Stealth in the storm

The battlespace is contested, the threat is dynamic and the margin for error is zero.

Exercise Diamond Storm demonstrates the Air Force’s commitment to preparing for high-intensity conflict through realistic, integrated training. As the final phase of the Air Warfare Instructor Course (AWIC), candidates are tested in complex high-end warfighting with scenarios designed to replicate the demands of modern operations.

Conducted across northern Australia from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal, Bradshaw Field Training Area and Delamere Air Weapons Range, Diamond Storm is the most challenging component of the six-and-a-half-month course. It is designed to develop the Air Force’s most talented aviators into expert practitioners and leaders of air combat integration.

Throughout the exercise, candidates lead the planning and execution of demanding day and night operations involving offensive counter air, airborne operations, electronic attack, air-to-air refuelling, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, offensive air support and air battle management.

Exercise Director GPCAPT Andrew Hagstrom said Diamond Storm was the most demanding phase of AWIC.

“Students were required to think, react and lead under pressure, while facing a sophisticated and adaptive adversary in rapidly evolving scenarios,” GPCAPT Hagstrom said.

Missions required candidates to demonstrate advanced planning, briefing, execution and debriefing skills while integrating effects across all domains. The exercise’s complex scenarios demanded speed, precision and coordination, mirroring the realities of contemporary military operations.

By the time candidates reach Diamond Storm, they have already completed months of intensive training. As a result, resilience, fatigue management and decision-making under pressure become critical elements of the assessment.

“Understanding how our people perform under stress and fatigue is a deliberate outcome of the course,” GPCAPT Hagstrom said.

“The experience helped graduates better understand their own limitations, while maintaining the ability to safely deliver combat air power in demanding operational environments.”

Adding further realism, the exercise included support from the US Air Force and US Marine Corps. Working alongside international partners strengthened interoperability and provided candidates with valuable experience integrating allied capabilities, systems and procedures within a combined-force environment.

Scenarios were also designed to reflect emerging threats and strategic challenges outlined in the National Defence Strategy. Candidates operated in contested and degraded environments against a dynamic adversary, forcing them to adapt their tactics and decision-making as missions unfold.

The conclusion of Exercise Diamond Storm marked a significant professional milestone for graduates as they were awarded the coveted Air Warfare Instructor patch before participating in a symbolic Dawn Strike at RAAF Base Williamtown.