513th ACG flies first E-3G Block 40/45 in South Korean exercise

Published June 3, 2016
By Staff Sgt. Caleb Wanzer
513th Air Control Group

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Reservists from the 513th Air Control Group returned here April 30 after providing airborne command and control to exercise Max Thunder 16 with the latest model of the E-3 Sentry, the E-3G.

Max Thunder, the largest military flying exercise over the Korean Peninsula, marks the first time the E-3G Block 40/45 flew in a Pacific Air Forces exercise. The annual exercise involved nearly 2,000 U.S. and South Korean military personnel and included F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-18 Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and the latest Airborne Warning and Control System modification, the E-3G Sentry.

"This was a historic moment for the 513th ACG," said Lt. Col. David Cavazos, the detachment commander for 513th personnel supporting Max Thunder. "It's the first time in history that the new E-3G has been truly integrated with our international partners in the Pacific theatre of operations, and we were honored to be a part of it."
Airmen from the 513th deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan, for the exercise and worked closely with the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, also based at Kadena, to ensure effective AWACS support and learn how to best employ the latest in airborne command and control technology.

"We found that we were able to operate effectively with our South Korean and Japanese allies and came away from the experience with a variety of recommendations on how we can achieve greater levels of efficiency with both Republic of Korea assets and our own aircraft," Colonel Cavazos said. "What we achieved here in the employment of the new E-3G Sentry was ground-breaking."
The 513th flew nine missions during the two-week assignment, accounting for the majority of AWACS capability in the exercise. Airmen from the 961st AACS provided the rest of airborne command and control support with E-3B/C aircraft.

"The support we received from the 18th Wing, the 18th Operations Group and the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron was absolutely the best I've ever seen," Colonel Cavazos said. "From the operational mission support, to the maintenance employment, to the transportation and services support, the base ensured that we had everything we needed. Whatever we required, all we had to do was ask and the 18th Wing and 961st ensured that we had it immediately."

The 513th also is slated to fly the E-3G Sentry during this year's Rim of the Pacific 2016 exercise. RIMPAC is a U.S. Pacific Command-hosted multinational maritime exercise designed to foster and sustain international cooperation on the security of the world's oceans.