Testing Fourth and Fifth Generation Fighter Interoperability in the Baltic Region with NATO and Allies

On June 29 and 30, the renowned Ramstein Alloy exercise this year will see Allied and Partner forces come together to conduct live-fire training in the Baltic States and international airspace over the Baltic Sea. The participation of the Ramstein Alloy exercise will be hosted by Estonia, with Allies Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and NATO Partner Finland, as well as NATO E-3A AWACS scheduled to participate in the training drills with more than 20 aircraft.

The focus of the event will be on the training of skills, procedures, and processes for quick reaction forces that safeguard the skies in the region. Besides the rotating Baltic Air Policing nations, the exercise brings together regional Allies and Partners to practice simulated scenarios such as communications loss and slow-mover intercepts. The same applies to Air Command and Control that is practiced during air-to-air combat training supported by NATO E-3A and, for the first time, from Turkey, a Turkish Air Force E-7A Peace Eagle.

“The team at Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem, the Host Nation Estonia, and the other participating nations, have pulled together to guarantee an integrated exchange of knowledge in our air surveillance control personnel with Allies and Partners in a challenging environment,” said Lieutenant General Klaus Habersetzer, Commander Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem. “Regular training and cooperation with our regional Allies and Partners are essential to ensure we have an effective and efficient Baltic Region,” he added.

A media event will take place at Ämari Air Base and on June 29 offering journalists first-hand impressions of how NATO Allies and Partners train to get the best out of the generation 4th and 5th fighter aircraft in the region’s operational environment. This year’s exercise also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the formation of NATO Air Policing, which has evolved over 60 years culminating in the deployment of advanced fifth-generation F-35 aircraft.

For more than twelve years, Allied Air Command at Ramstein and NATO’s Norden Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem, Germany, have organised air training events hosted by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Ramstein Alloy series provides a vital opportunity to exchange Air Safety and Security with several different defence assets and nations. It is often used by Allies and Partners to conduct currency training for their fighter jets, airborne early warning and control aircraft, and tanker aircraft.

NATO and Partners Test 4th and 5th Fighter Generation Interoperability in the Baltic Region.

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