International JTAC training continues for NATO Allies

SOLENZARA, Corsica – The international Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) exercise SERPENTEX 2017, organised and led by the French Air Force, began on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 with 1,000 participants from nine NATO nations.

SERPENTEX, which is being held in Corsica, extends allied JTAC training following the conclusion of Czech-led exercise Ample Strike, which was held from Aug. 23 – Sept. 12, in Namest, the Czech Republic.

For the next three weeks the French Air Force will coordinate 39 French and Allied aircraft and 27 JTAC teams to ensure challenging realistic training scenarios on the French island.

The SERPENTEX exercise series started in Corsica in 2008, when France was joined by Belgium and the United States to conduct JTAC training with Allied aircraft. Successively, more and more Allies contributed to the training underlining the high value of the professional nature of the event.

This year, the focus of SERPENTEX is on training combat-ready JTACs and aircrews. Participants will conduct joint operations day and night at the tactical level, close air support for both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and air-to-ground shooting controlled by JTACs, tactical airlift operations.

The training area in Corsica offers a first-class venue which is close to the operational environment of Allied and Coalition deployments.

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office