EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark. -- The 33rd Fighter Wing conducted an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Ark., Sept. 9 - 20, 2024, to ensure readiness for the Foreign Military Sales program.
The main objective of the Ebbing Field ACE exercise was to enhance the agility, readiness, and resilience of the wing's forces through practicing dispersed operations and rapid deployment. It was designed to improve the team’s capabilities in contested environments, ensuring the 33rd FW is prepared for any scenario.
“The 60th Fighter Squadron instructor pilots are typically focused on training F-35A Lightning II students,” said Lt. Col. Hunter Grunden, 60th FS commander. “Here at Ebbing, we had a special opportunity to further develop our instructors by integrating with the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. We also flew basic flight maneuvers, transition sorties for pilots who are new to the airframe, and Suppression of Enemy Air Defense sorties.”
The 85th Fighter Group and the 57th Fighter Squadron, geographically separated units of the 33rd FW, worked alongside the 60th FS, resulting in 81 sorties executed over a two-week time period.
“We proved that we can operate the F-35 effectively out of Ebbing ANGB,” said Roney. “We can get good quality training for not only the U.S. pilots, but we will eventually get good quality training for our foreign partners as well, strengthening our strategic alliances and deterring our enemies.”
The objective of the FMS program at Ebbing is to conduct F-35 pilot training for our foreign partners, in hopes of strengthening U.S. national security and allied interoperability.
“Our allies bring a lot of expertise from their regions of the world, so to be able to learn from them and how they operate in those different environments is a benefit to us,” said Roney. “The F-35 is really like a giant sensor. It absorbs a lot of information, both infrared and electronic, so the more F-35s that are operating together, the better picture it can build for us as pilots in the airframe. By being networked with our foreign partners, our situational awareness is greatly increased, therefore making us more lethal and more effective on the battlefield.”
Poland, Finland, Singapore and Germany will be the first four countries to go through the program with a projected start date of December 2024.
“We would like to welcome all of the international partners coming to Fort Smith,” said Tim Allen, Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce president. “We are going to learn their culture and they are going to learn ours. It’s going to be a fantastic relationship and we're really looking forward to it.”
The program also plays a crucial role in the local community at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
“The military impact on the community and the local economy is going to be transformational," said Allen. “According to the Congressional Budget Office, we should expect somewhere between 500 million and a billion dollars a year of economic impact to this community. We are looking forward to having the base built out and all the jobs that will be created right here in Fort Smith.”
This event wouldn't have been possible without the collaboration and combined efforts of the 33rd FW, members from Ebbing ANGB, and the local community.
“We would like to thank the 60th FS and 60th Aircraft Maintenance Unit for making the mission a huge success,” said Col. Nicholas Idhe, 85th FG commander. “Additionally, the work of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce setting up lunches, hosting a dinner, and taking care of Airmen was another huge highlight and thanks that needs to go out. Finally, the 188th Wing who owns the base deserves to be thanked for their help in getting the airfield and Ebbing ANGB ready for this ACE exercise and being a large part in Air Education and Training Command declaring Ebbing ‘ready for training’.”
The ACE exercise concluded with a ribbon cutting ceremony signifying that Ebbing is officially open for F-35 business.