PHOENIX WARRIOR 2024: Mission accomplished for 2 Wing!

December 4, 2024 - Royal Canadian Air Force

Author: Captain Nabil Allou - Public Affairs Officer, 2 Wing

Back at Ali Al-Salem Air Base, or more precisely, at the Cadet Camp of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Valcartier, members of 2 Wing were tested through various scenarios inspired by Operation IMPACT.

During Exercise PHOENIX WARRIOR 24 (Ex PW24), members of 2 Wing once again demonstrated their expeditionary capabilities through intensive training, simulating a deployment to the Middle East. Aimed primarily at the new members of the Wing, this exercise allowed them to immerse themselves in the dynamic world of expeditionary operations within an air task force (ATF).

The exercise began on October 1 with the deployment of an airfield activation surge team, tasked with building and readying the camp to achieve full operational capability. The ATF then took over, with two Command teams working in succession until November 1, which marked the official end of the exercise and the start of the redeployment phase. That phase, which included dismantling, cleaning, and repatriating equipment, concluded on November 5.

Over the course of the month, members of 2 Wing faced more than 80 scenarios inspired by real events from Operation IMPACT, replicating the intensity of a six-month deployment within an international coalition. These immersive scenarios were overseen by observers, controllers, and trainers (OCT) from 2 Air Expeditionary Training Squadron (2 AETS), who ensured the training objectives were met while prioritizing the safety of participants.

Ex PW24 was also an opportunity to test the Rapid Response Package (RRP), a kit of stand-alone equipment, transportable on a pallet via a CC-130 Hercules aircraft and deployable in less than an hour. Designed for use over a week in austere environments, the RRP aims to enable a team of six to prepare the area before extending a mission or establishing local partnerships. This equipment guarantees complete self-sufficiency without access to local infrastructure and can be adjusted for missions such as LENTUS and RENAISSANCE.

"I am very proud to return and see the progress that this exercise has made since my first posting at 2 AETS in 2015. PHOENIX WARRIOR is the result of several months of hard work, and I thank the OCT team for their mentorship and commitment throughout the exercise and its preparation. I also want to congratulate the participants from both CPXs for their professionalism. Your ability to work as a team and to deploy is undeniable," said Lieutenant-Colonel Marc-André La Haye, Commanding Officer of 2 AETS.

At the conclusion of the final analysis for Ex PW24, Colonel Steeve Belley, 2 Wing Commander, will certify to 1 Canadian Air Division (1 CAD) the Wing’s capacity to deploy an ATF. Having observed the exercise during his visit, Major-General Chris McKenna, Commander of 1 CAD, who as Joint Force Air Component Commander is responsible for deploying air power on behalf of the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), directly witnessed the professionalism and the rigorous training conducted by 2 Wing.

By providing new members with a high level of readiness and confidence for their future deployments and reinforcing their cohesion with the more experienced members of the Wing, the 2024 edition of PHOENIX WARRIOR has once again been a resounding success!