Military Activity in Middle East: Incorporating Innovative Approach to Close-Air Support Exercise
U.S. Air Force boosts agility with Agile Spartan exercise
The U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) recently conducted the Agile Spartan exercise, a key operational event designed to enhance the Air Force's capacity for swift, flexible, and combat-ready deployment in challenging environments.
AFCENT typically operates from large, fixed bases in the Middle East. However, the Agile Spartan exercise focused on the Air Force's ability to disperse to smaller, unfamiliar locations, mirroring the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept. ACE training events, both large and small, are ongoing across the Air Force; however, AFCENT stands out given its proximity to conflict zones, making the exercise all the more crucial.
U.S. forces in this region are primarily tasked with curbing the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, providing support for Israel's defense, and safeguarding shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. This constant threat of attacks from Iranian-backed groups or Iran itself necessitates a unique level of readiness for AFCENT forces as they carry out ACE events.
Col. Derrick Michaud, AFCENT's division chief for future operations, commented on the exercise, stating, "We're unique in that as we're doing these ACE events, we are still generating real-world combat power."
The latest iteration of Agile Spartan occurred over multiple weeks and featured an undefined number of Airmen from AFCENT's deployed Air Expeditionary Wings. Unlike other training events, Agile Spartan simultaneously dispersed teams while executing active missions.
"The focus of Agile Spartan is validating our ability to integrate with regional partners and generating combat power wherever we need it for various reasons," Michaud said. "This contributes to the overall knowledge base of the Air Force."
Agile Spartan involved a wide range of aircraft from Central Command (CENTCOM), including A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, HC-130 Combat Talon II cargo aircraft, C-130J Super Hercules airlifters, HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters, and KC-135 tankers.
Capt. Ryan Samolewski, an Agile Spartan detachment commander for a KC-135 deployment, noted, "We didn't just create our own missions to make the exercise happen. The missions we launched were actual real-world combat sorties generated by our team."
During the exercise, A-10s dispersed and were refueled in the field during Forward Area Refueling Point (FARP) operations by HC-130 aircraft. F-15Es conducted integrated combat turns, with Airmen refueling and rearming the fighters while their engines were still running, as they did during AFCENT's defense of Israel in April.
KC-135s also temporarily relocated to an undisclosed location without their traditional support infrastructure. According to Samolewski, this marked the first time a U.S. Air Force asset and personnel operated from this location.
The host nation provided support for supply of jet fuel, air traffic control, and fire department services, while working with the U.S. to ensure logistical requirements were met. The exercise also offered an opportunity to enhance joint operations with local partners.
Michaud commented, "ACE is essential for complicating the adversaries' decision-making, but it's also about collective self-defense of the region. Our ability to do this and generate combat power supports our partners as well, making it a positive move for both us and our regional allies."
Airlifters supported the temporary deployments in addition to their typical missions, focusing on deployment and redeployment efforts while minimizing resources used in locations without a full setup.
Coordination between the wings and AFCENT's U.S. headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., along with its forward hub at the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, ensured seamless execution of the exercise.
Information captured from these exercises is evaluated, refined, and shared with future Airmen to ensure continuous advancements in ACE capabilities. According to Michaud, "None of these exercises are done in isolation. We learn something every time, and this knowledge is shared with future generations."
The Agile Spartan exercise is a vital part of AFCENT's mission to maintain operational readiness, agility, and lethality in a dynamic, contested environment. By continuing to test and evolve these capabilities, AFCENT ensures the Air Force remains prepared to respond effectively to a wide range of threats and scenarios.
- The Agile Spartan exercise, a key operational event for the U.S. Air Force, showcases the Air Force's ability to integrate with space force and air force weapons, employing various aircraft such as A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15E Strike Eagle, HC-130 Combat Talon II, C-130J Super Hercules, HH-60W Jolly Green II, and KC-135 tankers.
- The exercise, stretching over multiple weeks, demonstrates the Air Force's financial and industrial commitment to the aerospace sector, as it validates the integration of defense technologies with sports-like precision and agility.
- AFCENT's ability to disperse to smaller, unfamiliar locations, as illustrated in the Agile Spartan exercise, serves not only to enhance its own combat readiness but also to strengthen collective self-defense of the region, augmenting the defense capabilities of its partners.
- The Agile Spartan exercise provides an opportunity to test and refine Agile Combat Employment (ACE) capabilities, capturing critical information that is later evaluated, refined, and shared with future Airmen to ensure continuous advancements in ACE.
- The exercise, through a successful blend of technology, strategy, and teamwork, underlines AFCENT's commitment to maintaining operational readiness, agility, and lethality in the face of dynamic, contested environments, readying the Air Force to swiftly respond to a wide range of threats and scenarios.
