More than 80 Allied aircraft and over 500 personnel are currently participating in the German-led exercise, Arctic Defender, from July 8 to 17, 2024, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, according to a press release.
The exercise aims to enhance NATO’s collective defence capabilities by integrating air forces from Canada, France, Spain, the U.S., and Germany in challenging Arctic conditions.
Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, Chief of the German Air Force, spoke on the importance of the exercise:
“We use the excellent conditions here in Alaska to realistically practice a NATO Article 5 scenario with our jet crews and the entire team. Together with the U.S. and Canadians, this exercise provides us with everything we need to further increase our operational capability,” Gerhartz was quoted in the news release.
Arctic Defender is part of the broader Pacific Skies deployment and focuses on advanced aerial manoeuvres and air-to-air refuelling operations.
This year marks the first time that the European Air Transport Command (EATC) is conducting its Air-to-Air Refueling Training outside Europe in conjunction with the exercise. The involvement of EATC’s air-refuelers underscores the training’s multinational and integrated nature.
U.S. Colonel Kevin Jamieson, commander of the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, saidL
“Exercises like Arctic Defender are just one way we can integrate with our Allies to share tactics, techniques, and procedures in a realistic, simulated combat environment. As we continue to train and operate in the Pacific, the U.S. and our Allies and Partners will resolve shared challenges by relying on each other’s strengths to collectively evolve airpower – together, we will deter aggression.”
The exercise involves a diverse array of aircraft, including fighter jets, mobility aircraft, and helicopters. This variety allows for comprehensive training, from individual skills to large-scale joint engagements across nearly 199,500 square kilometres of airspace in the Joint Pacific-Alaska Range Complex, the largest combat training range in the world.
Not sure if the photo is merely a stock picture or something more recent but interesting that this Typhoon has no PIRATE.
Not a parrot in sight either. 😁
Correct – the German’s didn’t specify it in their orders, i would have thought that will change with the recent announcements of further Typhoons.
PIRATE is what exactly? Is it like a PILOT?
😂 Germany doesn’t have many of the latter in inventory, but not that many flying airframes either!
PIRATE is the acronym for what is the Eurofighter’s infra-red search and track (IRST) system; it essentially provides targeting data to ASRAAM and other IR-homing missiles rather than rely only on the seeker on the missile for a lock before (and maybe after?) launch. Gives longer lock on range, wider field of view, quicker lock times, that kind of thing from my understanding. It’s something the USAF had to rely on pods for until fairly recently.