Unmanned Maritime Strike – Navy and Air Force at the Cutting Edge of Tactical Integration

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U.S. Air Force

January 19, 2023 | Originally published by U.S. Air Force on January 17, 2023

MEDITERRANEAN SEA – The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) partnered to complete first-of-a-kind exercises that incorporated Navy and USAF expertise and assets in December 2022. Jackpot Hooligan II – a maritime strike exercise, demonstrated the capability of an MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and elements of Carrier Strike Group 10 to integrate and close the structure of attack to eliminate a target or “kill chain” in an antisurface warfare mission.

Jackpot Hooligan II, completed on Christmas Eve, was the culmination of more than a year of relationship and tactics, techniques and procedures, experimentation, analysis, and implementation at sea and ashore between units of the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and North Dakota Air National Guard (NDANG). The work completed by the Sailors and Airmen of Command Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic (CSFWL), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, and the 178th Attack Squadron underscored the value of interpersonal relationships and the importance of collaborative, joint warfighting development at the tactical level for operational-level impact.

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