RAMSTEIN, Germany - Real Thaw 2017 is a Portuguese-led live-fly exercise at Beja Air Base, Portugal aimed at training and preparing operational forces. Units from the Portuguese Air Force, Navy and Army and military assets from Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States of America will provide a multinational joint training environment for the 2017 sequel.
Real Thaw is designed to prepare NATO military forces for international missions by certifying units in fictitious but challenging realistic scenarios. These will be geared to the operational requirements of participating air, land and naval units.
The wide range of missions conducted in the first multinational joint live-fly exercise includes air defence, convoy protection, close air support to ground forces and special operations, evacuation operations of military and civilian elements, Combat Search and Rescue, cargo and paratroopers drop operations, aeromedical evacuations and air defence of maritime forces.
Flying assets will also be controlled by NATO E-3A and French E-3F AWACS planes, Air-Land-Integration will involve fighter-bomber support for Forward Air Controllers on the ground.
In total, 1000 military personnel and 35 jets, planes and helicopters will be participating in this first major joint training event in 2017.
Since 2009, the Portuguese Air Command has hosted the Real Thaw series annually. A joint training environment for the tactical-level training of flying units set in favourable meteorological conditions makes Real Thaw the ideal venue for NATO Allies to develop and hone flexible capabilities for current and future challenges.
Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office based on information provided by Real Thaw 2017 Public Affairs Officer