According to a press release from NATO Allied Air Command, from November 25 to 29, 2024, the Czech and French Air Forces successfully conducted an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) training exercise in Náměšť, Czechia.
The exercise aimed to enhance the agility and flexibility of their personnel and crews in delivering air power.
The ACE concept is central to NATO’s strategy to increase the survivability and operational effectiveness of aircraft by improving their ability to quickly deploy and redeploy assets as required.
It focuses on improving interoperability, mobility, and flexibility to reduce vulnerability, ensuring NATO’s air forces can operate efficiently in contested environments. The Czech Air Force focused specifically on reducing the risk to its military assets by avoiding centralised bases. Instead, aircraft, including rotary-wing assets, were deployed to smaller, temporary bases such as alternate airfields, roads, and military areas.
In his statement, Major General Petr Čepelka, Commander of the Czech Air Force, said: “This approach increases resilience to attacks, flexibility, and mobility of our forces. The capability is key to the air forces of all NATO nations. NATO Allied Air Command therefore assigns the highest priority to training dispersed operations – and the Czech Air Force performed them perfectly.”
The exercise took place at the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base in Náměšť, where Czech personnel hosted the French Air Force’s Dassault Mirage fighters. The training included cross-servicing, which tested the ability of Czech ground specialists to service French aircraft. This scenario highlighted the readiness and interoperability of NATO forces, ensuring the Czech specialists could quickly support Allied operations.
As detailed in the press release, the training exercise emphasised the flexibility and speed of transferring units between bases, including improvised locations, which is a cornerstone of the ACE concept. The successful collaboration between the Czech and French forces showcased NATO’s continued commitment to operational readiness and strengthening ties between allied nations.
if NATO IS A Effective organisation with so many parts in it the ability to perfection as a cohesive entity is vital