Posted on 07/06/2005 5:02:55 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Tuesday July 5, 7:27 PM
ASDF to have 1st airstrike drill with live bomb on island off Guam
(Kyodo) _ The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force is set to perform its first ever airstrike drill with live ammunition, scheduled to take place on an uninhabited island off Guam, ASDF officials said Tuesday. The drill, in which an ASDF combat aircraft will drop a 500-pound bomb on a ground target on the island some 350 kilometers north-northeast of Guam, will be conducted on the sidelines of a joint exercise between the ASDF and the U.S. Air Force in Guam to begin Monday.
The joint combat exercise aims at strengthening the capabilities of Japan-U.S. military responses and is the sixth drill on Guam since 1999. Twelve ASDF planes, including some F-4 fighter jets and about 12 U.S. F-15 fighters, will take part, according to the ASDF.
About 240 troops from the 3rd Air Wing and Aircraft Control and Warning Wing who will participate in the joint exercise gathered Tuesday in an aircraft hangar at Misawa air base in Aomori Prefecture for a formation ceremony in the presence of 220 fellow ASDF members.
It will be the first time, domestic and abroad, that the ASDF has conducted an air-bombing drill with live rounds.
Under its war-renouncing Constitution, Japan is restricted to military operations for self-defense only and is prohibited from possessing any offensive war capabilities.
Thanks for the heads up, will avoid the area.
At first glance, I agree but then I realize, dropping dummy bombs allows aircrews to train closer to home.
I then wonder how important it is for an aircrew to practice with live bombs? Other than pilot satisfaction from seeing the resulting explosion(s), Isn't how close the bombs were dropped to the target more important? With live ordinance, the pilot knows from the resulting explosions were he hit whereas with dummy ordinance, he may not have a good idea until returning to base and reviewing range reports.
Furthermore, a 500lb practice bomb on a floating target makes just as big of a splash as a live 500lb'er.
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