Air Exercise Ramstein Alloy continues

The Alliance say that the second day exercise Ramstein Alloy 20-1 offered military aircraft from Allies Belgium, Germany, Lithuania and Poland and Partners Sweden and Finland more training opportunities practicing coordination procedures during cross-border operations and quick reaction alert drills

“With exercise Ramstein Alloy 20-1 we have offered valuable live-fly training to our Allies executing Baltic Air Policing – Belgium and Poland – and our regional Partners Finland and Sweden”, said the CAOC Uedem lead planner. “It was great that Germany joined with fighters and an air-to-air refuelling capability because it added to the complexity of the exercise, making it worthwhile for the controllers in the Control and Reporting Centres at Karmelava and our NATO AWACS crews,” he concluded.

On April 21st, Polish F-16 aircraft and Finnish F-18 fighters conducted air-to-air combat training in Estonian airspace controlled by the Lithuanian Control and Reporting Centre at Karmelava. This part provided opportunities to jet pilots to hone their flying skills and to control staff to further increase proficiency in fighter and weapons control.

“Meanwhile Belgian F-16 and Swedish JAS-39 fighters conducted the same type of training over Lithuania. The Lithuanian Control and Reporting Centre at Karmelava then re-tasked the jets to practice a low-level intercept of an unauthorised slow moving target simulated by a Lithuanian AS365 Search and Rescue helicopter. The mission consisted of identifying, intercepting and handing-over the slow-mover and presents the challenge of the difference in speed between the target and the interceptors and requires all the fine control skills of the jet pilots. The Belgian F-16 aircraft completed their programme with a simulated Search and Rescue scenario with the Lithuanian AS365.”

The German Eurofighters flew more air-to-air combat training with the Polish F-16 and the Finnish F-18 fighters; to extend their “playtime” the Eurofighters received fuel from the German A400M air-to-air refuelling aircraft.

“For four years now the Ramstein Alloy exercise series has been sponsored by Allied Air Command and planned and conducted by the Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem. Just as the preceding Baltic Region Training events from 2008 to 2015, they have been an opportunity for Allies and Partners to practice interoperability during realistic live-fly scenarios.

The series has been executed three times a year; one event for each Baltic Ally and for each BAP rotation. i.e. integrating Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian air capabilities, enhancing relations among Allied and Partner air forces in the region and exercising rotational alert aircraft.”