German partnership enhances mission, saves JTACs money

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael Voss
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  From energy conservation practices and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiatives, everyone from the lowest ranking Airmen to seasoned leaders is looking for more efficient ways of conducting business.

One task that has Air Force leaders at Ramstein thinking outside of the box is continuing to support joint terminal attack controller training missions.

Each year, the United States Air Forces in Europe Air Ground Operations School at Einsiedlerhof Air Station, Germany, holds seven classes, hosting more than 144 students during which the future JTAC graduates learn skills necessary to call in airstrikes.

To accomplish this, instructors rely on limited-training days where the JTAC apprentice will communicate coordinates via radio with a real pilot. Instructors of the class previously relied mostly on F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from one of two squadrons at nearby Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. However, recent realignment of those assets has forced school leaders to seek other avenues of filling this training requirement.

"Our supporting fighter squadrons from the United States did not have enough training sorties available to fulfill our requirements, so we set out to find a low-cost alternative that could simulate everything needed except actual delivering of an ordinance," said Klaus Mildenberger, Air Ground Operating Squadron scheduler.

"As those units who previously supported us scaled down, our JTAC training requirements have doubled, so we had to find a way ahead," said Lt. Col. Allen Roberts, AGOS commander.

After six months of looking at various companies for the needed support, USAFE leaders made a decision on a one-year contract with a local German company called E.I.S.

The company, based out of Kiel, Germany, employs former German military pilots to take the wheel of their ten Pilatus PC-9 aircraft, a two-seat trainer. The PC-9 is capable of doing everything the school needs and more. The single-engine turboprop is capable of flying at lower attitude and visibilities than most military fighters, providing more training time for the JTACs.

"Probably the biggest thing they bring to the fight, from an instructor point of view, is the ability to fly missions during inclement weather," said Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Picoc, AGOS instructor.

But, this one-year partnership brings so many more advantages as well. Considerations such as noise abatement become less of a problem because the PC-9 produces less than half the noise of an F-16. In addition, the estimated cost of flying an F-16 on a training mission can run in the tens of thousands of dollars compared the relatively low cost of the PC-9.

"Part of the advantage of this contract is we are only paying for the actual flight hours, so if the training has to be cancelled we simply reschedule," said Lt. Col. Lawrence Pravecek, Warrior Preparation Center deputy commander.

The PC-9 also requires far less of a footprint to maintain, in fact the maintenance of the trainers is done completely by E.I.S., freeing the nearly 60 F-16 crew chiefs and other support personnel to concentrate their efforts on overseas contingency operations.

"We only have a maintenance crew of eight technicians and would only take one with us when we deploy to a location and fly," said Lt. Col. (retired) Juergen Artis, former German Air Force and current E.I.S. pilot.

After meeting Sept. 20 to go over the final details of the contract prior their first mission next week both the representatives from E.I.S. and the JTAC school show great optimism. Another benefit of the contract, the continued relationship between the U.S. servicemembers here and the host-nation country.

"This contract supports the partnership as an example of the relationship between the United States and Germany," Colonel Roberts said. "This is part of the work we can accomplish together, and we are looking forward to getting started."