During Exercise Winter Camp, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) from allied nations deployed in NATO’s enhanced forward presence battle groups in the Baltics have been practising Air-Land Integration.
The exercise included Allied fighters stationed in the Baltics under the NATO Air Policing mission such as French Rafales, German Eurofighters, and Polish F-16s.
The live training serials support exercising ground units and provide valuable currency training for aircrew and JTACs using simulated attacks within training ranges.
The JTACs, who are trained in Air-Land Integration, communicate directly with aircrew via radio and digital means to control close air support sorties.
The integration between naval, air, and land forces supports Alliance multi-domain operations to ensure each domain can work together seamlessly.
“Close Air Support missions build critical relationships between Soldiers and Airmen that ensure joint operations can be executed rapidly whenever and wherever needed,” said Major Guillaume Veuille, French Rafale detachment commander.
“JTACs are an important link between the ground units and our pilots, training like this helps test NATO tactics techniques and procedures refining our skill sets for future joint missions.”
What do Joint Terminal Attack Controllers do?
Joint Terminal Attack Controllers are military personnel who are trained to direct the action of combat aircraft engaged in close air support and other offensive air operations. They act as a link between ground forces and aircraft and are responsible for communicating with pilots to provide them with accurate targeting information, ensuring that friendly forces are not hit and that enemy targets are destroyed.
JTACs are trained in Air-Land Integration and communicate directly with aircrew via radio and digital means to control close air support sorties.
Keep those allies up to date with training. I assume the jtac’s all use English on the radios?
Estonia is the number one contributor to Ukraine relative to defence budgets. They are leading the way for all countries to follow.
Really? I doubt Ukraine appreciates Estonia’s contributions as much as USA or UK.
Proportionally yes they’ve donated a lot but that is from a baseline of not having much in the first place and have a pitifully low defence budget considering they are now a “frontline nation” with a direct land border with Mad Vlad’s Russia.
The Baltic States should look at what Poland are doing. That is taking your own defence seriously.
Yes but the Baltic States are so tiny even if they doubled their defence budgets (Estonia’s is around $750 mil), it wouldn’t amount to much. I don’t see why there is not a concerted effort through financial incentive to arm the Baltic States. Something like a subsidy of 10% for any new kit a NATO country buys if they gift their prior kit to the Baltic States. So say a $2 billion US subsidy helps buy $20 billion worth of new kit for NATO, and the Baltic States get what that new kit replaces. Everybody wins not least the US as stronger European partners yield better deterrence, and if that avoids another war and all that is costing, it really is a no-brainer as we like to say here.
Exactly. Proportionally they have done a lot.
Estonia is a small country and as they have been let into nato it’s up to NATO countries to put forces where they are needed
Sort of like a new Marshall plan Ron.
The devil’s advocate in me would say that Uncle Sam already underwrites NATO and for many years has allowed us to ride their coat tails…
It’s about the only thing I agreed with Trump over!
A Country with a population in the 2 millions that lost a third of its population in WW2 had thousands more sent to Siberia thereafter including the PMs mother and grandmother, or disappeared altogether, the rest kept brutally subjugated, their identity all but destroyed, their assets stripped, a Country that has warned for years the dangers Russia has presented (which was ignored by most) that’s increasing its defence budget from just below to 2% and probably beyond, has given all of certain types of its arms to Ukraine has taken in 65,000 refugees (by far like arms the biggest percentage to population) deserves perhaps a little more respect methinks.
So what happened to all the Jews in Estonia in the second world war? Just curious I’m sure it was hard to lose part of their population but it seems like the Estonians really helped in eliminating some of their population and some that came from other Eastern European countries. Might want to look into that.
“but it seems like the Estonians really helped”
Not as cut and paste as that, you cannot tar with the same brush a nation.
That there were collaborators in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania is not in doubt. The Nazis encouraged pogroms by those allied to them to make the genocide look like it was spontaneous, when in fact it was planned by and primarily carried out by the Nazis themselves.
That also applies to Ukraine, with the Trawniki men. And Lativa’s 15th SS Division, which contained Arajas commando murderers.
Russia uses that as progaganda all the time, yet had more murderers in its ranks itself.
None of that means Estonia, Latvia or Ukraine should not be respected or helped now.
If you want to go down that road look at Norway and other occupied European countries, they all had their Nazi supporters.
Unfortunately Daniele, the Nazis found no shortage collaborators in all the countries they occupied, it’s sadly the nature of certain ‘individuals’, with selfish self serving attitudes and happily prosper from others misery….
