North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
April 2, 2014
A Key Air Training Event for NATO in the Baltics
Swedish JAS-39 Gripen hands over the air policing task to the United States F-15C and practiced handover procedures between NATO and NATO Partner’s Quick Reaction units
Šiauliai, LITHUANIA: Šiauliai Airbase in Lithuania hosted one of NATO’s key air training events this week, BRTE 17. The Baltic Regional Training Event, which focuses on enhancing air interoperability among NATO and Partnership for Peace Air Forces, took place on 1-2 April 2014.
The scenario for the event was the loss of communication with an unknown aircraft entering a NATO partner’s airspace. The situation enabled participants to highlight coordination and cooperation between different Nations and Command and Reporting Centres to eventually escort the potentially hijacked aircraft to land safely.
The Baltic Regional Training Event, which has taken place for over 5 years now, has become an important training opportunity for HQ Air Command, Ramstein and the Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany. Swedish and Finnish participation in the training helps to advance cross-border cooperation and to increase air traffic safety and security. It also offers the ability to practice handover procedures between Quick Reaction units in the air and at the same time training for special procedures, such as a simulated crew ejection and search and rescue (SAR) operations.
“We’re conducting these series of exercises every four months to have the chance to understand each other, to increase interoperability, to test the communications lines, to test procedures and to enhance them if necessary,” said the Combined Air Operations Centre Commander, Lieutenant-General Joachim Wundrak.
Under NATO Smart Defence programs, smaller Allies focus on developing and maintaining specific capabilities. For example, Baltic nations concentrate on fielding highly capable land forces, while other Allies provide air policing for the region. The United States is currently in the lead for the 17th Baltic Regional Training Event until the end of April 2014.
“The mission objectives are very clear and concise and every time we do these exercises there are always teaching points,” said F-15C pilot Captain Tyler Clark. “That’s why we’re going to debrief the mission, figure out what went wrong, what went right and now we can better apply these principles that we’ve learned to the next flight to increase the overall effectiveness of the mission”, he added.
“NATO has a vital role to play in the Baltic States, about reassuring them with regard to the current circumstances”, said F-15C Group Commander Lendy Renegar. “NATO has a great responsibility across its entire spectrum with its airspace. Maintaining sovereign airspace is very important to any nation,” Renegar added.
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