A Royal Australian Air Force unit from RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney, conducted threat-evasion maneuvers at the Saylor Creek Training Range, Oct. 24, 2016.

The Australian crew worked closely with 266th Range Squadron personnel to provide realistic simulated threats.

“The goal is to come and use the range out of Mountain Home [AFB] and test our systems against threats, which we don't really get a chance to do in Australia,” said a RAAF C-130J Hercules co-pilot. “It’s really the only place we can actually do it in the real aircraft.”

The 122,000-acre range provided room for the Australians’ C-130Js to conduct training operations with their new systems.

“Over the last three-to-four years, our C-130s have undergone a lot of modifications and enhancements which will enable our aircraft to operate in a greater number of roles across a broader range of theaters,” said a RAAF C-130J Hercules pilot. “Our training at home is very much simulator-based, which provides us with the basic skills to operate the new equipment, but coming out here and being able to do it in the aircraft provides a level of realism that we don’t get in Australia.”

The pilots expressed their interest in visiting the base annually to take advantage of the unique training opportunities it offers.