CVW 5, RAAF Carry Out Land Strike Training during TS15

Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), conducted high-intensity land strike training with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as part of exercise Talisman Sabre 2015 (TS15), July 16.

The land strike training was one of 10 large-force strikes against simulated land adversaries throughout TS15.

Lt. David Robinson, CVW 5’s strike operations officer, said:

The ultimate goal of conducting these exercises is to achieve and maintain interoperability between the U.S. and Royal Australian Air Force, as well as our other maritime components.

Participants included F/A-18F Super Hornets from the “Diamondbacks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102 and RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail and KC-30A. During the strike exercise, the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet also completed an airborne refueling from the RAAF’s KC-30A.

The exercise gave both nations an opportunity to showcase their capabilities while improving their ability to work bilaterally in providing security in the region and around the world.

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Image: US Navy