RAMSTEIN, Germany – Three Royal Air Force Typhoon jets arrived in Finland to temporarily support the United States-led exercise Swift Response and contribute to training missions in Estonia.
It's exciting to be a part of such a large multinational NATO-led exercise particularly working here with the Finnish our newest NATO Allies
Forward deployed under NATO’s Agile Combat Employment concept which describes projecting a fighter capability with a small – in this case 50-strong – support detachment, the Typhoon jets are poised to take part in sorties out of Tikkakoski, Finland.
Three Royal Air Force Typhoon jets at Tikkakoski Air Base, Finland, during an Agile Combat Employment conducted in support of exercise Swift Response. Photo courtesy Finnish Air Force.
A Finnish fuel truck provides ground support to the Royal Air Force Typhoons enabling sorties from the deployed location. Photo courtesy Finnish Air Force.
A Royal Air Force Typhoon taking off at Tikkakoski, Finland. A 50-strong detachment of three jets was stationed here for few days demonstrating expeditionary capabilities. Photo crown copyright .
The Royal Air Force Typhoon jets demonstrate the UK’s capability to quickly move air assets around to where they're most needed and return quickly onto the original tasking. Photo courtesy Finnish Air Force.
“We're taking part in a number of training sorties which allows us to perform an agile combat employment demonstrating the UK’s capability to quickly move air assets around to where they're most needed at any given time and return quickly onto the original tasking,” said Squadron Leader Nick Morrison-Smith, Detachment Commander for the RAF participation in exercise Swift Response.
The US-led exercise Swift Response is part of the NATO Steadfast Defender exercise series. Steadfast Defender encompasses Allied forces multi-domain enablement and deployment of forces and demonstrates NATO's readiness to defend all Allies.
Swift Response 24 involves approximately 3,650 U.S. and 9,500 multinational participants from 16 Allies. It is a dynamic U.S. Army Europe & Africa-led exercise focused on Allied airborne forces’ ability to quickly and effectively respond to crises as an interoperable, multi-national team.
“It's exciting to be a part of such a large multinational NATO-led exercise particularly working here with the Finnish our newest NATO Allies,” added Squadron Leader Morrison-Smith. “They've been more than welcoming; they've made us feel very welcome here and their professionalism has enabled us to have a smooth deployment so far,” he concluded.
The three Typhoon jets conducted the ACE deployment while supporting NATO enhanced Air Policing missions in Romania. “The exercise in the Baltic region will continue while we return to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base. NATO arrangements for the mission in Romania have allowed us to prove our long-range deployability and ACE capability and continue to safeguard the skies on the Black Sea shores alongside our Romanian friends,” said Squadron Leader Morrison-Smith.