USAF and USMC exercise forces included F-15C Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet fighters, E-3C Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Systems, EA-6B Prowler surveillance aircraft, KC-135 Stratotankers, and KC-130 air refueling aircraft, as well as a deployable communications package. More than 600 USAF and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) personnel participated in COPE TIGER 2003.
Before the start of the FTX, USMC Lt. Col. James Bright noted, “Flying against aircraft that we don’t see every day is a great way for us to learn how to adapt to enemy planes. During the air-to-air combat training, we will go head to head with other pilots. In the air-to-ground combat missions we will be given a target to destroy and will have to fly through enemy forces to complete the objective. Throughout the training evolution, we will be increasing the difficulty by sending up more and more planes, and by the second week of the exercise, we should have all of our [aircraft] in the air.”
The exercise provided an opportunity to hone deployment and employment skills and improve air-combat techniques while building stronger relationships among the three countries’ participants. The combined forces split into two teams flying air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions against each other in realistic combat scenarios. “It’s a great opportunity for us to get some dissimilar air combat training with a foreign nation and to enhance our ties with that nation,” said USAF Capt. Gene White.
|
 |
RTAF Flight Lt. Sarun Prayoonwon takes off into a combat training scenario over Korat.
Photo by SSgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr., USAF |
|
 |
RSAF 1st Sgt. Raymond Hoe and SSgt. Chan Chee Keong man their positions in the “Live Fly Cell” at Korat RTAFB. The cell coordinated flight sorties during COPE TIGER 2003.
Photo by SSgt. Jeffrey A. Wolfe, USAF |
|
