This marks the RAF’s first participation in Exercise Global Dexterity, alongside the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF).
Highlighting the essence of the exercise, the RAF stated: “The exercise sees aircrew and groundcrew from each military seamlessly fly and maintain each other’s aircraft, with opportunities to practice low-level flying amongst the mountains of Papua New Guinea next week.”
The RAF release further elaborated on the unique challenges of the exercise:
“Additionally, crews will experience operating out of austere airfields with intentionally limited infrastructure in Northern Australia, where they will conduct flights into Papua New Guinea to practice tactical airlifts amidst the challenging terrain.”
This participation in Exercise Global Dexterity is crucial for the RAF, as it not only helps train crews in diverse and demanding environments but also strengthens the UK’s military ties with Australia and the United States.
What assets have we send for this? Obviously a C17. What else?
A quick internet search indicates that the exercise only involved C17’s from each country.
A C17?
Tactical airlifts, low level flying between mountains, austere airfields – on a C17?
Ballsey, or just me?
The C-17 is a tactical airlifter, abit a very large one. It’s a f’n boss compared with anything else. American nickname “Moose”
Wonder if they are going to land on some of those PNG mountain airfields? Watched a documentary on some of those a couple of years ago.
Saw 3 x C17 in formation on Friday low over the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Quite a racket.
The 3 services will want to get as much of these types of exercises in as possible In the next 6 months. Australia and most exercises with non NATO partners will be a thing of the past.
Why? It is not our back door. It is not our domain. The US and Australia do not even need us there.
Yet more money wasted, on an exercise that the UK has no need to be involved in. (probably afraid of losing out or whatever)
The hours have to be flown for training. They are budgeted every year. You can either fly circles around the UK, or actually go out and get experience doing something useful.
OR fly here in Europe, with our NATO Allies!
They do that almost every day.
Good stuff. The forces need to practice in all environments for all situations. That’s what helps make them the best at their job.