hospitality and help during our visit.

 
 
 

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