Michigan National Guard Trains Mission-Ready Pilots Over Lake Huron

Off the coast of Lake Huron, the Michigan National Guard tested visiting aviation units' ability to operate in littoral and maritime domains during Exercise Northern Strike 26-2, Aug. 3-14.

By deliberately acquiring various watercraft, including the recently added Mark VI patrol boat, Michigan's maritime capabilities challenged visiting units to conduct complex air operations.

"Our maritime program allows us to do training in support of air operations in maritime surface warfare," said retired Navy Cmdr. Curtis Webster, Michigan Air National Guard strategic and maritime planner. "For example, we interact with combat air forces and rotary-wing aircraft, allowing them to conduct sea surveillance and targeting of vessels of interest in the maritime domain."

After recently acquiring the patrol boat from the Defense Logistics Agency, the exercise marked the first time the National Guard used the former Navy vessel to support visiting training units.

"Our brand-new platform, the Mark VI, has a lot of utility," Webster said. "It gives us the ability to do a high-speed run out to the restricted zone in Lake Huron and conduct live-fire support out there."

One particular focus of this year's exercise was enabling visiting fighter aircraft and rotary-wing assets to conduct the joint targeting process against maritime surface vessels.

"The Mark VI and other vessels were helpful in replicating small, fast-attack craft, like those found in the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command geographic areas of responsibility," said Air Force Lt. Col. Shannon Vickers, 127th Operations Group commander, Michigan Air National Guard. "The boat and crews seemed to be aware of a pending attack and maneuvered realistically, presenting an aware bandit which made us work to achieve a kill."

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This training is made possible by the expansive 17,000-square-mile airspace complex located in northern Michigan's National All-Domain Warfighting Center.

"It's rare to have a chance at finding and attacking a fast-attack boat," said Air Force Maj. William Wurtzer, 163rd Fighter Squadron chief of standards and evaluation, Indiana Air National Guard. "The large airspace, mixed with water and land, while also being able to operate down to the surface and up to 50,000 feet, provides the ability for the F-16 [Fighting Falcon] to execute all of our tactics."

In addition to air operations in maritime surface warfare, Michigan's layered airspace meets real-world pilot and aircrew training requirements for identifying and intercepting unmanned aircraft systems and cruise missile threats over Lake Huron. This was made possible by implementing microjets and other small air platforms as dynamic targets.

"Both the counter-UAS and AOMSV missions allowed us to realistically train to the threat faced downrange," Vickers said. "This mimics the threat presentation of Centcom well. It gave us a complicated air and surface fight that benefits our team's readiness."

The air-to-water range is unique among Air National Guard training facilities and gives visiting units maritime and littoral experience, paying dividends to the joint force. Acquiring the Mark VI was a long-term initiative to further enhance the training value provided by the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center and the National All-Domain Warfighting Center.

"Northern Strike showed that the [National All-Domain Warfighting Center] can deliver joint all-domain training with a real military maritime target," said Air Force Lt. Col. Brian Wyrzykowski, Michigan National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters deputy director of future capabilities and strategic integration. "The Mark VI demonstrated that we're not just talking about all-domain concepts; we are expanding counter-maritime training opportunities for the joint force."

The patrol boat also facilitated unmanned aerial vehicle landings, unmanned surface vessel support, littoral medical resupply and evacuation, friendly surface vessel escort and remote command and control operations.

"Not only is the Mark VI a unique training platform; it's a foundation," Wyrzykowski said. "We're using it to build out a realistic, multidomain training environment that is scalable and adjusts to an adversary's ever-changing tactics. It's not just a boat; it's an integrated joint battlespace enabler."