RAMSTEIN, Germany – On September 30 and October 1, the third Ramstein Alloy exercise in 2024 saw Allied air detachments conduct live-fly training in Latvia.
During the two-day exercise, the fighter and support aircraft practiced common Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) procedures and ground based air defence activities to further develop integration and readiness to protect NATO airspace in the Baltic Sea region.
Ramstein Alloy exercises highlight NATO’s Collective Defence, integrating multiple fighters and support aircraft providing a dynamic opportunity to demonstrate the high level of readiness, interoperability, and cooperation
Fighter jets of the current Baltic Air Policing detachments from Italy and Germany, together with Finnish jets, Latvian support aircraft and Spanish fighters, from their ongoing NATO deployment in Romania, flew 13 missions to conduct aerial manoeuvres including air-to-air refueling activities, to practice Close Air Support missions with Latvian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) and Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) activities.
The Spanish NASAMS unit, deployed at Lielvarde Air Base in Latvia, conducted Integrated Air and Missile Defence drills with Allied fighter aircraft Archive photo courtesy Spanish Army.
German Eurofighters flying out of Lielvarde AIR Base, Latvia, have safeguarded the Baltic Air Space under NATO orders since March 2024. Archive photo by Jannik Schagen.
Spanish F-18 fighters from the NATO Air Policing deployment in Romania, flew to the Baltic Sea region enabled by Air-to-Air Refueling to join combined QRA drills. Photo courtesy Spanish Air Force.
An MMU A-330 MRTT providing critical Air-to-Air Refueling support to German and Finnish fighter jets extending their availability for training during the exercise. Photo courtesy Bundeswehr.
In this multinational training environment, the Spanish National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) GBAD unit, deployed at Lielvarde Air Base in Latvia, conducted Integrated Air and Missile Defence drills in combination with Italian and German Eurofighter aircraft.
The controllers at the Baltic nations’ Control and Reporting Centres contributed vital tactical control of fighter manoeuvres in the multinational exercise. They also oversaw and directed Air-to-Air Refueling of fighter jets provided by an A-330 MRTT aircraft from the Multinational MRTT Unit based out of Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Allied Air Command and NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany, conduct Ramstein Alloy exercises three times a year offering opportunities to the in-place Baltic Air Policing detachments for training with regional air forces.
The exercise series highlights NATO’s Collective Defence, integrating multiple fighters and support aircraft providing a dynamic opportunity to demonstrate the high level of readiness, interoperability, and cooperation among NATO members. In addition, air- and surface-based Integrated Air and Missile Defence demonstrate how NATO Allied shield the eastern flank and strengthen regional security.