Falcon Nest: Eglin Airmen train with Royal Saudi Air Force

  • Published
  • By By Capt. Brooke Brander
  • 33d Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  More than 100 members of the 33rd Fighter Wing and a half-dozen jets, along with forces from the Royal Saudi Air Force, wrapped up a three-week exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dec. 13

The 58th Fighter Squadron was the only U.S. Air Force unit participating in "Falcon Nest" and spent about two weeks flying sorties and training with the RSAF.

"The purpose of Falcon Nest (was) to exercise security cooperation with our allies, the Saudis," said Lt. Col. Matt Isler, 58th FS commander and 58th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander during Falcon Nest. "We ... train(ed) with them and their new AIM-120 AMRAAMs."

The AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, or AMRAAM, is a new generation air-to-air missile. It has an all-weather, beyond-visual-range capability and is a follow-on to the AIM-7 Sparrow missile series.

The deployment and exercise was in the planning stages for more than a year. This was not the first time the 58th FS trained with the RSAF with the last time being during an Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment in April 2003.

"Falcon Nest (was) an awesome training opportunity for both the 58th and the Royal Saudi Air Force," said Col. Russ Handy, 33rd Fighter Wing commander. "The exchange of ideas, tactics and knowledge between our two air forces will reap benefits for years to come. I'm confident that (the members of the 58th FS) will return to the 33rd FW with a bag full of knowledge gleaned from their time with the Saudis and vice versa."

Those participating in Falcon Nest called King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushayt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, home. Participating fighter squadrons from the RSAF are the 6th and 5th Squadrons, with F-15S and F-15C aircraft, respectively.

Falcon Nest participants also included a rainbow of support from across Team
Eglin and the Air National Guard. Mission support personnel included members from the 96th Air Base Wing, 46th Test Wing, 1st FW, Langley AFB, Va., and the Oregon Air National Guard.