Exercise Diamond Storm 24 graduates new air warfare instructors

One of the Air Force’s most challenging training activities has concluded in the Northern Territory with the successful completion of Exercise Diamond Storm 24. The three-week exercise tested the planning and decision-making skills of candidate Air Warfare Instructors across nine distinct roles and categories, including fighter combat, surveillance roles, air mobility, intelligence and combat control teams. Air Commodore Adrian Maso, Commander of Air Warfare Centre, said AWIC was a key part of how Air Force meets the tasks directed within the 2024 National Defence Strategy. “People are our most important capability, and AWIC graduates aviators who are world-class air power practitioners,” Air Commodore Maso said. “During Exercise Diamond Storm 24 the candidate instructors combine their own experience with what they have learned in AWIC’s academic study, and practiced through a live training curriculum.” On graduation from AWIC, these instructors will return to their respective workforces as humble, knowledgeable, and approachable experts within their fields of expertise. “The skills and experience they gain on Exercise Diamond Storm 24 give us confidence that we can credibly respond to contemporary threats in our region, in accordance with Australia’s strategy of denial,” Air Commodore Maso said. “This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Air Force conducting the inaugural Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI) Course, which laid the foundation for AWIC today. We are generations removed from when the first course flew Vampire jet fighters in 1954, but what has remained consistent is our need for highly-trained instructors who will lead in future operations.” The wider Air Force workforce involved with Exercise Diamond Storm 24 also benefits from this exposure to highly-complex and dynamic scenarios. “We appreciate the support and understanding of local communities who live and work in proximity to our bases and airspace,” Air Commodore Maso said. “The support of these communities is essential to the successful conduct of these exercises, and for AWIC, allows us to graduate world-class Instructors.” Exercise Diamond Storm 24 is the culmination of the six-month-long Air Warfare Instructor Course (AWIC), which will graduate instructors who are proven experts at integrating Air Force with land, maritime, cyber and space domains. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Director of Sales Graham Joss at [email protected]