In a nutshell, the purpose of an air force is to provide deployable multi-role air capabilities in service to its country. This works well on paper, but what happens when several air forces have to work together to achieve mutual objectives? More specifically, would Southern African Development Community (SADC) air forces be able to work together in confronting the challenges of a major humanitarian crisis?
The Limpopo region has been declared a disaster area. Intense flooding has brought an end to agriculture and food production, whilst damaged roads are hampering the distribution of food aid. Displaced people have moved to newly formed temporary settlements. Cholera has become a problem, but an outbreak of meningitis has been brought under control. Meanwhile, criminal gangs have been attacking NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) food convoys and stealing supplies, leaving local police forces overwhelmed. The gangs are smuggling guns and selling them to the community, resulting in violence and an outbreak of poaching.
Of course, all of those events are fictional, but how would SADC respond to such a crisis. As it happened, all of those problems were simulated in the recently held Exercise Blue Cluster. From 20 – 28 August, SADC air forces assembled at Air Force Bases (AFB) Hoedspruit and Makhado. The South African Air Force (SAAF) provided two Gripen fighters, two Hawk strike aircraft, one C-130BZ, one Casa C.212, one C-47TP electronic warfare aircraft, three Cessna Caravans, four Oryx helicopters, one sector control centre and five static radar systems. The Botswana Defence Force made a Bell 412 and two AS350 Squirrels available, as well as two Islanders and a Casa C.212. The Angolan Air Force provided an Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport aircraft, whilst a Bell 412, a Casa C.212 and two K-8 strike aircraft were made available by the Zimbabwean Air Force. Although some of the SADC air forces did not send any aircraft, they did send personnel.
A SADC Joint Tactical Force Operations’ Centre was established at AFB Hoedspruit, which simulated a tactical forward airfield with minimum infrastructure. AFB Makhado, which simulated a tactical forward airfield with temporary, mobile infrastructure, was used to set up a SADC Joint Task Force Tactical Operations’ Centre. Regional aid distribution centres were set up at Madimbo and Alldays’ Airfields and at the Rudyard radar site. South African Hawks and Zimbabwean K-8s provided visual and photographic reconnaissance. Combat Air Patrol (CAP), escort missions and intercept missions were also conducted by Hawks and K-8s, as well as Gripens. Oryx, AS350 and Bell 412 helicopters formed the backbone of SADC’s daily airlift capability. Boxes were used to simulate full loads of water, food, clothing, bedding and medical supplies. From an operational point of view, SADC forces were able to ensure safe skies and provided uninterrupted delivery of relief aid.
Of course, the exercise was merely a simulation of a humanitarian crisis, so there were many more important goals to achieve, than simply delivering boxes. According to Lt. Gen. Gagiano, Chief of the SAAF, the primary focus of the exercise was to evaluate and develop relevant SADC doctrines that pertain to humanitarian support operations. In that regard, the exercise was a tremendous success. SADC C3ISR (Command, Control, Communication, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) could also be tested at an operational level, along with multinational helicopter and fighter operations. This gave SADC commanders more insight regarding the interoperability and compatibility of SADC aircraft and doctrines could be updated accordingly. The exercise was also an invaluable opportunity to train and mentor inexperienced junior commanders. The sheer scale of the logistics and planning behind such a multinational operation was simply staggering. A total of 342 personnel from nine SADC air forces were involved in the exercise. With lessons learned from Exercise Blue Cluster, it seems the next exercise, which is planned for 2013, will take place in a more remote location, with a bigger variety of landing zones and missions.