42 Radar Squadron works with U.S. Marines during Exercise Maple Flag 50

Photo By Capt. Stephanie Leguizamon | Lance Corporal Ian Roberts (right foreground), a United States Marine Corps tactical air defense controller, works alongside Royal Canadian Air Force 42 Radar Squadron air battle managers at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, on May 31, 2017, during Exercise Maple Flag 50.  

COLD LAKE, AB, CANADA

06.12.2017

Courtesy Story

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

Their capabilities as air battle managers are in even higher demand during events such as Exercise Maple Flag 50, an international training event that brings together larger formations of aircraft and an operational tempo which simulates a live theatre of operations.
In 2017, to help ease the pressure caused by the increased operational tempo, 42 Radar Sqn is combining forces with tactical air defense controller marines from the United States Marine Corps (USMC), Marine Air Control Squadron 2, Marine Air Control Group 48, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, to provide continuous support to Maple Flag 50, and to increase interoperability between the two squadrons and, ultimately, our two nations. Together, they form a fully integrated team of joint weapons controllers.
In normal day-to-day operations, a team of air battle managers at 42 Radar Sqn involves three people. During Maple Flag, 12 people man the operations room at any one time. The function of the squadron during Maple Flag is to manage a group of specialized capabilities, including datalink management, surveillance, and aircraft identification, and direct communications with flight crews, all in an effort to guide aircraft toward aerial and ground-based targets.   
The team of joint weapons controllers for the exercise manages as many as 24 aircraft at a time during daily Maple Flag operations within the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, where the majority of the exercise takes place. These aircraft are an international cadre of jets, tankers, helicopters, and Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) (Boeing E-3 Sentry). The high operational tempo simulates modern aerial battle and represents a valuable training opportunity for junior members of both the RCAF and the USMC.
Captain Scott Maurer, the course director for the Air Battle Manager portion of the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course—a part of which is being conducted at 42 Radar Sqn—explained the history of working alongside allies such as the USMC. “It’s an important relationship that we need to keep going,” he said. “We go to the US to train with Marines and they come to train with us, because if we ever combine to fight on a real-world operation, it will be together, as part of a coalition. We are always integrating with other countries; we never fight alone.”
Marine Air Control Sqn 2 is staying in Cold Lake for the duration of Maple Flag 50, from May 29 to June 23, 2017. They arrived early to familiarize themselves with differences in systems and to conduct mission planning, preparing to train in a NORAD environment.
Last year, two Marines from Marine Air Control Sqn 2 attended Maple Flag 49. Realizing the training potential of the exercise, they returned this year for Maple Flag 50 with a team of 12. The relationship between 42 Radar Sqn and Marine Air Control Sqn  2 is an example of one of the many objectives of Exercise Maple Flag – maintaining the alliance with multinational air and ground forces by working together and sharing best practices.
“We work very well with 42 Radar,” said Gunnery Sergeant David Bull, tactical air defense controller with Marine Air Control Sqn 2. “We have a lot of similarities; it’s easy to integrate with their crew and start working together.”
By Lieutenant Camille Dolphin, Royal Canadian Air Force Public Affairs Officer, 4 Wing Cold Lake

• Date Taken: 06.12.2017
• Date Posted: 06.15.2017 12:32
• Story ID: 238027
• Location: COLD LAKE, AB, CA