Had the UK been occupied, would it have been any different I wonder, I hope so, but probably not….
Well what ever people ur talking about are dead by now.
My British ancestors did some awful stuff In the past but that doesn’t mean I’m responsible or behave as they did.
Oh dear, you might want to look at the fact just until a few decades ago people of another colour, in your fanboy fantasy US, couldn’t sit together, use the same cafe/bus/shops etc…..and that, in a first world country! Wow! So don’t you worry about other countries wartime issues, when yours went on in peacetime. Nob jockey!
Mr Bell to be fair to the Estonians, they have their head in the game and are taking defence seriously! Worked with the Estonian lads on Herrick right from day one, their first deployment, able to fight, learn fast and up for a ruck. Small country, with a good history of being anti-Soviet, forest brothers etc. Baltic states good allies as they know what’s at stake. Cheers 👍
Forest Brothers, they were still holding out in the 50s I’d read.
Lots of relatively unknown stories regarding anti soviet resistance in the Baltic’s and Ukraine, going on way into the 1950’s, supported by the CIA (and other interested parties).
Brutal Soviet retaliation finally subdued overt armed resistance by the end of the 1950’s, but convert resistance carried on for way longer, morphing eventually into intelligence gathering for the West, Uncle Sams paid eyes and ears.
Much of what went on is still shrouded in rumour.
Very late 50s I believe mate and on occasion supplied and supported by the UK covert ops MI5 etc using ex German schnellboots!
Yep, that is where I’d read about them, Steven Dorril’s “MI6, 50 Years of Special Operations”
English mate yes, always on combined ops and ATC!
“I assume the jtac’s all use English on the radios?”
Commercial aviation standard is English language, nothing to do with past glory, just that you need a decent education to be trusted with a couple of hundred passengers. I would guess that NATO is similarly dominated by English speaking people. Certainly the northern European nations have excellent education and the southern Europeans benefit from tourism by English speaking people so have an interest too . Effective communication is essential so that’s in everybodys interest.
Data-links are providing immediate situation awareness to the battle-space with FOO and JTAC giving additional focus to fire support.
You wouldn’t want to be armed with a shovel in the face of that. May as well dig your own grave / trench, Ivan.
Sounds very promising.
Two Ukrainian pilots in US for training assessment on attack aircraft, including F-16s
“Two Ukrainian pilots are currently in the US undergoing an assessment to determine how long it could take to train them to fly attack aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, according to NBC News.
The Ukrainians’ skills are being evaluated on simulators at a US military base in Tucson, Arizona, two congressional officials and a senior US official said.
US authorities have approved bringing up to 10 more Ukrainian pilots to the US for further assessment as early as this month, the officials said.
The arrival of the first two pilots marks the first time Ukrainian pilots have travelled to the US to have their skills evaluated by American military trainers.
Read the full story“
Just curious how any of this applies to the UK.?
This is a community for people interested in defence centred around the UK. However, the conflict in Ukraine is currently having a significant impact on global politics and defence policy; events surrounding the possible donations of jets are notable, although controversial, and I appreciate Nigel’s frequent contributions to this site. As always, thanks for sharing, Nigel.
“Nigel’s frequent contributions to this site. As always, thanks for sharing, Nigel.” Likewise! 👍
I wonder if this puts pay to China supplying Russia with arms given the clear threat of sanctions against them if they choose to do so.
China to increase defense spending 7.2%, sets economic growth target of ‘around 5%’ for 2023
“China’s economy is staging a steady recovery and demonstrating vast potential and momentum for further growth,” Li said in his address, which emphasized China’s focus on ensuring stable growth, employment and prices amid global inflation.
The economy added more than 12 million urban jobs last year, with the urban unemployment rate falling to 5.5%, according to the work report.
China also unveiled its annual military budget for 2023, which will increase 7.2% to roughly 1.55 trillion yuan ($224 billion), according to a draft budget report released alongside the NPC opening.”
Those growth numbers are a U.K. governments wet dream. I don’t know what the answer is but do countries need to look at china’s models for growth for ideas?
I think it helps to know what we and others could be facing further down the line.
Given the current size of their armed forces, it suggests to me an increased global presence as well as a local one.
Taiwan must be very concerned about this increase.
It’s the logical answer that China will become a naval presence round the world. Not sure if they will do that with land forces at bases around the world.
I can’t see any reforms of government coming from the CCP near term. While they can currently suppress protests, a big one involving 10% of the population (140m) or more may be much more difficult.
The next leader or next again may want to change china’s stances and relationships for the better.
