TALLINN, Estonia – NATO’s Allied Air Command at Ramstein, Germany, and the Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany, conducted the sixth live-fly exercise Ramstein Alloy on September 26 and 27.

 

Like during previous sequels, the training drills focused on exercising NATO’s rotational Baltic Air Policing alert aircraft at Šiauliai, Lithuania, and Ämari, Estonia, and regional air forces. The scenarios used to improve the tactics, techniques and procedures are grouped around realistic situations such as identifying and assisting aircraft in distress, simulating aircraft emergencies and immediate responses. 

 

Besides the United States Air Force and Belgian Air Force fighter detachments ensuring the peacetime Baltic Air Policing mission, military aircraft from Estonia, Germany and Lithuania, and were involved. They conducted missions tactically coordinated and controlled by a Royal Air Force AWACS plane, the Baltic Control and Reporting Centre at Karmelava, Lithuania, the Control and Reporting Point at Ämari, Estonia, and elements of the NATO DARS* presently deployed at Lielvarde, Latvia for their deployment exercise Ramstein Dust –II 17.

All Allied personnel involved in Ramstein Alloy 6 both on the ground and in the air demonstrated their professional and competent skills interacting across borders and applying pertinent peacetime routines.

 

"The goals Allied Air Command set for this exercise were met by all our participants,” said the Ramstein Alloy 6 project officer, Spanish Air Force Major Ildefonso Martinez-Pardo. "We successfully and safely conducted missions like loss of communications, identification of unknown aircraft, aerial manoeuvres among several fighter aircraft, aerial refuelling and the simulated diversion into an alternate airport. I commend my colleagues from Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem for their excellent monitoring, coordinating and facilitating this training event.”

 

For more than eight years, Allied Air Command has conducted this type of routine life-fly exercises, each time with several Allies showcasing NATO’s peacetime defensive capabilities and commitment to safeguarding its members’ airspace. 

 

* Deployable Air Control Centre, Recognized Air Picture Production Centre/Sensor Fusion Post