The training exercise is designed to prepare the participants for air combat that occurs 100km or more off the coast.

The 114 is based in Darwin, but as a mobile unit, it must practise relocating in an efficient, timely and precise manner.

Air battle manager and squadron leader Robert Vine said the unit deploys four times a year.

“We do exercises like this and we’re often called in for security operations such as Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, APEX summits and sporting events,” Sqnldr Vine said.

“We don’t always go places where we’re so obvious, quite often we’re out the back of the Northern Territory where we’re not very visible.”

The unit comprises eight individual cabins in the form of shipping containers and is equipped with a radar that has a range of 400km, a command and a control system.

“It fuses a how bunch of radar data and communications data, and displays it to operations staff so that they can direct the air battle,” Sqnldr Vine said.

“We detect aircraft that don’t want to be detected as opposed to an Air Traffic Controller.

“Commercial aircraft give their position away, we’re obviously trying to detect aircraft that don’t want to be seen.”

Air surveillance operators analyse the information that the radar detects and assess whether it’s an airliner, crop dusting aircraft, or potentially an enemy aircraft.

That information then gets distributed to higher command centres so that our commanders know what’s going on in the air.

As air battle manager, Sqnldr Vine, uses the information from the surveillance operators to direct intercepts if necessary.

“We’re also responsible for the safety of friendly aircraft, keeping them away from each other and coordinating activities like air-to-air refuelling,” he said.

The unit is staying at the 41 Batallion Gres Depot on Lachlan St in Kempsey until early December.

With each receiving one day off per week, the airmen are looking forward to making the most of the Macleay’s spectacular natural environment with many planning to visit our beaches and national parks.

“We do have nice beaches in Darwin but we can’t really swim due to the crocodiles,” Sqnldr Vine said.

“If I get some time off I’ll try to get out and do some bushwalking.”

Originally from Macksville, communications technician Simon Smith is relishing being back on the Mid North Coast.

“It’s good to be pretty close to home,” he said.

The communications technician’s role involves setting up the equipment and ensuring it’s done so safely.

Simon entered the RAAF two years after completing his secondary studies at Macksville High School and hasn’t looked back.

“I had a gap year but ended up joining the RAAF instead of going to uni,” he said.

“It’s definitely been a good option.

“It’s taken me more places than I thought I’d go.

“There’s been heaps of opportunities to learn, it’s been great.”