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‘Commando Sling’ gets underway

Six Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets, crews and support personnel from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, are participating in the Commando Sling 2007 joint exercise beginning Monday in Singapore, 13th Air Force announced.

The exercise, which runs through July 27, is the fourth and final one of this fiscal year’s Commando Sling series.

The annual exercises provide combined air combat training for fighter units from the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Republic of Singapore’s air force.

The exercises allow U.S. airmen and Marine flyers to sharpen their air combat skills, gain experience operating at a non-U.S. base and enhance military partnerships between the two nations, according to the 13th Air Force press release.

Air Force F-15 C/D Eagles from the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, participated in this year’s first Commando Sling from Oct. 16 to Nov. 3; U.S. Air Force F-16 C/G Fighting Falcons from the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, participated in the second iteration Jan. 8 to 26; and U.S. Air Force F-16 C/D Fighting Falcons from the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea, participated in the third iteration May 7 to 25.

The Commando Sling exercises began in 1990.

The 13th Air Force is based at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.