THE KINGPIN OF THE COALITION

The unsung heroes of the Australian Air Task Group in the small hard-working group of no-fuss Air Combat Officers and Air Surveillance Operators of the Royal Australian Air Force embedded into the US Air Force 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron. The squadron specialises in Air Battle Management and is colloquially known as KINGPIN. It is made up of about 60 Coalition controllers. The five personnel from Australia, who are each serving six month deployments, are joined by controllers are from the Royal Air Force, US Air Force and US Marine Corps.

Australian Flying Officer Andrew, one of those embedded with KINGPIN at the Air Task Group’s Main Air Operating Base in the Middle East Region, says KINGPIN provides command and control of the air space that the Coalition aircraft operate in – this air space is referred to as the “battlespace”.

“KINGPIN’s role is much like the E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft but operates from a static ground position rather than the air – 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Flying Officer Andrew said.

“KINGPIN uses real-time radar surveillance to coordinate the movement of all Coalition aircraft in their area of operation.

“The coordination can range from air-to-air refuelling, which enables aircraft to remain on task longer; to calling in the fast-jets to conduct a strike on a target identified by a Joint Terminal Attack Controller on the ground.”

Flying Officer Andrew explained the area of operations that KINGPIN controls is vast; not only are they controlling Coalition operations in Iraq and Syria as part of Operation OKRA, they are controlling the battlespace movement of aircraft involved in Afghanistan.

Additionally, they are controlling aircraft involved in the US’s ongoing surveillance of the Gulf region.

On any given day KINGPIN facilitates air strikes and Intelligence Surveillance Recognisance missions conducted by Coalition nations such as Australia, US, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, Netherlands, UK, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

“We relay messages between the Combined Air and Space Operations Centre and Coalition aircraft,” Flying Officer Andrew said. “This ensures that no matter where the aircraft are operating, the range of our radars and communication systems can reach any of our capabilities ensuring command and control is maintained.”

Like others from Australia's Air Force rotating through KINGPIN, Flying Officer Andrew recieved three weeks of pre-deployment training in Australia as part of a Mission Rehearsal Exercise. The training is designed to replicate exactly what the RAAF does in the operational theatre and is continually reviewed and updated based on theexperiences of those who serve with KINGPIN.