NATO’s Ramstein Alloy 24-3 exercise is set to take place over Latvia on September 30 and October 1, 2024.
The aerial drills will see fighter and support aircraft from across NATO nations practicing Quick Reaction Alert procedures to strengthen the integration and readiness of NATO forces in protecting the airspace over the Baltic Sea region.
The exercise provides a key training opportunity for the rotational Baltic Air Policing detachments, as well as other regional air forces. “Ramstein Alloy provides a valuable training opportunity to the rotational Baltic Air Policing detachments and other regional air forces,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ioannis Samartzis, the project officer for the exercise series at Allied Air Command.
“The traditional two-day drills enhance air safety in the Baltic Sea Region and further build relationships among NATO Allies,” he added.
Participating aircraft will include German Eurofighters, currently deployed at Lielvarde, Latvia, as part of NATO’s air policing mission, along with Italian Eurofighters stationed in Šiauliai, Lithuania.
Spanish NASAMS air defence systems and fighters deployed in Romania under NATO arrangements will also take part, conducting integrated air defence drills. Additional support will come from Finnish fighter jets, a Latvian support aircraft, and a NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which will provide air surveillance and control.
The exercise will feature contributions from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany, and regional Control and Reporting Centres, ensuring seamless coordination of the aerial manoeuvres. Air-to-Air refuelling will be supported by aircraft from the Multinational MRTT Unit based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
The Spanish Ground-Based Air Defence Systems will further enhance the complexity of the drills by practising integrated air and missile defence.
Conducted three times a year, Ramstein Alloy exercises are a crucial element of NATO’s commitment to maintaining air safety and readiness in the Baltic region. “Ramstein Alloy 24-3 will continue demonstrating NATO’s commitment to the Baltic States while maintaining a defensive mindset to avoid provoking any neighbouring non-participating states,” Lieutenant Colonel Samartzis noted.
The exercise serves to maintain NATO air forces’ readiness to execute collective defence tasks and ensure air safety through standard procedures for identifying and assisting aircraft in distress.
