The Royal Air Force has joined European and US allies in Italy for Exercise Falcon Strike 25, a multinational air combat exercise testing fifth-generation fighter operations in contested environments.
According to the RAF, the training forms part of Operation Highmast, an eight-month global deployment linking Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. The exercise, led by the Italian Air Force, includes participants from France, Greece, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Quoted in a service news update, Air Marshal Allan Marshall, Air and Space Commander, said, “Exercise Falcon Strike is another outstanding demonstration of how far our collaboration with the Italian Air Force has come. Training side by side with our Italian colleagues strengthens interoperability, deepens mutual understanding and ensures that both nations remain ready to deliver decisive air power whenever and wherever it’s needed.”
According to the RAF, Falcon Strike focuses on integrating fourth and fifth-generation aircraft, refining coalition tactics and strengthening logistics cooperation among F-35 users. The UK contribution includes F-35B Lightning jets, a Voyager tanker and elements of the Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Prince of Wales, which recently returned from the Indo-Pacific.
Air Marshal Marshall added, “Over the past eight months, the Royal Air Force has delivered a truly global contribution through Operation Highmast from the UK to the Mediterranean, across the Middle East and deep into the Indo-Pacific. This has been a sustained demonstration of reach, resilience and relevance, projecting air and space power, strengthening partnerships and reaffirming the UK’s commitment to regional security.”
Running from 3 to 14 November, the exercise will involve high-intensity mission scenarios simulating coalition air operations under realistic threat conditions.
Air Marshal Marshall, meet Major Major Major
Roger Roger
Right, stop that, It’s silly.
He’s in the Armed Forces, which makes him a martial Marshal Marshall.
A recent article in Aviation Weeks opens with “The Italian Air Force is now the lead European F-35 operator.” It also reports that “the Italian Air Force plans to create an international training facility for nations flying the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The service hopes to create a schoolhouse—analogous to the [currently unique] training facilities at Luke AFB in Arizona—at Trapani-Birgi AB in Sicily.” I expect the UK will be a good customer given the highly embarrassing failure of our F-35 (and other) training programmes. There was an expectation that other other Northern European F-35 operators such as the Netherlands would avail of the UKs F-35 training and maintenance infrastructure, but instead Italy has become the preference. RAF Marham is starting to get a lot of bad press as the MOB for the UK Lightening Force, how fair is this?