Air Force plans to include simulated airfields in basic training
Source: Task & Purpose
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The Air Force is once again revising basic training, this time by adding simulated permanent and expeditionary airstrips to give trainees hands-on experience at operating and defending airfields.
The air base training ranges are expected to open this year as part of the latest overhaul of Basic Military Training, or BMT, which is expected to begin in the spring, said Maj. Gen. Wolfe Davidson, commander of 2nd Air Force.
“For the first time in BMT, the training environment will simulate the capabilities of the operational Air Force,” Davidson said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “The simulated airstrips provide an immediate, realistic mission context that allows trainees to understand the ‘why’ behind their training. It allows them to see how the discipline and teamwork learned on the drill pad directly translate to generating airpower.”
An artist’s rendering of one of the simulated airfields that will be incorporated into Basic Military Training. Air Force photo.
Air & Space Forces Magazine first reported that the Air Force planned to incorporate the simulated airfields into basic training.
Trainees will learn “foundational skills” at the Initial Air Base Training Range at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, which will feature F-16 fighters and C-130 cargo aircraft, Davidson said. The simulated forward airfields will be added to the PACER FORGE exercise, the culminating event of basic training that puts recruits through combat scenarios in a simulated deployed environment, which is held at the Chapman Training Annex at Lackland, he said.
Adding the airstrips to the exercise “will create a complex and immersive expeditionary airfield environment,” Davidson said.
Dubbed “BMT 3.0,” the changes to basic training will include using containerized training stations to teach airfield tasks, including arming fighters, cargo loading, refueling, aircraft marshaling, post-attack runway assessment and repair, and casualty transfer and evacuation, Davidson said.
The simulated permanent airfield is expected to open starting in April, and it will feature 16 training stations by fall, Davidson said. Construction on the first expeditionary airfield training range is expected to be finished in October, with another set to be built in October 2027, he said.
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Trainees will learn how to defend both types of airfields against enemy attacks, Davidson said.
“Operating in ‘simulated contested conditions’ is a core component of the new model,” Davidson said. “During the culminating PACER FORGE exercise, trainees will be required to defend their forward air base and apply their skills as a team while facing a variety of simulated challenges and attacks.”
The most recent changes come just months after the Air Force announced in September that it was revamping basic training by having trainees exercise more and work in smaller teams.
Davidson said that last year’s update to basic training was “an early step,” and that including simulated airstrips in basic training is meant to give trainees a better understanding of what it takes to defend, operate, generate, and sustain airpower.
“The focus is on developing and assessing foundational competencies like perseverance, accountability, resilience, and teamwork,” Davidson said. “The scenarios are designed not for trainees to master specific technical tasks, but to challenge their problem-solving and communication skills in controlled-stress situations. Collectively, this will result in a basic understanding of airfield operations.”
The post Air Force plans to include simulated airfields in basic training appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Classification
Region
North America
Analytical Domain
Operational
Primary Category
Military Operations
Subcategory
Defensive Action
SALUTE Report
Size
16 training stations
Activity
Adding simulated airfields to basic training
Location
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
Unit
2nd Air Force
Time
Starting in April, with construction on the first expeditionary airfield training range expected to be finished in October
Equipment
F-16 fightersC-130 cargo aircraftcontainerized training stations
Summary
The Air Force is revising basic training by adding simulated airfields at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, starting in April. Trainees will gain hands-on experience in operating and defending airfields, with the first expeditionary airfield training range expected to be completed in October. The training will include foundational skills and defensive tactics during the PACER FORGE exercise, which simulates contested conditions.
Key Facts
- The Air Force is revising basic training to include simulated airfields.
- Trainees will learn foundational skills at Lackland Air Force Base.
- The simulated airstrips will be part of the PACER FORGE exercise.
- The first expeditionary airfield training range is expected to be completed in October.
- Training will focus on defending airfields against enemy attacks.