Home  /  Newsroom  /  2021  /  Scandinavian Arctic Challenge Exercise offers great Air Power training

The three Nordic Air Forces, Ally Norway and Partners Finland and Sweden, will host Allied air detachments from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as well as NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft. Exercise flying activities will take place from Bodø and Ørland in Norway, Kallax in Sweden and Rovaniemi in Finland, and some detachments will participate from their home bases in Europe.

The objective of the exercise is to train participating air forces to conduct dissimilar aircraft combat in large composite air operations (COMAO) safely and effectively. The exercise aims to develop air combat techniques, tactics and procedures for aircraft from Allies and Partners. The deployment of participating detachments in all three host countries enhanced expeditionary and host nation support arrangements. Missions will be flown crossing from one country into another. This will allow participants and hosts to practice coordination and hand-over skills.

The Norwegian F-35s will participate for the first time ACE 21. Photo by Mathias Charman 

Norwegian F-16s in a formation during ACE 17. Photo by Joni Malkamäki

Finnish F-18s will be flying out of Lapland Air Command's Rovaniemi Air Base. Photo Joni Malkamäki.

Ten German Eurofighters will be deployed at Rovaniemi Air Base participating in training activities during ACE21. Photo by Anne Torvinen

Since 2008, Finland, Norway and Sweden have conducted the exercise every other year under the Nordic cooperation. They have been integrating Allied air forces into the challenging training activities. Norway is in the lead for ACE21, and for the first time, Denmark has contributed to the planning of the exercise.