Oregon Air National Guard 142nd Wing hosting Navy fighter squadron for ‘dissimilar air combat training’

Off the coast and in Eastern Oregon, for next two weeks

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing is hosting the Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 192 “Golden Dragons,” based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, to conduct dissimilar air combat training Monday through Friday for the next two weeks.

VFA-192’s F-18 Super Hornets will fly in collaborative exercises with the 142nd Wing’s F-15 Eagles during the two weeks of DACT.

This specified training provides realistic combat scenarios for pilots to hone advanced aerial tactics that may be used against potential adversaries, officials said The exercise is an essential and required component to ensure military readiness in support of the base’s national and state missions.

According to Lt. Col. Joshua Hovanas, Oregon’s 123rd Fighter Squadron Commander, this DACT reinforces integral interoperability with other military branches.

“This training with the Golden Dragons is a unique opportunity for the Redhawks to refine and reinforce joint air superiority tactics,” said Hovanas. "The combination of capabilities represented between our two weapons systems allows for operations against a peer adversary - a critical training requirement for the Oregon Air National Guard.”

Flights will depart from and land at the Portland International Airport, and training will be conducted in approved designated airspace off the Oregon coast and in Eastern Oregon. In an effort to foster coordination with the community and the Port of Portland, flights will launch daily after 8 a.m. and will conclude before 4 p.m.

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About the 142nd Wing:

The Portland Air National Guard Base employs 1,500 Airmen who provide an economic impact of nearly $500 million to the region. The 142nd Wing defends our homeland with F-15 Eagle fighter jets, guarding the Pacific Northwest skies from northern California to the Canadian border through their Aerospace Control Alert mission as part of Air Combat Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Their mission is to provide unequaled, mission-ready units to sustain combat aerospace superiority and peacetime tasking any time, any place in service to our nation, state and community.