The PRC had been talking up their economy for a few years but they had failed to hit the targets predicted. My view is we are in for a stagnent year or one with little growth and would be surprised if they make that target. Simple rule though dont buy goods marked as Made in China if you can possibly avoid it.
“don’t buy goods marked as Made in China if you can possibly avoid it”
Try telling that to AMAZON!
This also sounds very positive.
German arms company ‘wants to buy Swiss tanks’
“We reported earlier (10.47 post) that German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is negotiating with Kyiv to set up a factory in Ukraine to build Panther tanks.
Now, it has been reported that the same company wants to buy 96 Leopard 1 tanks from Swiss defence firm Ruag to send to Ukraine.
The tanks in question would be used and non-operational, Swiss newspaper Tages- Anzeiger reported.
Ruag apparently bought the tanks in Italy in 2016 and they are still there.
“Rheinmetall wanted to buy the vehicles and made it clear that they would be delivered to Ukraine after being reconditioned,” a spokesperson for Ruag told Tages-Anzeiger.
Ruag apparently ran the idea past Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and received a negative answer, according to Tages-Anzeiger.
It is thought the deal could still go through, however. It is likely to be discussed by Switzerland’s Federal Council.
Leopard 1 tanks are lighter than the Leopard 2, with a smaller engine and a shorter firing range.”
Courtesy of Sky News
https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/63fab972604d8149b3093b48/0x0.jpg
I wonder Estebaninski!
https://i.imgflip.com/3p06we.jpg
😆
Possibly as UK issue socks were yet again found in your laundry!
As your not from the UK why do you care? Back to bed now and don’t read your comics🙄
I’m surprised they could spare 10 fast jet pilots, unless of course they now have more pilots than jets?
If so, then it’s good that F16 foundation work starts now.
I think Ukraine does have more pilots than aircraft.
Arming them with air-to-air missiles only and on the strict understanding that they can only operate within Ukrainian airspace seems reasonable to me me.
With no ground attack capability, What can Russia complain about?
Personally I don’t give a toss what Russia thinks. There is only so many times the nuclear rattle works.
I don’t think Ukraine wants to go into Russia.
Problem comes that if Ukraine does push Russia out of its territory will Russia accept that and stop fighting? I doubt it.
It’s a massive task and as much as Russian forces have been rubbish we are still talking hundreds of thousands of troops that have dug in.
Fingers crossed eh!
Could there be an uplift to the defence budget?
Defence secretary Ben Wallace reportedly wants £11bn over the next two years to boost the UK’s defence budget.
Asked by Sophy Ridge if that could ever happen, former Chief of the General Staff Lord Dannatt replies: “I don’t see why it shouldn’t.”
He explains the large sum of money is not actually that vast, and the security of the country has to be the “number one responsible duty” of the government.
“Although some could argue it’s fairly well-funded, the balance within defence is not right. There is a deficiency in our land warfare fighting capability,” he adds.
“The army has been the poor cousin in terms of investment over the last 10, 15 years, and frankly, if we want to have a credible army, that’s got to change.”
Courtesy of Sky News
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No no no. The usual one sided politics that is actually cobblers and does not give the whole story. The army got the biggest slices of the extra funding, 16 billion, announced by Johnson, and has wasted over 10 billion before that on never ending failed procurements.
It has had money, but it has burned it.
“The army has been the poor cousin in terms of investment over the last 10, 15 years”
Why that short time frame, when programs take decades? Look at the Labour years before that, when no armoured programs whatsoever got into service, apart from small orders of Titan, Trojan, Terrier, and the UORs, and the several plans the RA had to improve AS90 and other programs were all cut.
If they had, the army would not now be recapitalising its entire war fighting capability now.
What IS the real issue, that is never aired on these programs, is that capital costs of Trident was changed in 2010 and brought into core budget as part of Osbornes sleight of hand.
The nuclear part of the MoD equipment budget gets a huge slice, bigger than all the rest. Admittedly part of that is SSNs, AWE, and the other operating costs of the varied parts of the nuclear deterrent. Those are fine and not an issue.
Now how about there is concerted effort by all defence commentators to get HMG to explain that, and hopefully change it, rather than ex army generals deflecting issues away on the other services.
All very good points Daniele, let’s hope they use it to good effect this time as we simply cannot afford any more mistakes.
Spot on Daniele….
The gold plated procurement mindset coupled with UOR kit and sandbox wars, put the army’s Armoured forces into a steeply neglected deline…
Dannatt saying it’s the RAF and Navy’s fault, is simple deflection and not owning the problem, that he was part of.