Airmen participate in NATO exercise

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Keith Houin
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) --  American Airmen are partnering with air forces from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Turkey to participate in Exercise Brilliant Ardent 10 April 12 through 22 here.

Members of the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdhalem Air Base, Germany and the 351st Air Refueling Squadron from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England are participating in the large scale NATO response force air live exercise hosted by German officials.

The exercise scenario is based around a United Nations mandated NATO-led Crisis Response Operation in a fictitious geo-political setting, a scenario specifically designed for this exercise.

Sixty aircraft ranging from fighters, attack aircraft, helicopters, tanker and airborne early warning aircraft are operating from air bases located in Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

The aim of the exercise is to train, test, integrate and validate the interoperability, readiness and capabilities of NATO Response Force 15 nominated air forces and associated command structures by exercising NATO response force missions and tasks in a challenging and realistic scenario.

In addition to air assets, tactical employment of theater missile defense and ground based air defense assets will be extensively exercised.

The NATO response force concept provides the alliance with a robust capability to meet the challenging security environment of the 21st century by providing a highly trained and agile force, at high readiness, able to deploy at short notice wherever and whenever directed to do so by the North Atlantic Council.

The NATO response force comprises deployable NATO land, maritime and air forces provided by nations on a rotational basis.