By Olawale Abaire, Warrior Editorial Fellow
The Sentry Aloha exercise, held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is a critical training event for the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Wing. It ended on June 12, 2024 featuring over 1,000 participants from nine states and four service branches. The exercise included a variety of fighter and attack aircraft, such as A-10 Warthogs, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and F-35A Lightning IIs, alongside the locally based F-22 Raptors of the 154th Wing.
The primary focus of Sentry Aloha 24-2 was on decentralized operations and autonomy in combat scenarios. Major Michael ‘Deuce’ Oliver, the exercise director, highlighted the strategic shift towards decentralized and flexible combat practices: “This strategic shift challenged us to employ decentralized and flexible practices in dynamic combat environments while facing the threat of advanced enemy aircraft,” Oliver stated.
Sentry Aloha 24-2 emphasized interoperability among different branches and units. The integration of various air and ground assets, including a U.S. Marine Corps MQ-9A from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3, provided real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) information. This capability was pivotal in both air-to-ground and maritime strike missions.
According to Tech. Sgt. Kukila Carreira-Manin, weapons director of the 169th Air Defense Squadron, “these exercises are critical for us to scale our operations and function cohesively as a joint force.” He further stated that “This training also provided an excellent opportunity to integrate with more expeditionary Air National Guard units from across the continental United States, including the 128th, 116th, and 109th Air Control Squadrons, alongside the 3rd LAAB Marines stationed at Kaneohe Bay and MACS-4 from Okinawa, Japan.”
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Daily sorties were centered on air-to-air combat, featuring large-scale simulations against adversarial red air forces and integration with friendly blue air forces. One of the key training aspects was protecting A-10 aircraft during air-to-ground strikes, coordinated from the Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii Island. These operations were supported by ground-based Airmen from the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron, ensuring close air support strikes were executed with precision.
A notable technological advancement tested during the exercise was the Link 16 communication system, integrated into airframes like the KC-135 Stratotanker. This system facilitates seamless data exchange between aircraft and other sensors, enhancing situational awareness and coordination. The successful integration of Link 16 on non-traditional platforms like tankers indicates a potential revolution in combat communication strategies.
Historically, the A-10 has proven its efficacy in maritime strike missions. In September 2023, two A-10s participated in a joint Air Operation in Maritime Surface Warfare (AOMSW) exercise in the Gulf of Oman, working alongside the U.S. Navy’s USS Stethem (DDG 63) to engage simulated surface threats. Another notable historical instance includes the involvement of an A-10 during Operation Unified Protector in 2011. On Day 11 of the operation, an A-10 from the 81st Fighter Squadron, deployed to Aviano, collaborated with a U.S. Navy P-3C patrol aircraft and the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) with a mission to neutralize a Libyan Coast Guard vessel and two smaller crafts.
Maj. Michael Oliver reflected on the exercise’s success: “We’ve gotten quite a lot done over the past two weeks and are glad to see that many are walking away with some significant milestones checked off. Our hope is that the immense value gained from these experiences will inspire everyone to return for more opportunities to fly with us, the Hawaiian Raptors, again for more world-class training.”
