RAMSTEIN, Germany - The German Air Force deploys six Eurofighters and supporting aircraft for a strategic force projection to the Indo-Pacific region to conduct combined projects with NATO Partners there.
With this deployment ... we are sending a clear message:
the Air Force can be deployed quickly and over global distances -
even with several missions to be fulfilled in parallel
On August 15, 2022, six Eurofighters took off from their home base in southern Germany for a deployment flight to Singapore within 24 hours over roughly 10,000 kilometres. Besides the fighter jets, this first-time deployment to the Indo-Pacific region for the German Air Force involves about 250 Air Force soldiers; it is supported by four A400M transport aircraft as well as three A330s of the Multirole MRTT Unit from Eindhoven to refuel the fighter aircraft in the air. The logistically challenging project called "Rapid Pacific 2022"
Special livery for the strategic deployment: the Eurofighter "Air Ambassador" will represent the German Air Force during Rapid Pacific. Archive photo courtesy Bundeswehr.
An A330 MRTT tanker aircraft during touchdown. The two MRTTs enable the deployment with 200 air-to-air-refuelling mission en route. Archive photo courtesy Bundeswehr.
The four A400M strategic airlifters are critical to ensuring needed personnel and cargo is deployed with the projected force. Archive photo courtesy Bundeswehr.
The Rapid Pacific flight route showing a strategic force projection to participate in exercise Pitch Black and conduct interoperability training with regional Partners. Graphic courtesy Bundeswehr.
Once the force arrives in the region, they will continue to Australia, where the German aircrews - together with a large number of regional partners - will take part in the multinational exercises hosted by the Australian armed forces and, subsequently, conduct combined aerial manoeuvres with Partner air forces in the region.
"Rapid Pacific is the largest and most challenging deployment the German Air Force has ever seen," said the Chief of the German Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, emphasising the special significance of the project. "With this deployment, our participation in the exercises in Australia, and the further joint projects with our partners in Singapore, Japan and South Korea, we are sending a clear message: the Air Force can be deployed quickly and over global distances - even with several missions to be fulfilled in parallel."
The German fighter and tactical transport aircraft are participating in the Royal Australian live-fly exercise Pitch Black from August 21 to September 9 to conduct air combat training in a multinational environment with Allies from France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States and regional Partners. The force and the MRTT aircraft will then support the Royal Australian Navy 's naval warfare exercise Kakadu before concluding the deployment and returning to Germany in October.
In addition to this long-distance force projection, the German Air Force continues to accomplish the standing missions ensuring national and NATO Air Policing duties at home and in the Baltic Region supporting the Alliance's 360 degree approach of ensuring deterrence and defence.