INTEGRATED STRIKE

Exercise Forging Sabre 2011 sees the Singapore Armed Forces engaging hostile air and land forces through counter-air and integrated strike operations.

The stillness of the night was broken by the roar of fighter aircraft as they advanced under the cover of darkness. As swiftly as they appeared, these Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) jets destroyed nearby enemy fighter aircraft and launched lethal munitions on enemy headquarters.

At the same time, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Commandos on a surveillance mission discovered the movement of enemy units.

After this information was relayed back to the Command Post, a group of F-16C/D and F-15SG aircraft as well as Apache attack helicopters were activated within minutes to destroy the enemy assets.

This was a typical night mission scenario during Exercise Forging Sabre, which was held from 28 Nov to 11 Dec 2011 at Luke Air Force Base and the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Phoenix, Arizona, United States (US).

Debut showing

More than 450 airmen and soldiers from Singapore and the RSAF's four training detachments in the US, as well as 25 RSAF aircraft, were involved in the exercise.

Besides the maiden appearance of the F-15SG aircraft, Exercise Forging Sabre 2011 was unique in the introduction of enemy fighters and surface-to-air threats into the exercise scenario.

For the first time, Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions (LJDAMs) were deployed by F-15SG aircraft against mobile targets in day and night missions. Smart munitions accounted for about 75 percent of all munitions involved, and these precision weapons were also employed during night missions.

Describing the smart terminal guidance capabilities provided by the LJDAM, F-15SG pilot Major Mark Tan said: "Once the bomb is programmed prior to release, its own smart logic will take it all the way to impact."

Bigger and more complex

According to Exercise Director and Commander, Air Combat Command, Brigadier-General (BG) Lim Yeong Kiat, the exercise has increased in both scale and complexity.

"We will simulate a war game scenario where we have a 'red' team acting as the opposition, as well as a 'blue' team which will have to contest for airspace and develop an operational plan against them," he said.

BG Lim added that due to Singapore's land and airspace constraints, overseas exercises such as Forging Sabre were important in meeting their training requirements. The Barry M. Goldwater Range, for instance, is around 19 times the size of Singapore.

Exercise participant Captain Tan Guan Jin, a Weapon Systems Officer, agreed, adding that participating in such large-scale exercises has helped to hone their flying capabilities.

He said: "By training and interacting with personnel from the US Air Force who have valuable combat experiences, my colleagues and I have learnt much from them and it has contributed to our ability to enhance our competencies in a shorter span of time."

Precision attack

Here's a look at a typical mission scenario conducted during Exercise Forging Sabre 2011.

1) Track & Destroy
Sensors track hostile forces and update the Command Post (CP). The CP, which comprises personnel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force and Army, assesses the situation and activates a group of F-15SG and F-16C/D fighters to neutralise the enemy fighters. After establishing air superiority, the CP tasks the multi-role F-15SGs to destroy the enemy headquarters.

2) Discover & Respond
At the same time, sensors such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Commandos discover enemy armour and artillery and relay the information to the CP. The CP collates the information and makes an informed decision on the timings and locations of the strikes, as well as the type of assets most suited for the targets. F-15SGs, F-16C/Ds and AH-64D Apache attack helicopters are activated.

3) Disrupt & Destroy
Once the enemy armour column is in the designated "kill box", the F-15SGs, F-16C/Ds and AH-64Ds employ advanced munitions such as Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions, laser-guided bombs and Hellfire missiles to destroy the targets.