A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A early warning aircraft flew to Hawaii for the inaugural exercise Pacific Edge last month.
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail, operated by No. 2 Squadron based at RAAF Base Williamtown, Australia, flies with a Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor April 21, 2021, near Oahu, Hawaii. The command-and-control aircraft, traveled to Hawaii to participate in exercise Pacific Edge 21 and provide airborne early warning support to airborne participants. The exercise was held to enhance air-combat proficiencies through the integration of allied units and further the interoperability between the two countries’ aircraft. In a unique association, the F-22s and the air defense mission at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam are assigned to the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. The 199th Fighter Squadron and the 19th Fighter Squadron serve together under the Air National Guard-led active-associate construct to accomplish their assigned mission. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. John Linzmeier)
The E-7A were joined by F-22s from the Hawaii Air National Guard as blue force. The red force was played by F-16s from the 442nd Training and Evaluation Squadron.
Seventeen F-22 pilots also flew inside the E-7A during the three-week exercise to provide real-time feedback to the E-7A on what is happening inside the F-22 cockpit during air-to-air engagements.
A Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor pulls away from a KC-135 Stratotanker after receiving fuel April 21, 2021, near Oahu, Hawaii. The fifth-generation aircraft, operated by Airmen from the 199th and 19th Fighter Squadrons, integrated with a Royal Australian Air Force command-and-control aircraft during exercise Pacific Edge 21. The exercise was held to enhance air-combat proficiencies through the integration of allied units and further the interoperability between the two countries’ aircraft. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. John Linzmeier)
