Amid a backdrop of roaring jet engines and coordinated multinational drills, NATO’s largest air exercise of the year is now underway—sending a clear signal of unity and capability, according to one of the Alliance’s top air commanders.
Speaking from Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands, Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Deputy Commander of NATO Allied Air Command, said Exercise Ramstein Flag 25 is a powerful demonstration of Allied readiness.
Amid @NATO_AIRCOM‘s largest air exercise in Europe, Air Marshal Stringer highlighted the importance of Allied air power, calling it a vital part of deterrence and reassurance, and key to enabling land and naval operations. #NATO pic.twitter.com/cAPpdIvkCq
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) April 7, 2025
“This is bringing together 15 or so NATO nations, actually operating from this base and 11 others,” said Stringer. “[We’re] practising key high-end missions which we would have to do to defend Europe in any Article 5 confrontation—but most importantly, to do the credibility and the capability that underpins our deterrence posture.”
The exercise involves more than 90 aircraft flying from 12 air bases across Europe, simulating a coordinated Allied response to a notional invasion of NATO territory.
NATO air power, Stringer explained, has long been central to European security.
“It is one of the fundamental things since 1949,” he said, “the protection of all those in European land mass and support of US and Canada of course, through the air defence of Europe.”
However, he was clear that the role of air power has evolved—and that today’s threats require NATO to do more than just defend airspace.
“We always have to fight for and gain access to the air environment—that is vital and has been vital in warfare ever since the introduction of the aircraft,” he said. “But more recently, one of the things we have to do is make sure we can get access for our sister land and naval forces into any terrain where an enemy would contest us or would seek to invade. So, the air power contribution both to defence and securing access is vital.”
Amid growing tensions globally and increased Allied focus on readiness, Stringer offered a message of confidence.
“You should feel assured, you should feel reassured,” he said. “You’ve got 32 nations—here you’ve got 15 nations of high-end air power capability operating together to keep them safe—and that’s the way we intend to keep it.”
Imagery via NATO, in-flight footage courtesy of US Air Force Staff Sergeant Kristin Heller.
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oh any other yes man pretending every thing is ok. We have no AWACs, no SEAD aircraft, no bombers, no RAF ground based air defence but every thing is ok. These idiots are meant to be leaders of men, they more worried about a seat in house of Lords.
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He did alright in the Fellowship of the Ring…
The RAF may be deficient in some of these areas, but NATO-wide there are:
* A full joint NATO squadron of AEW Sentty in Germany, plus another 4 in France and our 3 Wedgetails are not far away now
* The F-35 is a SEAD aircraft and there are hundreds of them entering service in NATO Europe
Our B version could do short-range SEAD at a pinch, as long as the Navy doesn’t grab them all for adventures in Indo Pac.
* No European NATO member has ‘bombers’, the cost of fielding a B21 Raider or similar is prohibitive. The B-21 is necessary for the long-range strike role in the Pacific, but arguably less essential in the European theatre, as the F-35As can reach most of the targets in westetn Europe.
* NATO Europe is putting in place an extensive GBAD network. We are as usual at the cow’s tail and I’d agree that this should be a high priority for the UK.
* The RAF does however contribute Poseidons, Rivet Joints and Shadow EW aircraft to the NATO effort, as well as 100 Typhoons, so we are not entirely bereft. Where we have fallen behind in particula is in the numbet of fast jet combat aircraft, where we are now behind France, Germany, Italy and probably Spain. This is pretty poor for the once-premier European air force, have to hope that the Telegraph story about an order for around 100 F-35As comes to pass.
I very much doubt that the RAF commander quoted above is motivated by a peerage in the Lords! You only get that if you’re the head of service or CDS and it is not very financially rewarding at all!
The politicians decide where the defence budget goes and their desire to punch above the UK’s weight on the world stage has led to the purchase of big status symbols, like the SSBNs and carriers, plus warships, which has led to the RAF and army being the poor, under-equipped services. We have been spending barely 2% of GDP on defence for the last dozen years, so no surprise that our air power has shrunk and the Army is woefully understrength and poorly equipped.
None of that is the fault of the RAF commander, who I am sure is doing the best possible job with the slim pickings allotted to the RAF over the last decade.
“The politicians decide where the defence budget goes and their desire to punch above the UK’s weight on the world stage has led to the purchase of big status symbols, like the SSBNs and carriers, plus warships, which has led to the RAF and army being the poor, under-equipped services. We have been spending barely 2% of GDP on defence for the last dozen years, so no surprise that our air power has shrunk and the Army is woefully understrength and poorly equipped.”
May I correct that?
“The politicians decide where the defence budget goes and their desire to punch above the UK’s weight on the world stage has led to the purchase of big status symbols, like the SSBNs and carriers, plus warships, which has led to the Navy, RAF and Army being the poor, under-equipped services. With Navy running out of frigates; RAF having too few fast jets; Army not having enough of a lot of things. We have been spending less than 2% of GDP on defence for the last fifteen years and only in the last few years have budgets risen at all: so no surprise that our air power has shrunk and the Army is woefully understrength and poorly equipped and T23 is falling apart.”
Otherwise we are back to the Army song of the carriers ate my XYZ. It isn’t the carriers and SSBN that ate anything it is trying to do big grownup stuff on what is really a 1.6% GDP budget that is the problem. Once you subtract DNE and all the other overheads of ‘stuff’ the remaining number is alarmingly small.
Totally SB – pensions are also included as part of the GDP figure. In fairness, I understand NATO allows this but it shouldn’t. I agree with you though – there is NO way we are truly spending 2.3% GDP currently on defence; it’s much, much less.
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never the bosses fault is it, they never speak out when in charge. They toe the party line then get in Lords and then decide speak out. To say the RAF is missing a few things is an understatement. NO Awacs, no SEAD aircraft, no bombers, no ground based air defence, is a bit more than a bit. Not enough troop helicopters as we retired the puma with no replacement even on order. Its easy to blame government but when do leaders take some of the blame? it happened on their watch with not a word said.
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