Air Guard plans big fighter jet exercise

The Hawaii Air National Guard said it will be holding a large-scale "Sentry Aloha" fighter exercise beginning Tuesday involving nearly 60 aircraft from six states.

Leeward Coast residents might see an increase in air traffic and noise as the aircraft approach Hono­lulu Airport for landing, the Guard said.

Sentry Aloha exercises have been conducted by the Hawaii Air Guard about four times per year for several decades, with fighter jets practicing air engagement tactics, officials said.

The Hawaii National Guard said what makes this particular Sentry Aloha different is the number of visiting fighter aircraft participating.

Typically, the training would involve one visiting fighter squadron and a limited number of aircraft. For this exercise, F-22s and F-16s from Alaska, as well as F-15s from Massachusetts, will participate, the Guard said.

More than 400 visiting airmen are involved.

Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony, a Hawaii National Guard spokes­man, called Sentry Aloha "the premier fighter squadron exercise for the year" for Air National Guard units.

"Nobody’s going to be able to get this kind of complex, war-gaming-type scenarios like they can do out here with the F-22s," he said.

Anthony added that "with this number of F-22s on the ramp, you can actually have ‘good guys’ versus ‘bad guys’ F-22s."

The F-22 is the Air Force’s top fighter aircraft. The Air Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron flies the F-22 Raptor in conjunction with the 19th Fighter Squadron of the active-duty Air Force.

The 199th Fighter Squadron is part of the 154th Wing, the largest Air National Guard wing in the nation, and has among its tasks the protection of Hawaii’s airspace.