RAMSTEIN, Germany - The Portuguese Air Force, hosts two simultaneous live-flying exercises at Beja Air Base from May 22 to June 5. The high-level tactical air exercise Real Thaw 2024 and the helicopter exercise Hot Blade.
Designed in synergy with Real Thaw, Hot Blade 24 aims to increase the interoperability of helicopter operations among participants exposing them to a complex operational environment in which they can train and prepare for real-world missions
“Both traditional exercises will put into practice the tactics, techniques and procedures of Portuguese armed forces and participants from international forces enhancing interoperability and multi-domain operation skills”, said Major Cláudio “IPod” Peixeiro, the officer coordinating exercise activities at Beja.
In the 2024 combined edition of the multinational exercises Real Thaw and Hot Blade participants from Allies Portugal, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain and Partners Austria and Switzerland will have the opportunity to train and hone common tactics, techniques and procedures enhancing interoperability and multi-domain operation skills,
Archive photos courtesy Portuguese Air Force.
“The Portuguese Air Force conducts exercise Real Thaw annually. The scenario creates a theatre-realistic operational environment for combined joint missions at the tactical level,” he continued to say. “Participants come together working on integration, interoperability and training in large force packages, to achieve mission accomplishment with maximum safety and efficiency,” he added.
Hot Blade 2024 is a helicopter exercise organized by the Portuguese Air Force under the new umbrella of the Multinational Helicopter Training Centre based at Sintra Air Base.
“Designed in synergy with Real Thaw at Beja Air Base, exercise Hot Blade 24 aims to increase the interoperability of helicopter operations among participants, exposing them to a complex operational environment in which they can train and prepare for current theatres of conflict and humanitarian support mission,” he added.
In this year's combined edition of Real Thaw and Hot Blade, there will be a day and night flying windows dedicated to specific package tactics development and training involving fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters. Additionally, at least one flying window per day will be committed to Composite Air Operations type missions, providing an extra layer of complexity in coordinating and integrating the requirements and objectives of the different packages, in order to be mission successful.
Learn more about the exercises here.