Story by Scott Jankowski, photos by Howard German and Scott Jankowski
The Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center once again held its annual Northern Lightning exercise from August 8th to August 19th. This year’s exercise included over 1,000 personnel from active duty Air Force, National Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps units. This year’s exercise featured over 9 different units, with a wide range of aircraft participating which included the Fifth Generation Lockheed Martin F-35A and B models, Dassault Mirage F-1’s, and Lockheed Martin KC-130J Super Hercules. We were fortunate again this year to be selected as a Photojournalists to cover this year’s exercise.
The Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) is situated in Juneau County, which is located near the center part of Wisconsin, near the city of Camp Douglas Wisconsin. The origins of this premier training centers and can be traced back to 1888, when the State Adjutant General purchased the site to be used as a rifle range and offered it to the state for a camp. In 1889 the State Legislature authorized the state governor to purchase the land near the site for a permanent training site for the Wisconsin National Guard. In 1957 the facility was officially named in memory of 1st Lieutenant Jerome Volk, the first Wisconsin Air National Guard Pilot killed in combat during the Korean War. Today Volk Field holds several exercises a year and plays a vital role in training our military.
Northern Lightning is one such exercise and is a tactical level joint training exercise that replicates today’s air battle space. Colonel Ben Staats, exercise director stated “We are thrilled once again to host the annual Northern Lightning exercise at Volk Field. Northern Lightning has evolved into one of the finest exercises in the nation, simulating offensive counter-air and surface-to-air attacks. Our goal is to provide a joint training environment where units from multiple branches of the U.S. military can work together to accomplish training that is essential to their operational readiness.“
This year’s exercise had a heavy Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II participation with both “A” and “B” models from the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps. The Eglin Florida based 58th Fighter Squadron which is part of the 33d Fighter Wing had at least fifteen “A” models at this year’s exercise. The 58th Fighter Squadron is better known by it’s nickname of the “Gorillas” with its mission to train American and international aircrews and maintainers on employment and maintenance of the F-35A. The 58th Fighter Squadron spent a total of four weeks at Volk Field, with 2 weeks devoted to the Northern Lightning and 2 weeks for unit training. During Northern Lightning the 58th Fighter Squadron integrated and trained with fourth and fifth generation air assets from the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Air National Guard. The 58th Fighter Squadron flew up to 16 jets a day, with missions that also included aerial refueling. It is worth noting that several F-35A’s flew missions with the aircraft fitted with additional weapons pylons on the outboard wing station.
The United States Marine Corps also had several of the fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II’s at Northern Lightning this year, but these are the “B” model. The unit participating again this year is the Yuma Arizona based Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) otherwise known as the “Wake Island Avengers”. VMFA-211 falls under the command of Marine Air Group 13 (MAG-13) and the Third Marine Air Wing (3RD MAW) with its mission being to “Intercept and destroy enemy aircraft under all weather conditions and attack and destroy surface targets in support of Marine Expeditionary Forces.” VMFA-211 can trace its heritage back to 1937 and saw extensive action in the Pacific Theater in World War II. The unit also participated in the Vietnam War and the Global War on Terror. The unit transitioned from the Boeing AV-8B Harrier II in 2016 and was the second fleet squadron to do so. The “B” model F-35 is the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant and is like the AV-8B Harrier II it is replacing. These F-35B’s also carried additional weapons pylons on its outboard wing station similar to the U.S. Air Force F-35A’s.
The Tucson Arizona based 162nd Fighter Wing brought its General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcons to Northern Lightning 2022. The F-16C’s that participated are actually part of the contingent of aircraft flown for the Air National Guard/Air Force Reserve Command Test Center or AATC. These F-16C’s do not carry the usual AZ tail code, they carry the tail code AT which represents the Test Center. AATC is responsible for operational and developmental test and evaluation and tactics development and evaluation for ARC weapons systems. The 162ND currently has 7 aircraft assigned to the AATC and has operated the F-16 for them since 1985. The AATC is also located at the same base as the 162nd Fighter Wing.
Once again, this year the role of providing an adversary air element to Northern Lightning was brought by the Joint Base Langley-Eustis based 71st Fighter Training Squadron. The 71sthas flown gloss black Northrop T-38 Talons since 2015 with its primary mission to provide vital training to the F-22A Raptors pilots in air to air tactics. The T-38’s supersonic speed and nimble handling make it a perfect platform to replicate today’s air to air threats.
A new and welcomed participant to Northern Lightning 2022 was the addition of the Newport News Virginia based Airborne Tactical Advantage Company or ATAC. ATAC was founded back in 1994 as was known then as Vortex, and started flying research and support missions for the U.S. Navy. The ATAC was officially formed in 2002 and rapidly expanded its fleet and mission offerings to the U.S. military. In 2017 ATAC announced they would purchase the legacy fleet of 63 Supersonic Dassault Mirage F-1’s including spare parts, ground support equipment, and engines from the French Air Force. The F-1 has a top speed of Mach 2.2 and a service ceiling of over 60,000 feet which brings a different type of threat to Northern Lightning participants when it comes to an air to air adversary. ATAC brought at least 6 different F-1’s to Volk Field and provided valuable air to air threat training alongside the T-38’s.
Like in past years several other units also participated in this year’s exercise but from their home bases. 2 of these units which both fly the General Dynamics Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D Fighting Falcon have been yearly participants. The first is the 148th Fighter Wing based out of the Duluth Minnesota and is nicknamed the “Bulldogs”. In past Northern Lightning exercises the 148th has flown out of Volk Filed. The other F-16 C/D unit is the locally Madison based 115th Fighter Wing operating out of the Truax Air National Guard Base. The 115th is located just a short distance from Volk Field and the military airspace that surrounds it. The 115th is scheduled to transition the fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II in 2023, this may have been the last Northern Lightning for these Madison Wisconsin based Vipers. Here are some file photos from past Northern Lightning exercises of these units.
No Northern Lightning exercise would be complete without the support of aerial refueling. A good portion of the tens of thousands of pounds of jet fuel transferred was from Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers from my hometown unit the 128TH Air Refueling Wing, nicknamed the “Brew City Tankers”. Several missions a day were flown from the 128th base at the Mitchell International Airport, just outside of Milwaukee Wisconsin. The U.S. Marine Corps also provided aerial refueling support in the form of the Lockheed Martin KC-130J Super Hercules. One such KC-130J is flown by Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252) and is based out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point North Carolina. The unit is nicknamed “Otis” and missions in support of Northern Lightning from Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay. Here is some file footage of these tankers seen at General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee Wisconsin.
Other noteworthy aircraft that were seen at this year’s exercise included a 2 seat General Dynamics Lockheed Martin F-16D Fighting Falcon flown by the 93rd Fighter Squadron, better known as the “Makos”. The 93rd is based out of Homestead Air Force Base Florida and is part of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command. The 93rd has flown F-16’s since 1995.
A single fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor was also seen at this year’s exercise. This F-22A is flown by the First Fighter Wing based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis Virginia and is seen on departure back to home base climbing off runway 27.
Northern Lightning once again proved itself as a world class exercise, held at a world class training facility. Planning is already well underway for Northern Lightning 2023 as the 2022 exercise is now in the books. Until next time “Blue Skies To All!”
