Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific

Wings of Gold, Spring 2001

SFARP brings the squadron's aviators together so they can fight as a unit. Once that is accomplished the unit integrates with other squadrons as part of an air wing warrior team. The air wing trains as a single group during an arduous three-week deployment to NSAWC, a vital step in its preparation for a major deployment.

All three of the weapons schools and NSAWC are in continuous communication and labor together in the collective effort to ensure the skills of our strike fighter aircrews are honed to a sharp edge.

My biggest challenge as CO centers on our unique situation of not owning our own aircraft. We rely on fleet squadrons to supply airplanes for us when we fly with them. Obviously, we need to make our product saleable so that the squadrons "want" us to fly with them.

Our pilots log 15-16 hours a month. I rely heavily on their maturity, more so than a fleet CO would. A fleet CO flies with his people regularly and has first-hand knowledge of their performance. Conversely, I fly with my instructors on a very limited basis.

At the same time, I am immensely proud of the way my flyers are doing the job. They don't get as much flight time as their fleet counterparts and consequently tend to study more and prepare harder, well aware of any possible risks associated with flying less. They continue to well represent the command and I am deeply gratified by that.

I feel the new breed of Naval Aviators is much more talented than those of my generation. They're extraordinarily smart, know computers and know how to fight the Hornet. They are also very trainable. This is a huge plus because new weapons and technology are in the forecast for the future, in addition to the AIM-9X Sidewinder. Although we've had several generations of Sidewinders, this new version is considered truly revolutionary. The capabilities of this weapon will require extensive modification of current tactics. Pilots wearing a helmet-cued system will be able to fire a missile at a threat aircraft positioned in locations well outside the current envelope. This is a radical departure from traditional Sidewinder tactics. We're re-visiting those tactics now in preparation for the arrival of the AIM-9X.